Jennie Wade, Bread Martyr: See the Bullet Hole

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Jennie Wade was the only civilian killed during the Civil War's Battle of Gettysburg. She was in her sister's kitchen on July 3, 1863, kneading dough for biscuits, when a Confederate bullet pierced a door and struck her in the back, killing her instantly. She was 20 years old.

The house opened as an attraction in 1906, offering tourists a chance to see the bullet hole and the bloodstained floor where Jennie fell. A life-size statue of Jennie was added outside in 1984, sculpted by Ivo Zini. She's depicted holding a loaf of bread, not the fatal biscuits. A cheerless placard concludes, "Her mother saw her fall and sadly informed the rest of the family, 'your sister is dead.'"

Despite frequent repainting of the door, the bullet hole is stained from the sweat of thousands of fingers that have been shoved through it. This is encouraged by the attraction as part of an an odd legend: any unmarried woman who puts her ring finger through the hole will receive a marriage proposal within a year. Above the hole hangs a written testimonial from a happy bride, and our guide told us that there have been many similar success stories.