The New York Times "Discovers" Sgt. Humiston

Those of us who have steeped ourselves in Civil War lore and pivotal battles of the conflict in particular, are constantly amazed when battlefield legends that have lingered through the decades are "discovered," told in a new way, and mulled as if they are artifacts first seeing the light of day.

One of those tales made it into one of our favorite newspapers today. The New York Times is carrying a serialized (five parts, no less) account of Sgt. Amos Humiston - Gettysburg's so-called "Unknown Soldier."

Sgt. Humiston was felled by a Confederate bullet shortly after his 154th New York Volunteers were overrun by superior forces and hurled back toward Cemetery Hill during the battle of Gettysburg.

That would not be counted as unusual, given the number of good men who died during those three days in Pennsylvania, and his story may have gone untold forever were it not for the small ambrotype of his three children a battlefield forager found clutched in his hand.

Like a good many of the men killed during the battle, Sgt. Humiston wore no corps badge, pinned no note to the back of his battle dress, and was not carrying the letters his wife, Philinda, had sent him and he had read in camp until they tattered.

As did many similar stories created by the fickle travails of war, Sgt. Humiston's story was not revealed for many years after his death, when a concerted - some say opportunistic - search to find his identity and locate the children in the ambrotype, turned up his family.

We won't ruin the ending. Suffice to say it was not a happy one. That this tale has been resurrected for public viewing by so widespread an audience is both confusing and reassuring, as it is our heartfelt belief that this tale - and so many others born out of the War Between the States - should have been given more emphasis in our nation's schools and perhaps not left to individuals, amateur historians, and buffs to ferret out for themselves.

But then, that's just our opinion, an opinion Sgt. Humiston, and several hundred thousand just like him - either knowingly or unintentionally sought to protect through his service to the Union.