Francis was mortally wounded from a gunshot to the left side of his chest on July 1, 1863. He was taken to the the 1st Corps hospital set up in Gettysburg at the Christ Lutheran Church on Chambersburg Street. It was well staffed with two surgeons, several women volunteering as nurses and a chaplin. Francis's body would have been buried in the church's cemetery and later shipped to Philadelphia. That may account for the delay in reaching Philadelphia.

The confusion over the exact day of his death stems from the fact that the Confederates overran the town the night of the 1st and occupied the church/hospital until late the next day. In other words exact record keeping was not on the minds of those in charge. Francis would have had the best care available along with a minister nearby.

Francis D Rea