His father was a successful farmer and businessman and a veteran of the War of 1812; his grandfather and great-grandfather served in the American Revolution.

All four generations had strong abolitionist views and Adam Wert was a close friend of Thaddeus Stevens.

A member of the Adams Rifles militia unit, Wert served as a scout for the Union forces, gathering information on Rebel strength in Chambersburg before the Battle of Gettysburg.

On the final day of the battle he helped reinforcements reach Cemetery Ridge to repel Pickett's Charge.

[3] In the days following the battle Wert walked the battlefield gathering artifacts left by the soldiers who fought there.