Beyond Gettysburg:

The Confederate Approach to Harrisburg

– A Field Tour

Saturday, August 11 - Carlisle, Pennsylvania

led by Jim Schmick and Cooper Wingert

 

By the summer of 1863, the Civil War had raged for two years, with some of the heaviest fighting occurring in Virginia. To relieve the suffering in Virginia and 'bring the war' to the Union states, Confederate General Robert E Lee launched an invasion of Pennsylvania. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia marched north through the neutral state of Maryland and crossed the Mason-Dixon line into Pennsylvania. In issuing his orders for the invasion of Pennsylvania Lee instructed General Richard Ewell to capture the state capital of Harrisburg if it “comes within your means.” Harrisburg was a major railway hub and the location of Camp Curtin, a Union military camp. Over 300,000 soldiers passed through Camp Curtin, making it the largest Federal camp during the Civil War.

 

Ewell sent two infantry divisions under Gen. Edward Johnson & Gen. Richard Rodes north and captured Carlisle on 27 June, 1863, ultimately occupying the town with a force of nearly 15,000 men. The Southerners then probed toward the Susquehanna River and the bridges across it which led into Harrisburg. In the vanguard was the 1,000 man cavalry brigade of General Albert G. Jenkins. Jenkins’ forces would become the forward splash of the Confederate high water in what would become known as the Gettysburg Campaign, capturing Mechanicsburg, engaging Union militia and volunteer troops at skirmishes at Oyster Point and Sporting Hill, and coming within view of the capital city before being recalled to the vicinity of Gettysburg.

 

The events of June 27 through June 30 have been overlooked as little more than a sideshow leading up to the main action at Gettysburg a few days later. However, the Confederate threat to Pennsylvania and the Union was real, if only for a few days. Had Lee’s plan been realized, the outcome of the war could have been very different.

 

 

Our “Beyond Gettysburg” tour will begin in Carlisle, and follow the movement of Jenkins starting with the capture of Carlisle, then following his path on the Trindle Road to Mechanicsburg. In Mechanicsburg we will visit several period buildings including the Burgess Hummel House where Mechanicsburg became the northernmost Union town to surrender without a fight; the Ashland House where Jenkins studied the disposition of Union defenses at Harrisburg; the Rupp House which was Jenkins’ headquarters and the northernmost Confederate headquarters of the war; and Peace Church where Jenkins positioned artillery and fired upon Union defenses at Oyster Point just west of the village of White Hall, now known as Camp Hill.

 

We will visit the site of the June 30, 1863 skirmish at Sporting Hill, engage in a detailed account of the actions that day, and view the Eberly (McCormick) farm house and barn, a focal point of the clash, and Salem Church, where Confederate artillery targeted Union militia defenses. Then, we will proceed to the site of the skirmish at Oyster Point & the Union militia defenses of White Hall, and continue to the Union defenses of Harrisburg on the west shore of the Susquehanna River. Here we will witness a commanding view of the capital city at the site of Fort Washington and visit the remaining earthworks of Fort Couch. Finally, we will visit several significant sites in Harrisburg, including the historic Harrisburg Cemetery, where such notables as the infamous Simon Cameron – Secretary of War in the Lincoln Administration at the beginning of the Civil War; Medal of Honor recipient Charles C. Davis; and Union General John W. Geary, rest in the company of many figures of the Revolutionary & Civil Wars.

 

We hope you will join us for this unique tour of intriguing sites seldom visited that were a part of the important prelude to Gettysburg.

 

About Our Tour Leaders

 

Jim Schmick is the founding president of Camp Curtin Historical Society/Civil War Roundtable and a member of the Adams, Cumberland and Dauphin County Historical Societies, the Harrisburg and Hershey Civil War Roundtables, the General Meade Society, the Gettysburg/Pennsylvania Monuments Project Committee and the Cumberland County/150 Civil War Anniversary Committee. Jim has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Senate and House for preservation efforts and received a Historic Recognition Award from the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association. He was named Historian of the Year for Cumberland County Historical Society.

 

Cooper Wingert has edited and published two histories based on the diaries of soldiers who fought in the mid-state and recently completed The Battle of Sporting Hill: A History and Guide.  His next book will be The Harrisburg Campaign, a broader work about the Civil War in the Harrisburg area. What may be most remarkable about Cooper Wingert is that he is just 13 years old.

 

Schedule

 

8:00 AM on          Gather at Parking Lot of Carlisle Plaza Mall (see below) 

8:30 AM               Depart for Tour

4:30 PM               Arrive Back at Parking Lot of Carlisle Plaza Mall

 

q Registration Fee:       $150

 

If You Must Cancel we will refund 100% of your fees paid within 30 days of your notice.

 

What is Included in Your Registration:

·        the services of expert historians chosen for their knowledge and experience      

·        transportation to sites as described

·        lunch

·        refreshments and snacks during the tour   

·        information package

 

If You Need Lodging, try any of the following:

·        Days Inn, 101 Alexander Spring Road. Carlisle, PA – 717-258-4147

·        Super 8 Carlisle North, 1800 Harrisburg Pike, Carlisle, PA – 717-249-7000

·        Hampton Inn Carlisle, 1164 Harrisburg Pike, Carlisle, PA – 717-240-0200

 

Base Location: We will assemble & depart for our tour from the Carlisle Plaza Mall, East High Street (Rt. 641) in Carlisle. Park your car in front of Lowe's Home Improvement just behind Burger King. 

 

Directions:

From I-81 North - Take Exit 48 to Rt. 74, turn left at traffic light. Go straight on York Road (Rt. 74N) 7/10th mile to Carlisle Plaza Mall entrance on right. Bear right around mall complex to Lowe's at far end. Look for Burger King to the left.

 

From I-81 South - Take Exit 49 to Rt. 641, turn right at traffic light. Go west on Trindle Road (Rt. 641) 6/10th mile to Burger King & Lowe's on left.