On Thanksgiving day in November 1863 two children whose fathers were killed during the Civil War went to the executive mansion in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and asked for food. Apparently this experience inspired Governor Andrew Curtin to ask the Pennsylvania legislature to establish an organization to care for orphans of Union soldiers. While legislators did not […]
29
Sep
10
White Hall School – Camp Hill, PA
Posted by sailerd Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Images, Places to Visitno comment
7
Sep
10
Skirmish at Oyster Point (June 1863)
Posted by sailerd Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Places to VisitThe skirmish at Oyster Point was a small engagement that took place in late June 1863 in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania between Confederate forces under General Albert G. Jenkins’ command and Union militia from New York under General William F. Smith’s command. After Confederates entered Mechanicsburg, General Jenkins set up artillery and sent Virginia cavalry in […]
24
Aug
10
Union Soldiers – Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Posted by sailerd Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Letters & Diaries, Recent ScholarshipThe House Divided project received permission from the Cumberland County Historical Society to post articles that explore topics related to the Civil War era in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. These essays originally appeared in the Cumberland County History Journal. Right click on the links below and select “save as” to download the article as a PDF […]
17
Aug
10
Battle of Sporting Hill – June 30, 1863
Posted by sailerd Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Letters & DiariesThe Battle of Sporting Hill, which was part of the Gettysburg Campaign, took place on June 30, 1863 in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania between elements of the 16th Virginia Calvary Regiment and two New York Militia Regiments. The Confederate forces at Sporting Hill served as a rearguard for General Albert G. Jenkins, whose brigade was stationed […]
30
Jul
10
Before going to bed on October 10, 1862, Chambersburg resident William Heyser noted in his diary that he had “secreted some of my most valuable papers.” Confederate cavalry under the command of General J. E. B. Stuart had arrived several hours earlier and forced the town to surrender. Union forces had been caught by surprise […]
26
Jul
10
An Angry Father At Gettysburg
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Historic Periodicals, ImagesSam Wilkeson was a war correspondent for the New York Times who had sons in the Union army, including Lt. Bayard Wilkeson, an artillery officer who was mortally wounded on the first day at Gettysburg. The story of Bayard’s death became a northern sensation since he was one of the youngest artillery officers in the […]
22
Jul
10
Harrisburg Grand Review: November 14, 1865
Posted by rainwatj Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Historic PeriodicalsOn May 23 and 24, 1865, Union soldiers paraded through Washington D.C. for a grand review of the troops, a celebration from the grateful citizens to the Union soldiers for their efforts and service in winning the Civil War. Noticeably missing from the celebration were the over 180,000 United States Colored Troops who fought along […]
20
Jul
10
Cumberland County History, a historical journal compiled annually by the Cumberland County Historical Society, has provided nearly three decades of research into the county’s long history. The journal has published several articles on Civil War soldiers from the surrounding community. They utilize several primary documents and effectively offer insight into the emotional departure from loved […]
20
Jul
10
Battle of Nashville: December 15-16, 1864
Posted by mckelveb Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Images, Maps, Places to Visit, Recent ScholarshipThe Battle of Nashville took place on December 15-16, 1864 in Davidson County, Tennessee as a part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign. Beginning in November 1864, Confederate General John Bell Hood led the Army of Tennessee towards Nashville in a last attempt to move Union Major General William T. Sherman out of Georgia. By December 1, 1864 Union […]
19
Jul
10
Battle of Mobile Bay: August 2-23, 1864
Posted by mckelveb Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Images, Lesson Plans, Maps, Places to Visit, Recent ScholarshipThe Battle of Mobile Bay (also known as the Passing of Forts Morgan and Gaines) took place from August 2-23, 1864 in Mobile and Baldwin Counties, Alabama. In early August, a large Union fleet under the command of Admiral David G. Farragut entered Mobile Bay and came under fire from Confederate forces. Farragut led his forces past the […]
