Gettysburg battlefield: October 2007 Archives

I took a day of vacation today from work to tramp a forgotten part of the Battle of Gettysburg with Ranger Troy Harmon and 40 or so folks from an Internet group of military history enthusiasts. I came home to shower and change clothes before I give a talk to the group tonight on Gordon's expedition to York and the importance of the roads into York County.

Troy's battle walk tonight was interesting, despite the persistent rain. He spent a lot of time talking about the strategic importance of the area we tramped (Wolf's Hill, "Lost Avenue", Highland Avenue, and the Hanover Road / Route 116, as well as Benner's Hill and Hospital Hill (later Camp Letterman)). All were critical spots where both the Union and Confederate forces tried to turn each other's flanks, opening the roads to York and Hanover, as well as the vital Baltimore Pike down to Union supply lines in Westminster, Maryland.

Late on July 1, 1863, who did Confederate high command entrust to repel any threats from a large boody of Yankees approaching the area? John Gordon and "Extra Billy" Smith, both of whom had recently travelled to Gettysburg from their billets on June 29 - 30 near York. Likewise, Federals in the area included Judson Kilpatrick's cavalry, fresh from the Battle of Hanover, as was J.E.B. Stuart's Rebels. The roads to York and Hanover would prove of major interest to both armies, and the bitter fighting at East Cavalry Field on July 3 and at Brinkerhoff's Ridge (a seldom visited spot on 116) kept the road to Hanover in Union hands, while the road to York remained under CSA control (White's Comanches and Smith's infantry were stationed there for parts of the battle).

So, even during the Battle of Gettysburg, the two mains roads leading to York County were always on the minds of the commanders of both armies. Not much is written about the jockeying and maneuvering along these two roads on July 1, 2 and 3, but a lot of men struggled to gain an advantage, and hundreds were killed or wounded on the eastern battlefield, much of which is in private hands today.

The National Park Service has announced that it has commissioned a new trolley system to connect its new Visitors Center (which is slated for a grand opening in April if it continues to be on schedule) with downtown Gettysburg and other key stops. The trolley system will be operational by next spring. The Park Service is still deciding if it will physically operate the trolleys under direct NPS control (a la their bus service to the Eisenhower Farm) or by private contractors operating under a license from the Park Service. This proposed trolley line would make a total of nine stops, including the downtown square, a pair of stops along the tourist/hotel region on Steinwehr Avenue, the National Cemetery, the new VC of course, and a couple of others. The daily or per ride fee for the trolley ride has yet to be determined, but leading hotels will be allowed to purchase trolley passes for their guests. The project is receiving widespread backing from tourism and visitors officials, as well as from several private businesses that had been very concerned about the NPS decision to move their VC away from tourist row.

To see a listing of other recent park news of interest, please click the following link...

After work this past Friday, I drove over to G'burg. If you have not been there recently to see the massive tree-cutting southwest of Devil's Den, you must pay a visit! A sweeping vista not seen for nearly 100 years now greets the eye, finally revealing how strategic the boulder-strewn ridgeline was for Union defenders. Take a drive over this upcoming weekend if you have a chance!