Hanover Junction: February 2009 Archives

On the evening of June 30, 1863, Confederate Major General James Ewell Brown Stuart was leading his weary column of more than 4,000 cavalrymen northeasterly away from the site of the Battle of Hanover. His destination? The prosperous town of York, where he expected to link up with the infantry of the Army of Northern Virginia following his daring ride around the Union Army of the Potomac.

History records that he and his staff paused at John E. Zeigler's place to convene a conference of his leading officers, and decided to head toward New Salem (and eventually, Dover, where he still hoped to locate the trail of Early's movements).

But exactly which Zeigler property did Jeb Stuart use for his temporary headquarters? There were a couple of possible sites.

February 12, 2009, marks the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. I attended the dedication ceremonies this afternoon at Hanover Junction, Pennsylvania, where Lincoln changed trains en route to deliver the Gettysburg Address (and again as he was returning to Washington, D.C.). Sculptor Joe Kelly created an impressive bust of Honest Abe, and it was formally dedicated today in a brief ceremony that included local politicians, York County Parks officials, local preservationists, and Lincoln / Civil War buffs.

Codorus Valley historian and preservationist Ray Kinard reads the Gettysburg Address to the crowd who braved some very windy conditions, with gusts over 40 miles an hour at times. Ray and I have frequently exchanged notes about the Hanover Junction and Jefferson area during the Gettysburg Campaign.

I am now accepting orders for my latest book, Flames Beyond Gettysburg: The Gordon Expedition, June 1863 from Ironclad Publishing. Please see my website for this new book for details and a photo gallery of more than 100 pictures associated with the book and the historical locations and personages featured in Flames Beyond Gettysburg. I accept PayPal, personal checks, and money orders for this book. A portion of the proceeds will go for battlefield preservation efforts.

Copies of the book will be on sale at my upcoming talks at the York CWRT at the York Heritage Trust on March 18 and at the Greater Dover Historical Society on March 19. As soon as I know when my large shipment is coming in, we plan a talk and formal reception at the York Emporium (more details to come once Jim Lewin and I work out the details for this formal introduction of the book, and I am hoping to have some guests lined up for that event).