Jeb Stuart's three brigades of veteran Confederate cavalry rose in fields surrounding Dover and leisurely ate their breakfasts. Foraging patrols scoured neighboring farms for several miles looking for horses, mules, forage, horsehoes, and other supplies of military interest. They paid for them with worthless CSA currency or bank drafts to be paid by the Confederacy after the war ended. Scores of Union prisoners captured in Maryland or at the Battle of Hanover are paroled, released, and sent walking back down today's Route 74 to York. By early afternoon, Stuart's men are back in the saddle, as multiple columns wind their way through northwestern York County through Wellsville, Rossville, and Dillsburg, where the brigade of wealthy South Carolina planter and politician Wade Hampton III will camp for the night on the Mumper fruit farm.

Meanwhile, in the rest of the county...

Posted in Civilians Confederates Dillsburg Dover Gettysburg Campaign Hanover Hanover Junction Jefferson Wrightsville York

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Sunday dawned bright and early on June 28. Most townspeople in York went about their daily routines, including dressing nicely for worship, strolling the sidewalks, and visiting friends and relatives. While church was in progress at St. Paul's Lutheran, the vanguard of the Confederate division of Jubal Early marched into York, preceded by the pioneer corps and advance pickets from the 31st Georgia. Rebels hauled down the large flag in the Center Square, as well as a smaller one from a nearby shop. York was now under Confederate control. The lead brigade, the Georgians of John Gordon, moved on to Wrightsville, while Jubal Early ringed York with artillery and established a series of camps.

Posted in Civil War people Civilians Confederates Dillsburg Emigsville Gettysburg Campaign Hanover Wrightsville Yankees York York Haven

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Well known Pennsylvania author J. David Petruzzi visited the York CWRT this past Wednesday night and presented one of the most interesting overviews of J.E.B. Stuart's mid-1863 ride around Hooker / Meade's army that I have recently heard. I had helped a little with the original research and data collection for his fine book, Plenty of Blame to Go Around: J.E.B. Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg, but I found a lot more information since its publication, so I decided to write a magazine article on the specific portion of Stuart's ride between the end of the Battle of Hanover and the shelling of Carlisle - that is, the ride from the outskirts of Hanover to Dillsburg through western York County.

That article appeared in the January 2008 issue of The Gettysburg Magazine and is a companion piece to the article I wrote for the July 2007 issue regarding "Jubal Early Takes York." Both issues are widely available from Gettysburg booksellers and gift shops, or can be obtained over the Internet directly from the publisher.

Posted in Confederates Dillsburg Dover Gettysburg Campaign Hanover York CWRT

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Pennsylvania author J. David Petruzzi is the featured guest speaker for the May meeting of the York CWRT.

From June 30 through the wee morning hours of July 2, elements of J.E.B. Stuart's vaunted, but road-weary and exhausted Confederate cavalry column trudged through western York County. They fought a pitched battle at Hanover, as well as a couple of very minor rear guard skirmishes near Jefferson and Dover. Stuart did not arrive on the Gettysburg battlefield until late on July 2, having fought yet again at Hunterstown.

Historians for 145 years have argued the merits of Stuart's controversial ride around the Union army, one that put him out of touch with the main force of the Army of Northern Virginia for part of the campaign. Some critics blame Stuart for leaving Lee blind while in enemy country; others argue that the move made military sense and circumstances beyond Stuart's (and Lee's) control contributed to the delayed reunion with the infantry.

Brockway, PA author J. D. Petruzzi will present a FREE talk at the York County Civil War Round Table on Wednesday, May 21, at 7:00 p.m. at the York County Heritage Trust at 250 East Market Street in downtown York. This promises to be of strong interest to anyone interested in exploring the Civil War history of this region, and a chance to see and hear one of America's leading cavalry experts deliver his personal opinion on Stuart's ride.

Posted in Books Confederates Dillsburg Dover Gettysburg Campaign Hanover Jefferson York CWRT

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My wife and I used watch a half-hour TV program entitled 8 Simple Rules for Dating my Daughter. It starred the late actor John Ritter, the son of famous country and western singer Tex Ritter, and the show was a source of entertainment and escape. While I normally detest sitcoms, this was one of the rare ones I would sit through, unlike Ritter's earlier horrible Three's Company, which I could not stand. Not long before Ritter's death at age 54, I finally came to appreciate his talents. John Ritter had a famous lineage, as well as fame and fortune.

For one ordinary 19th Century York County namesake, the Gettysburg Campaign took away a little of his fortune, but made the name John Ritter a part of local Civil War history.

Posted in Civilians Confederates Dillsburg Gettysburg Campaign Other places

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Monument to the 26th Militia at Gettysburg

Many local (and national) Civil War buffs are aware of the Battle of Hanover and the Skirmish of Wrightsville. However, there was other fighting in York County, albeit very minor in nature, including insignificant cavalry skirmishes near Jefferson and Dover, as well as near York, where Virginia cavalry fired potshots at retreating Union forces as they were abandoning York for Wrightsville. One other York County town was spared the frightful rattle of gunfire and the fear of potential casualties to be nursed in area homes, despite two opposing forces warily eyeing one another in nearby fields.

Dillsburg was a sleepy little rural village nestled in the shadow of South Mountain. It was primarily known in 1863 as a rest stop for travellers on the road from York to Carlisle, and it boasted a couple of fine taverns, a few stores, a post office, and some other businesses, as well as a nearby sprawling commercial fruit farm. Not far away was the strategically important, from a military viewpoint, gap in the mountain range at Yellow Breeches Creek. That passage offered an egress from the Cumberland Valley into the heart of northwestern York County.

Posted in Dillsburg Gettysburg Campaign

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Far away from home in unfamiliar territory. Well behind enemy lines. Weary from days and days of travel. Riding on someone else's horse, one just purchased from a farmer. Tired from exposure and weakened from hunger. Knowing that the enemy has been on your tail for days. Homesick from missing your sweetheart and parents. Exhausted from two years of fighting a war that you expected to be over in a few months when you enlisted.

Put yourself in the minds of J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate cavalrymen that invaded York County on June 30 and July 1, 1863. Any escape from the wearisome toil of the march and the mind numbing routine was welcomed. For Virginia-born J. E. Cooke, that pleasant diversion came in the form of wall decorations in one Dillsburg tavern.

Posted in Confederates Dillsburg Gettysburg Campaign

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