Results tagged “Jubal Early” from York Town Square

York County, Pa., Civil War author Scott Mingus has added another book to his growing list of titles: "The Louisiana Tigers in the Gettysburg Campaign, June-July 1863." This 315-page book covers this famous Confederate brigade during the during the Gettysburg Campaign, including its two-day stay in the York area. For locations to purchase the book, contact Mingus at scottmingus@yahoo.com. Civil War book: 'When flames brilliantly illuminated the sky over the Susquehanna River' and Books probing York County in the Civil War come in strong, sudden onslaught and The Four YorkBloggers write.

In his recently published "Louisiana Tigers," Scott Mingus tells the wonderful story of Gen. Jubal Early meeting the widow Zinn in western York County's Big Mount.

"Are you goin' to destroy us, are you going to take all that we've got?" she asked Early.

Early replied: "No madam, and to give you the best protection possible, I will stay with you, with my staff, and no one shall trouble you."

Early then visited one of his brigade commanders, John B. Gordon, at nearby Farmers.

When he returned at about 9 p.m., Mrs. Zinn had saved a supper of 15 varieties of food - meats, vegetables, coffee and milk... .

The York Gazette published invading Gen. Jubal Early's requisitions of York's residents in its June 30, 1863, edition. It was printed on or about the time that the last Confederates were leaving town after staying for a little less than two days. A local researcher has discovered what happened to some of the goods gained in the requisition. Background posts: Invaders put off by earthy Pennsylvania women, Owner seeks info on old toll house and York County Civil War, by the numbers.

For years, it's been known that part of the goods received from the Confederate requisition of York in late June 1863 wound up in the stomachs of the 6,000-plus invaders.

Some remained in or on the bodies of the rebels after roughly 30 percent of Gen. Jubal Early's division sustained casualties in the subsequent Battle of Gettysburg Civil War.

Now author and fellow blogger Scott Mingus has put forth a piece about what happened to part of the requisitioned goods... .

Starview United Brethren church -- now a United Methodist Church -- as it looked in 1914. A cigar factory, ubiquitious around turn-of-the 20th century York County, is seen at left. The church is now a United Methodist congregation. Background posts: York Daily Record columnist Jim Hubley's last piece: 'Good luck weeding out tobacco' and Mother Goose teaches York County history lessons and York County cigars: 'They contained a vast amount of nicotine'.

Ten-year-old YorkCounts has again added to community discussion in teeing up 38 quality-of-life measurements.

Important, that is, because if issues facing York County aren't tracked, it's difficult to assess progress.

Indeed, several indicators in the March 20 report show that the quality of life is improving in the county.

But, of course, while some categories work, others need work.

A vast amount of work.

To tackle many community issues, the YorkCounts coalition and other local leaders are facing decades of decisions that affect the quality of life today for better or worse.

So, I've provided brief historical background on six indicators, which we'll explain in this and future York Town Square posts, to show how the past and the present may link up.

First, tobacco usage in York County:

This scene showing the burning of the Wrightsville Bridge in 1863 is the focal point of the cover of Scott Mingus' newest book. Background posts: Unsung York County asset: Actual, virtual historical community with hustle and Books probing York County in the Civil War come in strong, sudden onslaught and Signs point to York, 'Prize of the Confederacy,' and other York/Adams Civil War wonders.

Fellow blogger Scott Mingus' new book is the most thorough micro-study yet of the Confederate expedition to the banks of the Susquehanna River in late June 1863.

That raid included the controversial surrender of York, which Mingus covers in detail... .

The Big Mount house in Paradise Township where Confederate Gen. Jubal Early stayed on June 27, 1863, was up for sale when this photo was taken in 2004. The next day, the three rebel brigades accompanying Early tramped through along the countryside on Canal and other roads, including those in the Admire and Davidsburg area of Dover Township before hitting the Carlisle Road at Weigelstown. Background posts: Owner seeks info on old turnpike toll house, York County photo collection adds to historical record, Jubal Early heard booming of Battle of Hanover's guns.

The 145th anniversary of the Confederate occupation of York County brings to mind the fortunes of those villages in the path of the rebel horde.

Dover Township's Admire is one of those settlements that Gen. Jubal Early's men marched through on their way to York. Like most villages in York County, Admire has interesting stories attached to it.

It was originally known as Slabtown and then Newport.

According to historian George Prowell, when storekeeper Swiler Kunkle was selected postmaster, Voltaire was selected... .

During a visit to the area last week, David Whelchel stopped at the monument to his great-grandfather Lt. Gen. James Longstreet at the battlefield in Gettysburg. Whelchel is married to a York County native. Background links: Local Civil War Roundtable gets new digs, Noted writer to blog on local Civil War scene and Unsung farmhouse loud symbol of a shaping moment for York.

Jubal A. Early commanded the 6,000-plus Confederates who overran the York area and reached the banks of the Susquehanna River in Wrightsville in late June 1863.

He was part of Richard Ewell's corps.

James Longstreet was another of Robert E. Lee's corps commanders (A.P. Hill was the third.)

Longstreet's men never made it farther east than Cemetery Ridge during Pickett's charge, also known as Longstreet's assault, during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Had Longstreet's men broken through and won the battle, they might have kept going east to York County on their way to capture Harrisburg, the prized Northern state capital... .

Re-enactors re-create the surrender of York, Pa., in 1988, the 125th anniversary of the town's occupation to the invading rebels in late June 1863. Background posts: Invaders put off by earthy Pennsylvania women, Owner seeks info on old toll house and York County Civil War, by the numbers.

Continuing the series of telling York County, Pa.'s, history through images: ... .

Gen. Jubal Early, division commander of Confederate troops invading York in June 1863, stayed in this house in Big Mount, Paradise Township. After his night's stay in this still-standing, privately owned structure at the corner of Canal and Big Mount Road, Early headed to a surrendered York for a two-day occupation before Robert E. Lee recalled him to the vicinity a Gettysburg, where a battle was brewing. Background post: E-mailer queries about Confederate invasion.

Jubal Early's overnight stay at a York County home produced an amusing incident in the otherwise deadly serious Confederate invasion of York County.

When Early returned to the Big Mount home after visiting John B. Gordon in nearby Farmers, he found the widow Zinn had reserved supper for him.

Sitting with the woman and her teenage daughter, he enjoyed a fare of 15 to 20 Pennsylvania German dishes, particularly fresh summer vegetables.

The rest, from "East of Gettysburg":

This good-natured mock surrender ceremony in 1988 served as a symbolic point of change in York's official view of the town's surrender to the Confederates 125 years earlier. When confronted with the demand by Confederate Gen. Jubal Early, played here by Richard Knapp of Red Lion, center, York Mayor William Althaus, left, declined. 'We are no longer unprotected, having the finest police department in the country,' Althaus said. Background posts: York finally coming to terms with its Civil War legacy and All Civil War posts from the start.

Should York's leaders have abandoned ship upon the Confederate approach in the days before the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863?

That decision to surrender became controversial the moment it was made, and the debate continues to this day.

The following are excerpts from my article in the York Daily Record some years ago that address the question in pro/con format:

Gen. John B. Gordon commanded a brigade of Confederate troops who marched across York County's heartland to the banks of the Susquehanna River in June 1863. Background post: Some hugged rebels, others hated captors during York raid .

The previous post, Where did Gen. Gordon accept York's surrender? touches on Gen. John B. Gordon's overnight stay at Jacob Altland's farmhouse in Farmers.

The farmhouse is intriguing because it was the location that housed a famous general, one of the Confederate Army's top ranked military commanders by war's end. But it's an important, albeit unsung, symbol locally as the site where York's surrender was consumated.

My introduction to "East of Gettysburg" explores the significance of the farmhouse as a symbol of York County's Civil War story that is just being told and the importance of the surrender in shaping the way York County sees itself:

This is a view not commonly seen by those visiting the Electric Map - its underbelly. For a topside view, see below. Some map stats: The map is a 30-foot square. It was built in 1938 and installed in its own 554-seat auditorium in 1963. Number of light bulbs? 625. Background posts: Q&A on new Gettysburg visitor center, old Electric Map and Gettysburg's vaunted Electric Map to soon stop blinking. For numerous additional Civil War-related posts on this blog, see this category.

Gettysburg's Electric Map is for sale.

Soon, the low-tech map that for decades has oriented visitors to the Gettysburg Battlefield will not be part of the National Park Service's offerings.

Two observations:

The most memorable part of the presentation is the announcer's comment that Southern forces arrived at the battlefield from the north and Northern troops entered the field from the south. Those who have followed York County and the Civil War know that a whole division of Southern troops -- 6,000-plus men -- who, indeed, entered the field from the north -- had just arrived from the east.

Got that?

Those were Jubal Early's men, who had countermarched to Heidlersburg in Adams County, northeast of the field, after reaching York and the west bank of the Susquehanna in Wrightsville.

Also, park service stats place Electric Map visitors in 2006 at 228,792 people. At an average price of $3.50 a ticket, sounds like a pretty good business opportunity for someone who wants to preserve the Gettysburg icon. (To see how the park service will handle the map, view the post shrinkwrapping ).

The York Sunday News story follows: ....

Was Lt. William Daniel, the rebel officer slain at Gettysburg whose tooth made the news recently, ever in York County? See soldier's tooth found.

Scott Mingus, author of a soon-to-be-published "The Gordon Expedition, Flames Beyond Gettysburg," says no. See human interest stories.

But the man who came up with the tooth, William T. King, was here... .

There's good evidence that ear-witnesses could hear Battle of Gettysburg fighting in Delta, 60 miles away.

Another moment in which Civil War fighting could be heard in York County involved the Battle of Hanover on June 30, 1863.

Confederate Gen. Jeb Stuart's long cavalry column, desperately trying to get back to Robert E. Lee's main force, ran into a blue-clad buzzsaw in Hanover.

Meanwhile, Jubal Early's gray infantry column had just left York that morning and was marching near Davidsburg, near Dover, about 15 miles away. He paused on his way back to Adams County to listen to the booming of cannon from the hills to the southwest. He then proceeded west, as his orders from Robert E. Lee directed.

Stuart didn't know where Early was, and Early didn't know Stuart's whereabouts. That was the problem in the first place... .