| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — The Confederates Invade Pennsylvania |
| | In early June 1863, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia led by General Robert E. Lee began to leave its camps in Virginia and march northward to Pennsylvania. Lee hoped that a victory on Northern soil might break the will of the Northern population and possibly lead to a negotiated peace and Southern Independence.
The Union Army of the Potomac began to move in response to Lee and attempted to stay between the Confederates and Washington, D.C. On June 25th three brigades of Confederate . . . — Map (db m5020) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — The Forney Farms — Fighting Focused on Forney Lands |
| | As the initial attack by the 13th Virginia and 2nd North Carolina Cavalry Regiments gained momentum, they charged along Frederick Street and through the Forney fields which were located on the land in front of you. On your left, the retreating Union rear guard reached other members of the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment. Shortly after, the pursuing Confederate cavalry plunged into the midst of the Pennsylvania's column. This clash set off a chain reaction that soon pushed the Union cavalry . . . — Map (db m8652) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — The Winebrenner House |
| | "We had better go down stairs; we are in danger here," Mrs. Henry Winebrenner said to her daughter, Martha, after seeing the flash and hearing the roar from Confederate artillery. - The Evening Herald, January 25, 1904
Confederate artillery Opens Fire In 1863 this house on Frederick Street was located near the edge of town. The area around you was mostly open field at that time. By about 10:00 a.m. June 30, 1863, the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment halted on Frederick Street. . . . — Map (db m8653) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — The Jacob Wirt House |
| | At approximately 8:00 a.m. the head of Kilpatrick's Union Cavalry Division halted on Frederick Street. When Reverend William K. Zieber, pastor of Emmanuel Reformed Church learned about the hungry cavalrymen, he encouraged the crowd of townspeople to feed them. For nearly two hours, various regiments passed through Hanover as men, women and children continued to bring food, drinks and gifts to the grateful soldiers. About 10:99 a.m., rear units of the 5th New York Cavalry Regiment were located . . . — Map (db m8655) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Hanover's Wounded — Physicians Administer Aid |
| | A lull in the fighting after the first charge of the Battle of Hanover prompted several Hanover physicians to begin caring for the wounded on the streets and sidewalks. Among them were Drs. George Hinkle, Henry Eckert, Horace Alleman, Jacob Smith, John Culbertson and William Bange, who was a surgeon dentist.
While Dr. Bange and Rev. Zieber were aiding a Confederate soldier wounded at the Center Square, a squad of ten men dashed toward them. Upon dismounting his horse, one man raised his . . . — Map (db m4999) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Abbottstown Street/Broadway |
| | A Glimpse of Hanover's Past The chaotic fighting at the Center Square quickly spilled over onto several side streets, alleys, and fields. At the first sign of trouble, Major John Hammond led an organized withdrawal of the 5th New York Cavalry Regiment from Abbottstown Street/Broadway into the Public Commons along today's Railroad Street. Meanwhile, Union ambulances and remnants of the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment retreated along the rout of Abbottstown Street. Along Abbottstown . . . — Map (db m8658) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — The Confederates Take Stock |
| | "After they had passed out Frederick Street the doctor and I picked up three or four dead soldiers, lying in the street between Centre Square and the Reformed Church, and carried them to the side-walks" -Rev. Wm. K. Zeilber, pastor Emmanuel Reformed Church (Dr. George Hinkel) After the initial success of the Confederate charge, the center of Hanover was occupied by a large contingent of Southern cavalry. In some areas, individual Union cavalrymen were still fighting defensively or had . . . — Map (db m10394) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Killed in Action at Hanover — Reformed Cemetery |
| | Hanover photographer Peter S. Weaver, who operated a studio on Baltimore Street, recorded this view dated February 6, 1964. The man holding the book in the photo is Samuel Weaver, Peter's father. Samuel supervised the operation in which the remains of over 3,500 Union soldiers were exhumed and then reburied in the Gettysburg National Cemetery. The workers used long hooks to pull decomposed bodies from the graves. Nineteen Union cavalrymen were reported killed or mortally wounded in Hanover on . . . — Map (db m8648) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — The Turning Point |
| | Elements from the 2nd North Carolina Cavalry Regiment charged past this point in pursuit of disorganized remnants of the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment which was retreating toward the railroad tracks. The Union Cavalry appeared to have abandoned Hanover. Earlier that morning, Confederate Major General J.E.B. Stuart had spotted a large column of Union Cavalry "passing through" Hanover going toward Abbottstown. Brigadier General Kilpatrick and his Union staff had reached the vicinity of . . . — Map (db m8647) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Conrad Moul - The Public Commons |
| | The original Moul Townhouse stood to your right. It was the mirror image of the 215 Broadway townhouse behind you. By 1915, the Moul Family replaced it with the Neoclassical Revival style brick home designed by Dempwolf Architects of York, which you see before you now. Relatives of Conrad Moul still occupy this home. The Public Commons was sold or rented by perpetual land leases to local industries such as foundries, distillers, and coal, lumber and hemp rope distributors. The public Farmers' . . . — Map (db m22416) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — The Square is Now Recaptured — The Scattered Debris of Battle |
| | From Hanover's Center Square, major roads radiate to York, Baltimore, Frederick and Carlisle. For the second time that day the Center Square would become the scene of brutal combat.
A few blocks to the north, nearly 400 mounted cavalrymen from New York and Pennsylvania had reformed under the command of Major John Hammond. Riding in a column, four horses abreast, they used several side streets to reach Abbottstown Street, now Broadway, before proceeding to the Center Square.
Members of . . . — Map (db m4996) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Battle of Hanover |
| | June 30, 1863
between Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick's
3rd Cavalry Division Army of the Potomac
and
Major Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's Cavalry Division
Army of Northern Virginia — Map (db m4997) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Army of the Potomac — June 30, 1863 |
| | Headquarters Army of the Potomac moved from Middleburg to Taneytown. First Corps marched from Emmittsburg to Marsh Run, third Corps from Taneytown to Bridgeport. Fifth Corps from Liberty via Johnsville Union Bridge and Union to Union Mills. Sixth Corps from New Windsor to Manchester. Twelfth Corps from Taneytown and Bruceville to Littletown. First and Second Brigades First Cavalry Division from near Fairfield via Emmitsburg to Gettysburg. Second Cavalry Division from New Windsor to Westminster . . . — Map (db m5002) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Army of the Potomac — July 1, 1863 |
| | First Corps marched from Marsh Run, Eleventh Corps from Emmittsburg to Gettysburg. Second Corps from Uniontown via Taneytown to near Gettysburg. Third Corps from Bridgeport via Emmitsburg to the field of Gettysburg. Fifth Corps from Union Mills via Hanover and McSherrytown to Bonaughtown. Sixth Corps from Manchester en rout to Gettysburg. Twelfth Corps from Littlestown via Two Taverns to the field of Gettysburg. Second Cavalry Division marched from Manchester to Hanover Junction from whence the . . . — Map (db m5001) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Kilpatrick Headquarters |
| | On June 30, 1863, Gen. Kilpatrick, commanding the Third Division of the Union Cavalry, took headquarters in this building after part of his forces had been attacked by Confederate Cavalry SE of town. — Map (db m5005) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Battle of Hanover |
| | On the morning of June 30, 1863, Confederate Cavalry under General Stuart attacked the rear of Union Cavalry S E of here and, for a while, had possession of the town. The attack repulsed, Stuart withdrew in the evening. — Map (db m4995) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Major General George Armstrong Custer |
| | 1839 ---- 1876
Killed in Battle of Little Big Horn River, Montana, in Sioux Indian War.
Was Brig. Gen. Commander of 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th, Michigan Cavalry Regiments and Pennington's Battery at the Battle of Hanover June 30, 1863.
In the 1850's, J.W. Gitt planted a silver maple near his residence on the spot indicated by the star and circle in the pavement below. Before and after the Battle of Hanover, June 30, 1863, Gen. Custer tied his horse to this tree. After the war, it became known . . . — Map (db m5003) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — The Hanover Spectator Covers the Battle |
| | "Our town on Tuesday for the first time saw and felt all the incidents, scenes and horrors of actual war." The Hanover Spectator, founded by Senary Leader in 1844, was owned by his widow, Maria, at the time of the Civil War. It was published out of an office on Frederick Street. In the July 3, 1863, edition, the newspaper reported two scenes during the battle that "are indelibly impressed upon our memory." "Captain Farley, of the 5th New York, led a charge of Carbineers on the enemy...a . . . — Map (db m8650) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — The Daniel Trone House |
| | Fragments of several Union and Confederate cavalry regiments continued to fight a running battle as they galloped on horseback along Frederick Street. Other Confederate bands had retreated down the intersecting alleys and streets. This action quickly weakened their defense.
Besides Major John Hammond, other officers of the 5th New York Cavalry Regiment were noted for bravery that day. Major Amos White and Adjutant Alexander Gall were involved in the thick of the fighting as the New Yorkers . . . — Map (db m5026) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — The Winebrenner Tannery — The Scene of Repeated Cavalry Charges |
| | By the time the counter attack on the 5th New York Cavalry Regiment had reached this area, the center of Hanover was once again under Union control. The New Yorkers continued along Frederick Street but were soon halted by gunfire from Confederate reinforcements. Control of this area remained uncertain as cavalrymen from New York and Pennsylvania fought those from North Carolina and Virginia. The arrival of Union Brigadier General Farnsworth with elements of the 1st West Virginia and 1st . . . — Map (db m5025) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — J.E.B. Stuart's Jump |
| | The ground occupied by the Confederate cavalry during the Battle of Hanover was the rich, rolling farmland found in much of southern Pennsylvania. On the eastern side of the Westminster Road there was a field of timothy, a grass widely grown for hay. A stream described as being "ten to fifteen feet wide and three to four feet deep" flowed through the field.
After the initial Confederate attack on Hanover, Major General Stuart and his staff had ridden into the timothy field on the side of the . . . — Map (db m5023) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Custer at Hanover |
| | This painting by Civil war artist Dale Gallon is one of four paintings featuring Civil War weapons.
George Armstrong Custer had been promoted from Captain to Brigadier General on June 28, 1863, and been given command of the Michigan Brigade, which consisted of the 1st, 5th, 6th and 7th Michigan cavalry regiments. Custer is shown commanding his men during the fighting with Major General "Jeb" Stuart's men in Hanover on June 30, 1863.
The description of the uniform worn by General Custer . . . — Map (db m5021) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Consequences on the Battle of Gettysburg |
| | Possibly less than twenty minutes after the first shots, Hanover was once again in Union control. Although the intense fighting along Frederick Street had subsided, the conflict was far from finished. A standoff ensued as the Confederates retreated to higher ground south of town. From these hills and ridges, Southern artillery engaged Union cannon to the north of Hanover, with some shells also targeting Union troops in the town.
Skirmishing also continued throughout the afternoon as . . . — Map (db m5022) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Pleasant Hill Hotel Becomes Hospital |
| | "Every desired comfort is furnished in great abundance, and every luxury, with which this country abounds in great profusion, is supplied by sympathetic people, and administered to the suffering wounded by devoted women. A heartier response to the calls of humanity, never came from a more generous people than we have witnessed here." Dr. P. Gardner, August 1, 1863 Dr. P. Gardner was an army surgeon reporting the condition of the temporary United States Hospital into which Pleasant Hill Hotel . . . — Map (db m22722) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Abraham Lincoln |
| | One-half block east of here, on Nov. 18, 1863, Abraham Lincoln spoke briefly to townspeople from his special train. The President was traveling to Gettysburg for the dedication of the National Cemetery. — Map (db m14880) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Gettysburg Campaign |
| | Men of Gen. Early's Confederate army, detached by Gen Gordon to destroy a bridge at Hanover Junction, passed through Hanover by this route, June 27, 1863. This work done, the detachment rejoined Gen. Gordon west of York. — Map (db m5029) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Destruction of Private Property |
| | During the June 1863 invasion of Pennsylvania, Confederate Lieutenant General James Longstreet explained to English observer Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Freemantle that the army planned to live off Northern land - and its citizens. But they would not kill or destroy wantonly. "He said to me," Freemantle remembered, "that although it might be fair, in just retaliation, to apply the torch, yet that doing so would demoralize the army and ruin its now excellent discipline." On the whole, the . . . — Map (db m22752) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — General George Armstrong Custer |
| | George Armstrong Custer was appointed brigadier general on June 29, 1863, and assigned as commander of the Michigan brigade which he led as the Union cavalry entered Hanover on the morning of June 30, 1863. Pastor Zieber stated, "During the charge of the Federal troops driving the enemy out of town, I saw ... men led by General Custer come dashing down Abbotstown Street. They met a squad of the enemy right in front of us, and a sharp encounter took place… [We] had lost all consciousness of . . . — Map (db m22628) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Mother Loses Two Sons to War |
| | Mother Loses Two Sons to War - Within the span of one year, Elizabeth Hoffacker of West Manheim Township received the news of her two sons' deaths in combat during the Civil War. John, 24 years old, was promoted to corporal after being in the army for two months. Riding though Hanover, he was shot and killed instantly upon the first encounter with the Confederates on June 30, 1863. William was mortally wounded at Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia, May 12, 1864. The bodies of both men were . . . — Map (db m22654) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — The Battle of Hanover |
| | The engagement fought in Hanover may have had an effect on the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg. As General Robert E. Lee moved north toward Pennsylvania in June 1863, Major General J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry began to ride around the Union Army and gather information about Federal troop movements while also disrupting their communications and supplies. Then Stuart was to promptly report to Lee.
Along the way Stuart captured a large Union wagon train full of provisions, but it slowed him . . . — Map (db m22694) |
| Pennsylvania (York County), Hanover — Women Tending to Wounded |
| | On June 30, 1863, the quiet little town of Hanover suddenly exploded in gunfire and bloodshed. The Battle of Hanover, fought between Confederate Cavalry led by Major General J.E.B. Stuart and Brigadier General Judson Kilpatrick's Union Cavalry, lasted most of the day. Local doctors rushed to treat fallen soldiers where they lay on narrow streets and sidewalks. After the fighting ended, citizens carted the wounded to makeshift hospitals, including one in a concert hall and the other in a small . . . — Map (db m22748) |
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