Gettysburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

The Gettysburg Post Office and the Civil War

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 22, 2019

1. The Gettysburg Post Office and the Civil War Marker

Inscription. The Gettysburg Post Office was established on July 1, 1795. At the time of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Post Office was located at 112 Baltimore Street, the home of Postmaster David A. Buehler. When Confederate troops entered the town on June 26, 1863, Buehler, on hearing that Confederates were capturing and imprisoning postmasters, gathered mail and other important papers and made a harrowing escape to Hanover, 16 miles to the east. From Hanover, he made his way to Philadelphia by train, witnessing the burning of the Columbia Covered Bridge over the Susquehanna River to stop the Confederate advance. After depositing the mail and official papers and hearing about the fierce battle in Gettysburg on July 1st, Buehler began the difficult journey home arriving on July 7th to a town changed forever. Buehler died in 1887 and is buried in Gettysburg's Evergreen Cemetery.

From the eyewitness account of Fannie J. Buehler, "Recollections of the Rebel Invasion and One Woman's Experience during the Battle of Gettysburg".

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Did You Know

On May 7, 1833, a 24-year-old Abraham Lincoln was appointed Postmaster of New

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Salem, Illinois, serving until May 30, 1836.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Communications • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is May 7, 1833.

Location. 39° 49.914′ N, 77° 14.328′ W. Marker is in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in Adams County. It is at the intersection of Lincoln Highway (U.S. 30) and Reynolds Street, on the right when traveling west on Lincoln Highway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 115 Buford Avenue, Gettysburg PA 17325, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South-Central Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Chambersburg Pike to the Lincoln Highway (here,

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 22, 2019

2. The Gettysburg Post Office and the Civil War Marker

next to this marker); 26th Pennsylvania Emergency Infantry (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Round Top Branch of the Gettysburg & Harrisburg Railroad (approx. 0.2 miles away); Stevens Run Environmental Stewardship (approx. 0.2 miles away); Gettysburg Seminary (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Seminary Comes to Gettysburg (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Gauntlet of Union Retreat and Aftermath (approx. ¼ mile away); Miller Hall (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gettysburg.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 25, 2019. It was originally submitted on February 24, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 1,111 times since then and 100 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 24, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.