Howard Tunnel Protected

Howard Tunnel Protected. "Shoot any rebel on sight". At mid-afternoon on June 27, 1863, Confederate raiders raced from left to right across the ground in front of you as they advanced on Howard Tunnel, a 300-foot-long railroad channel carved through solid rock., During the Confederate invasion of Pennsylvania that would climax at Gettysburg, southern troops spread across the countryside to cripple communication and transportation routes, including the Northern Central Railway. Confederate Lt. Col. Elijah White's "Comanches" were sent to this area to damage or destroy rail facilities, railroad bridges, and the tunnel, a vulnerable chokepoint on the rail line., To defend against the raiders, Union Col. William B. Thomas's 20th Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia regiment (an emergency regiment raised only 10 days earlier) had been sent to the area. Thomas assigned 400 men to defend the tunnel. The men erected earthworks on the surrounding hills and dug rifle pits atop the tunnel entrance. As they waited, they could hear unnerving echoes of pistol fire from the south, where 1kr1iite's raiders had attacked Hanover Junction. Black smoke and burning embers rose into the air as the raiders worked their way north, burning railroad cars and bridges. Col. Thomas ordered his men to "Shoot any 'rebel on sight.", But seeing the bristling strength of the defenses, the Confederates decided to bypass the tunnel and continue north. They were on a Mission of destruction, not of battle, and could not afford to get bogged. down in fighting. The tunnel spared, Col. Thomas marched his men northeastward to join Union forces defending Wrightsville and the bridge over the Susquehanna River., (captions) , Howard Tunnel, 1870. -Collection of Robert L. Williams, Isaac N. Snively, assistant surgeon, 20th Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia. Courtesy Ronald S. Coddington Collection , Walk or bike the Heritage Rail Trail for 2.1 miles to see and explore Historic Howard Tunnel.