History Commons^™

Ms-107: Michael Jacobs Collection, Katherine Downton

All Finding Aids

The collection consists primarily of letters about the publishing, distribution, and sale of Michael Jacobs’ book Notes on the Rebel Invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania and the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 1863 (J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1864) from sales agents, his publisher, family members, and other individuals interested in the book. The letters date from September 22, 1863 – March 4, 1864. They were later transcribed with a typewriter and the transcriptions are included. Other items in the collection include lecture notes and other notes about the battle (partially transcribed), a photograph of Michael Jacobs, biographical information, …

Ms-093: John Henry Wilbrand Stuckenberg Papers, Tara R. Wink

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The John Henry Wilbrand Stuckenberg collection consists of materials relating to the life and works of J.H.W. and Mary Gingrich Stuckenberg. This material includes correspondence, publications, articles, newspaper clippings, and personal papers—such as diaries, biographical material, and photographs of both J.H.W. and Mary Gingrich Stuckenberg.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website https://www.gettysburg.edu/special-collections/collections/.

'A Beautiful Dream Realized': John S. Rice And The Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Of The Battle Of Gettysburg, Brian Matthew Jordan

Adams County History

"We have real cause for being proud of our past and the heritage it has given us ... We have a rich past ... along with this heritage we have had thrust upon us a deep responsibility," John S. Rice said in 1959. Indeed, it was the same sense of deep responsibility that had motivated him in anticipation of 1938. That year marked the seventy- fifth anniversary of the cataclysmic, three-day battle that was waged in the fields and farm lanes surrounding the seat of his native Adams County, Pennsylvania. Rice's cognizance of the importance not only of the Battle …

John Charles Wills: Reminiscences Of The Three Days Battle Of Gettysburg At The Globe Hotel, Benjamin K. Neely

Adams County History

John Charles Wills left the fullest account of what happened at and around the Globe Inn in the borough of Gettysburg during the Battle. In July of 1910, the Gettysburg Compiler interviewed Wills and printed a short story of his observations and experience during the Gettysburg Campaign entitled, "Battle Days at Globe Inn." In September of 1915, Wills once again shared his memories of the Battle of Gettysburg, this time in greater length. Fifty two years had passed since the battle occurred and Wills was approximately 77 years old. The 1910 and 191 5 reminiscences are remarkably similar indicating perhaps …

Adams County History 2007

Adams County History

No abstract provided.

Ms-072: Adin B. Thayer, Co. B, 16th Maine Volunteer Infantry, Christopher M. Gwinn

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This collection contains twenty-one Civil War era letters, ranging from 1862-1865, written by Adin Thayer of the 16th Maine. Most of his letters are written to family members prior to his capture and imprisonment in the Confederate prison camp in Salisbury, North Carolina. The final letter in the collection is dated April 26th, 1865 and is addressed to Thayer’s father from Sgt. William Fennelly, of the 16th Maine informing him of his son’s death.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information …

Ms-073: Alexander C. Barr, Battery F, 3rd Independent Pa Light Artillery, Christopher M. Gwinn

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The Alexander Barr collection consists of 17 letters written in between March 14, 1864 and June 3, 1865. The majority of the letters are addressed to his brother Charles in Taylorstown, PA, with the exception of at least one letter composed for his brother Jeff in April, 1864. Most of the letters in the collection date from the time Barr served on Maryland Heights and Harper’s Ferry. Included in the letters are Barr’s experiences as a new recruit in the artillery with topics ranging from the “very poor grub” at the artillery cookhouse, the oppressiveness of the summer weather and …

Ms-075: Henry W. Siebert, Company E, 16th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, Christopher M. Gwinn

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The Henry W. Siebert journals, of which there are two, cover the years 1863 and 1865 respectively. The journals themselves are leather bound notebooks closed with straps, the whole measuring 3 inches by 6 inches. The 1863 volume numbers 90 pages, with entries for every day. The 1865 diary numbers 150 pages and has entries for January 1, 1865 through May 24, 1865. The entries are generally short in nature, not exceeding a paragraph in length. The text is normally limited to a discussion of the morning weather, general activity of the day and the geographic location reached by nightfall. …

Ms-070: Papers Of Philip M. Biklé And Family, Nicole M. Lenart

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The papers of Philip Biklé consist of mostly personal correspondence between Biklé and Emma, and the correspondence of Emma and their children. Also included are class notes from Biklé’s years as a student, and account books from the Lutheran Quarterly and Pennsylvania College Monthly. This collection does not include any information on Biklé’s publications, the classes he taught, or his work as a professor and dean.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of …

Ms-068: Henry P. Clare Letters, Co. D., 9th New York State Militia, Sarah E. Handley

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This collection consists of 47 letters written by Henry P. Clare to his brother, William Keating Clare, with the exception of one letter addressed to Lieutenant Colonel M.T. McMahon, Assistant Adjutant General, and one written from a George E. Hyatt to William. The letters in this collection range from January 4, 1863 (although they are mislabeled by Henry to be January 1862) to December 6, 1863. Henry talks mostly of his life in the camp, gives his opinion of the war, and of the Army’s and the nation’s leadership. Many of the letters are sharply critical of leaders, including Lincoln, …

Jack Hopkins' Civil War, Peter C. Vermilyea

Adams County History

In the 1862 Pennsylvania College album there is a photograph of John Hopkins, who that year was entering his fifteenth year of service as the college's janitor. In one student's book, the portrait of Hopkins jokingly refers to him as the school's "vice president." This appellation speaks volumes about the life of the African-American custodian, for while it was clearly made in jest as a token of the students' genuine affection for Hopkins, it symbolizes the gulf between the white students and the black janitor. It goes without saying that the students found the picture humorous because they understood that …

Adams County History 2005

Adams County History

No abstract provided.

A Visit To The Battlefield, Michael J. Birkner, Richard E. Winslow

Adams County History

This piece was transcribed and edited by Michael J. Birkner and Richard E. Winslow.

With fighting concluded at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, the enormous task of burying the dead, treating the wounded, and rehabilitating the town began in earnest. Although Gettysburg looked and smelled worse than it ever had or ever would again, thousands of people arrived on the battlefield in the days and weeks following General Robert E. Lee's retreat. Some came to minister to the sick and reclaim the bodies of neighbors and loved ones; others scavenged souvenirs of the battle. Of the many visits to the …

Ms-050: Robert B. Arms Collection, Meggan D. Smith

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The Robert B. Arms collection consists largely of papers regarding quarterly returns, receipts, and letters from the ordnance office; along with muster rolls, descriptive lists and state of Vermont orders. There is a section on the 16th Regimental Reunions, as well as documents pertaining to Arms’ role as Deputy Collector. There is extensive paperwork regarding George Stannard’s account, including at testimony made by Arms on the matter of Stannard’s bankruptcy. The researcher will find a hefty amount of correspondence between Arms and William A. Scott concerning the sale of property in North Dakota.

Although this is a Civil War collection, …

Ms-041: Thomas Meiser, Company F, 93rd Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Christine M. Ameduri

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The bulk of the collection consists of letters written by Thomas to his grandfather and grandmother. It includes miscellaneous correspondence including four letters written to Thomas from his grandparents during his service in the 31st Regiment (Emergency). The collection also includes various bonds, receipts and subpoenas as well as business correspondence relating to George Person (or Parson), Thomas’s grandfather. It contains various tintype photos, mainly of Thomas’s descendents, and a wallet from a bank in Lebanon. Lastly, it contains copies of research relating to Thomas Meiser, transcriptions of his letters as well as a Senior Paper written by Christopher Culig, …

Ms-043: George Washington Beidelman Collection, Kevin D. Luy

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The George W. Beidelman Collection holds its most significant information in letters written by George to his father, Jacob. In these letters, George shares his political opinions, religious beliefs, and camp-life descriptions. The core of the collection is the correspondence from August 1, 1862 until November 18, 1862, in which George writes diary-like entries to his father, recounting each day’s activities. Accounts of the fighting at Ball’s Bluff and Fredericksburg are the most detailed battle descriptions. However, the collection’s strength is in George’s astute observations regarding camp life and the political aspects of the war.

In addition to letters written …

Ms-023: Papers Of Samuel Simon Schmucker And The Schmucker Family, Jaclyn Campbell

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The Samuel Simon Schmucker collection is arranged into four series: I. Correspondence of Samuel Simon Schmucker (S.S.), II. Other Schmucker Correspondence, III. Publications and Papers, and IV. Sermons. Series I is primarily comprised of correspondence written by Schmucker. Series II is composed of correspondence written by other Schmucker family members. Series III includes diaries written by Schmucker, a Schmucker family genealogy, lecture notes by Schmucker, a certificate of reimbursement for damage to Gettysburg College during the Civil War, clippings, and an article about Schmucker. Series IV contains the original sermons written by Schmucker.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids …

Ms-022: Papers Of David Mcconaughy, 1823-1902, Jaclyn Campbell

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The McConaughy collection is composed primarily of correspondence and is arranged into four series: I. History of the Battle, II. McConaughy Family History, III. Correspondence Regarding the Soldiers’ Reunion of August 1869, and IV. The Establishment of the National Cemetery and all administrative matters required therein.

Reports of General George M. Meade is included in this collection, as well as correspondence from General Robert E. Lee and General George M. Meade in regards to the Soldier’s Reunion of 1869 and correspondence from General U.S. Grant regarding his election to Honorary Director of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association.

Special Collections and …

Ms-011: Lewis W. Tway Collection, Melodie A. Foster

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The Lewis W. Tway Collection consists of two boxes of Civil War mementos. Items carried by Tway during the war include a "housewife", bible, inkwell, diary, currency (fractional and postage) and photographs (of himself and another soldier). The collection contains a letter written to his sister soon after he was wounded, the torn swatch of pants through which the bullet entered his leg, and two letters from a young lady whose comfort package he received in 1865. Also included in the collection are Tway's official papers from the war: his furlough, discharge and pension certificates.

Items from the 50th reunion …

The Gettysburg Battlefield, One Century Ago, Benjamin Y. Dixon

Adams County History

In the fall of 1899, Colonel John Nicholson reported on the recent changes being made to the Gettysburg National Military park. The park held a dedication ceremony that July for a new equestrian statue to General John Reynolds erected northwest of town. It was a shiny goldenbrown, polished-bronze statue sculpted by Henry Kirke Bush-Brown (his second equestrian statue at Gettysburg in three years). The horse and rider, balancing on two legs stood on a large pedestal near the new avenue in his name. Reynolds Avenue and adjoining Wadsworth, Doubleday, and Robinson Avenues were new to the battlefield as well. These …

Adams County History 2000

Adams County History

No abstract provided.

Some Culp Family Members In The Civil War, David A. Culp

Adams County History

In the 1860s Gettysburg had a population of around 2,400. The Culps had lived there since 1787, the year Christopher Culp purchased the farm, located on the east end of town, with its western boundry starting at Baltimore St. between Breckenridge and South Streets, going northeast to South Stratton St. and Wall Alley East, then on to East Middle St. between South Stratton and Liberty Streets. The town more or less ended at the farm boundary. Prominent on the farm and southeast of town was Culp's Hill. Five generations of Culps had lived in Gettysburg by the time of the …

Building A Battle Site: Roads To And Through Gettysburg, Elwood W. Christ

Adams County History

On the morning of 1 July 1863, lead elements of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia advanced on the town of Gettysburg situated in the lush farm lands of south-central Pennsylvania just eight miles east of the South Mountain in Adams county. The Southern reconnaissance in force made early that summer morning was destined not only to change the history of the struggling Confederacy, but also to set the infant United States republic, indeed the world, on courses towards more democratic forms of government.

Although many historians have dwelled on those three fateful days in 1863, few …

William And Isabel: Parallels Between The Life And Times Of The William Bliss Family, Transplanted New Englanders At Gettysburg, And A Nineteenth-Century Novel, 'Isabel Carollton: A Personal Retrospect' By Kneller Glen, Elwood W. Christ

Adams County History

By 3 July 1863, Union troops under the command of General George G. Meade and elements of General Robert E. Lee's Confederate army had struggled for two days over the rolling farm lands, ridges, and rocky crags around a small farming community and county seat known as Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Within the encompassing whirlpool ofbattle, however, smaller dramas had unfolded, and one of them is of interest to us here. The soldiers had been fighting for the possession of a house and barn situated equidistant between the battle lines about one and onequarter miles south-southwest of the town square. During a …

A Tour Of Gettysburg's Visual Battle Damage, Timothy H. Smith

Adams County History

A little-known aspect of the Battle of Gettysburg is the story behind the Civil War battle damage still present m some of the town's buildings. During the first three days of July 1863, cannons fired over and into Gettysburg, and as a result some of the homes were inadvertently struck by the shells. As a battlefield guide, the author has driven by these structures everyday for the past few years, and a highlight of any tour is a stop in front of the Sheads house on Buford Avenue, where one can point up to an artillery shell embedded just to …

Catherine Mary White Foster's Eyewitness Account Of The Battle Of Gettysburg, With Background On The Foster Family Union Soldiers, David A. Murdoch

Adams County History

Catherine Mary White Foster lived with her elderly parents in the red brick house on the northwest corner of Washington and High Streets in Gettysburg at the time of the battle, 1-3 July 1863. She was the only child of James White Foster and Catherine (nee Swope) Foster (a former resident of Lancaster county), who married on 11 May 1817 and settled in Gettysburg, Adams county, Pennsylvania. Her father, James White Foster, had served his country as a first lieutenant in the War of 1812. Her grandparents, James Foster and Catherine (nee White) Foster, had emigrated with her father and …

Yonder Beautiful And Stately College Edifice : A History Of Pennsylvania Hall (Old Dorm), Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Charles H. Glatfelter, Michael J. Birkner

Gettysburg College Faculty Books

On January 21, 1834 Thaddeus Stevens, a freshman member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from Adams County, rose in that body to speak in favor of a bill appropriating a sum of money to the new college at Gettysburg in whose fortunes he had become deeply interested. After answering the arguments of his colleague from Adams County, who had just spoken against the bill, Stevens undertook to explain in a few words the predicament in which the fledgling college found itself: It has been chartered two years ; and organized about eighteen months. It has now ninety-eight students, without …

William W. Heath Diary, William W. Heath

Paul W. Bean Civil War Papers

A transcription of a diary kept by a Civil War soldier, Company H, 4th Regiment, Vermont Volunteers, for the year of 1863.

Digitized from Box 281, folder 38.