History Commons^™

Ms-063: Melancthon E. Washburn Family Collection, Stephen H. Light

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The Melancthon E. Washburn Papers consist primarily of correspondence between Washburn and his family members during the Civil War period. While the letters date anywhere from 1857 to 1883, most of them fall into the 1861 to 1865 time frame. The collection also consists of a wide range of miscellaneous items, including newspaper clippings collected into scrapbooks, the diary of Melancthon’s son William Washburn, wedding invitations, Confederate bonds and currency, and a public broadside advertising a slave auction.

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

Ms-062: George Hay Kain Papers, Class Of 1897, Julia Grover

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The collection consists of 46 of George Hay Kain’s letters to his college girlfriend, A. Marjorie Zug, a student at the Women’s College of Baltimore. His letters include commentary on various aspects of college life, including classes, assignments, faculty, fraternity events, sports, commencement, class days, the Preparatory School, and the college publications. The letters date from 1896-1898.

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 …

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 …

Mt. Pleasant Church, Conewago Township, Larry C. Bolin

Adams County History

About two miles south of McSherrystown and a similar distance southwest of Hanover, in Conewago Township, lies the small village of Mt. Pleasant. The community developed at and near the intersection of State Route 194, commonly called the Hanover-Littlestown Pike, and Legislative Route 01005, known in days past as the road from McSherrystown to Gitt's Mill and its segment south of the intersection called in recent times Narrow Drive. In the eastern quadrant of the intersection, a church was built in 1878; nearby and adjacent to the crossroads sat a public school, which had been built sometime before 1858. The …

Adams County History 2005

Adams County History

No abstract provided.

Freedom Of The Will, Allen C. Guelzo

Civil War Era Studies Faculty Publications

The exact nature of the human will is, like the nature of human consciousness, a question so subjective and so interior that no one is ever likely to arrive at a satisfactory judgment about how it functions or even what it is-which may be the best proof that philosophy is not a science, and the best evidence that those social sciences which try to measure, quantify, and control aspects of human consciousness are not sciences either. Still, there is no denying that we are aware of a power or an impulse within us which transJates thought into action, or at …

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-061: Charles A. Rubright Collection, Stephen H. Light

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The Charles A. Rubright Collection consists primarily of three journals he kept throughout the war and a letter he sent from Andersonville Prison camp to his sister. Also included are postwar news clippings about Rubright, the hymn book he kept while in the army, and a letter addressed to him from a Confederate veteran thanking him for a donation made towards the establishment of a soldiers home for infirm veterans.

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 …

Ms-060: Henry N. Bemis Diaries, Stephen H. Light

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The Henry N. Bemis collection consists primarily of two diaries kept by Bemis during the Civil War. The first diary runs from July 17th, 1862 to March 14th, 1864 while the second diary runs from March 17th 1864 to July 4th 1864. Both diaries contain frequent entries detailing the events of each day. Also included in the collection are two tintypes, a photograph, and Bemis’ discharge from service. The two tintypes are most likely images of Bemis and his wife, Georgia A. Bemis.

Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to …

"Creating Dissonance For The Visitor": The Heart Of The Liberty Bell Controversy, Jill Ogline Titus

Civil War Institute Faculty Publications

This paper examines the controversy surrounding the location and proposed interpretive plan for Independence National Historical Park's new pavilion for the Liberty Bell. Written from the perspective of a graduate student and former Independence NHP employee, it attempts to help historians and Park Service employees to better understand each other's positions, and to penetrate to the heart of the issue at stake - the park's own sense of self-understanding and mission. It then moves on to show the relevance of this specific controversy to questions of broader significance, such as the fundamental character of American history, the post-September 11th responsibility …

Ms-014: Thomas Cheshire Papers, Meggan D. Smith

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The Thomas Cheshire Papers mainly consist of his handwritten document describing his capture, prison experience, and escape from Andersonville. The manuscript is supplemented by correspondence written by Cheshire’s family members, army officials, and one letter from Cheshire himself. Also included in the collection is Elizabeth Scott’s (granddaughter of Thomas Cheshire) published historical fiction, More Fox Than Lion, based on Cheshire’s early life and manuscript. Correspondence from the donor of the collection, as well as a newspaper article on Cheshire’s escape found in the Providence Journal, is included.

Cheshire’s account illustrates the conditions experienced by prisoners of war, specifically in the …

Ms-059: Papers Of Charles H. Glatfelter (Class Of 1946), Keith R. Swaney

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This collection consists of research notes, sources, and manuscripts for A Salutary Influence: Gettysburg College, 1832-1985, written by Dr. Charles H. Glatfelter. It also contains committee papers, department chair files, and faculty manuals and papers.

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/.

Ms-055: Papers Of The German Literary Society, Keith R. Swaney, Arthur Mccardle, Michael Ritterson

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The Papers of the German Literary Society collection consists of manuscripts from the proceedings of the Society from the 1830s to the 1860s. However, there are also three manuscripts that were likely given to the Literary Society at some point during its existence.

The collection contains the constitution and minutes of the Literary Society from its first period of existence during the late-1830s. Researchers will also find the organization’s minute book, dated 1856 to 1860, as well as the 1867 version of the Society’s constitution. These manuscripts, along with the Society’s ledger book, allow one to understand the organization and …

Ms-057: The Papers Of Donna O. Schaper, Class Of 1969: The Gettysburg Years, Aya Asano, Shannon Sweitzer, Keith R. Swaney '04

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This collection consists of correspondence and college papers from Donna Osterhoudt Schaper, who graduated from Gettysburg College in 1969. As a student, she was part of the student protest movement against the Vietnam War, and she interned for the College Chapel before attending the Lutheran Theological Seminary.

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/.

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-052: The Papers Of The Stephen H. Warner Committee, Keith R. Swaney

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The Stephen H. Warner Committee, formed largely through the efforts of History Professor John Roger Stemen, began to form in the spring of 1972. It intended to encourage and perhaps renew a spirit of debate and intellectual curiosity within the Gettysburg College community.

Organized according to the values of Stephen Warner, Class of 1968, which included the “willing[ness] to take intellectual risks” and the “need for discipline in the pursuit of truth,” the committee sponsored campus-wide events known as “Warner Forums.” In addition, the committee, comprised of both students and faculty, petitioned for renovations to the College Union Building in …

Ms-053: Charles D. Ryan, 66th Engineers, Meggan D. Smith

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The collection consists primarily of letters from Charles Ryan to Elizabeth Dooling, his wife-to-be. The letters to Elizabeth begin on March 29, 1918 and the final one in the collection is dated June 3, 1919. The only other items in the collection is an envelope addressed to Elizabeth Dooling from Charles Ryan, a newspaper clipping of Ryan’s marriage to Elizabeth, a blank postcard with two soldiers on the front, and a letter to Ryan from the Treasury Department.

Although Ryan briefly mentions significant events, such as Germany being defeated and Italy leaving the Peace Conference, his letters focus largely on …

Ms-054: Papers Of David Hedrick On The Stephen H. Warner Exhibit, Keith R. Swaney

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Researchers will discover this collection to be complementary to, yet distinct from the Stephen H. Warner Southeast Asia Photograph Collection. For instance, one will find correspondence between Warner’s mother and Curator David Hedrick; however, the letters focus on the memory of Steve portrayed in the exhibit, “Stephen H. Warner 1946- 1971: Words and Pictures from the Vietnam War.” In addition to correspondence, one will discover rich sources that discuss the layout, proposals, and efficacy of the Stephen Warner Exhibit. Numerous photographs and the actual exhibit materials provide the researcher with excellent imagery and allow him or her to better understand …

Ms-049: The Papers Of Jacob M. Yingling, Class Of 1952 (1930 - ), Keith R. Swaney

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The Papers of Jacob M. Yingling, Class of 1952, consist of 23 boxes of processed material, two portraits, one photograph, and a four-volume, bound set of the Maryland Magazine. The collection encompasses 7.80 cubic feet (11.69 linear feet) and is composed of eleven series arranged somewhat chronologically. For example, series II on Gettysburg College (1949-1952) precedes series III, which documents Yingling’s service in the Maryland House of Delegates (1962-1972). Since some of his life activities may coincide with others—Jake served on the Board of Directors of the Maryland School of the Deaf during his appointment as Assistant Secretary to the …

Ms-051: The Letters Of Richard A. Moore To His Wife During The Vietnam War, Keith R. Swaney

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This collection consists of letters, news reports, correspondence, and photographs arranged in two series: I. Correspondence from Richard to Claire Moore and II. Miscellaneous News Reports, Correspondence, and Photographs collected by Richard Moore during his service in Vietnam.

The collection has been arranged chronologically; correspondence starts in September 1969 and continues until July 4, 1971. Two letters might be particularly interesting for researchers studying Stephen H. Warner, Gettysburg College Class of 1968: a February 15, 1971 letter that mentions Warner’s death and the relationship between Warner and Richard Moore and a June 27, 1971 letter that discusses Warner’s relationship with …

Ms-056: World War Ii German Prisoners Of War Collection, Keith R. Swaney

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Major Laurence C. Thomas directed the German POW camp on the Emmitsburg Road in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and a camp in Pine Grove Furnace, about fifteen miles north. Members of the intelligence corps apparently confiscated the items written in German from the prisoners of war.

The World War II German POW Collection consists of those confiscated materials from the prisoners. It is composed of two series: I. Materials likely confiscated by the intelligence corps and II. Miscellaneous newspaper clippings.

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

Ms-015: Frederick H. Kronenberger, Company G, 2nd Regiment New Jersey Volunteers, Christine M. Ameduri, Sidney Dreese

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The bulk of the collection consists of 26 letters written by Kronenberger to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kronenberger, and aunts and uncles Hill and Ludwig while posted at Camp Perrine, Trenton, New Jersey, in December 1863, and from a camp near Brandy Station, Virginia between January and April 1864. His letters tell about his need for stamps, hats, shirts, vests, a rubber blanket and ink. He states that he likes hard tack. He writes about visiting friends in other units, receiving letters from family and friends, sending money to his parents, sending photographs of himself and receiving photographs, …

Interview With Donald W. Hinrichs, January 30, 2004, Donald W. Hinrichs, Michael J. Birkner

Oral Histories

Professor of Sociology and Dean of the College Donald W. Hinrichs was interviewed on January 30, 2004 as the first part of two interviews by Michael J. Birkner. During these interviews, he discusses his childhood in Baltimore, going to college in the 1960's, and his experience in the US Army during the Vietnam War. He also describes his time at Gettysburg, in particular the growth and development of the Sociology Department and his experience as a gay faculty member.

Length of Interview: 69 minutes

Collection Note: This oral history was selected from the Oral History Collection maintained by Special Collections …

Veterans Residing In Adams County, Pennsylvania, 1840-1930, Kevin L. Greenholt

Adams County History

The federal decennial census provides a wide-ranging set of data for analysis. The census forms for each ten-year cycle from 1790 until 1930 have been released to the public for access. The tabulations of 1840, 1910, and 1930 contain data relating to the military service of those interviewed by the census enumerator. Compiled here is a list of veterans, listed by Adams County township, who served in the American Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, or other military actions from 1840 through 1930.

Statistical Analysis Of Dr. Elderdice's Ledger, Sheryl Hollis Snyder

Adams County History

It is doubtful that obstetricians today could take the time to keep meticulous records of each obstetric case of their career, but Dr. Robert B. Elderdice did just that. Inside the front cover of his ledger he wrote "attended my 1st case at age of 21." His ten - column register listed case number, age, name (birth mother), number of labor, date, sex, PPn, fee, remarks, and pay in the doctor's consistently-legible handwriting. (For an illustration of Dr. Elderdice's handwriting, see the vaccination certificate in Appendix 1.) [excerpt]

Adams County History 2004

Adams County History

No abstract provided.

A "Typical Country Doctor": Robert B. Elderdice, Mcknightstown, Kevin L. Greenholt

Adams County History

The drive home from the Cashtown area home of the Kuhn family was cold and dark, but the twenty-one-year-old medical student was exhilarated. It was after four o'clock on a Monday morning, December 16, 1867. He had just assisted Mrs. Abner (Rebecca) Kuhn deliver her third child, a 14-pound son, the first of over one thousand such deliveries during his medical career. Arriving back at his lodging in the McKnightstown area, he would make the first entry in his obstetrical journal. This neat, detailed journal would eventually hold the record of 1026 cases, most involving families in the Franklin township …

How Abe Lincoln Lost The Black Vote: Lincoln And Emancipation In The African American Mind, Allen C. Guelzo

Civil War Era Studies Faculty Publications

No other American president has wielded the power of words with greater skill than Abraham Lincoln. "No one can read Mr. Lincoln's state papers without perceiving in them a most remarkable facility of 'putting things' so as to command the attention and assent of the people," wrote Henry J. Raymond, editor of the New York Times in 1864, and Raymond had an editor's unerring eye for this sort of thing. Massachusetts congressman George Boutwell, reminiscing for Allen Thorndike Rice twenty years after Lincoln's death, thought that "Lincoln's fame" would "be carried along the ages" by his writings, and especially the …

Lincoln On The Abolition Of Slavery, Allen C. Guelzo

Civil War Era Studies Faculty Publications

That man who thinks Lincoln calmly sat down and gathered his robes about him, waiting for the people to call him, has a very erroneous knowledge of Lincoln," wrote Abraham Lincoln's long-time law partner, William Henry Herndon. "He was always calculating, and always planning ahead. His ambition was a little engine that knew no rest." And in no other pursuit was Lincoln more ambitious than in politics. As a lawyer and Whig political organizer in Illinois, "Politics were his life and his ambition and his motive power." [excerpt]

Ms-048: World War I Service Questionnaires, Keith R. Swaney

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After the conclusion of the First World War, two distinct entities at Pennsylvania (Gettysburg) College—Professor S. N. Hagen and the Phi Delta Theta fraternity— endeavored to document and commemorate the experiences of the college’s graduates in the First World War.

The first section contains the Phi Delta Theta questionnaires, which the fraternity sent to its alumni to record their participation in the field or on the home front. As the questionnaires note, the historian of the Pennsylvania College chapter wished to use this information in a publication to be entitled the “Karux.”

The second section contains questionnaires that Hagen, a …