The Rebels Are Coming! – The Confederate Invasion of Shippensburg

It is 1863, and the Civil War has escalated into a full scale continental brawl – brother fighting brother, the North verses the South, Abraham Lincoln verses Jefferson Davis, in the fight for the United States of America. In June of 1863, something happened to Shippensburg, Pennsylvania that happened to very few towns north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Shippensburg was invaded by Confederate troops.

In a war that took place primarily in the southern states, Shippensburg boasts a unique historical story that precedes the momentous Civil War battle at Gettysburg. The Confederates occupied the town of Shippensburg from June 23-27, 1863.[1] The Confederates had two goals as they ventured into enemy territory. The first was to gather much needed supplies for their troops, including cattle, horses, food, clothing, and shoes. Cumberland Valley was, and is, home to many manufacturing facilities and farms, which is why the area was ideal to obtain supplies. The second was to the take the city of Harrisburg.[2] With word of Confederate movements towards Shippensburg, the townspeople began to take precautions and prepared the town for the impending invasion. They painted over the sign for the “Union Hotel” to protect it from a rebel torching, hoping the new name, the Sherman House would not offend the invaders. William McLean, owner of the town’s tannery, hid most of his leather so he would not have to hand it over for free to the rebels, but could later use it to supply Union troops with shoes. Farmers hid their horses and cattle to protect them from the rebels. Then the women and children climbed on top of their roofs and watched their town fall to the Confederate troops. In less than an hour after their arrival, Shippensburg was completely occupied by rebel forces.[3]

After the raid, Confederate Brig. Gen. Junius Daniel, camped with his 2,200 infantrymen from North Carolina, along with General Johnson’s and General Rodes’ troops at Dkyeman’s Springs, then known as Indian Head Springs, in Shippensburg. This modern day park and pond, pictured above, became the temporary home for the rebels, and was completely occupied by the confederate troops, their tents, and their cooking fires.[4] It became the heart beat and the central point of the Confederate takeover. Some of the Confederates even looked at the spring and Shippensburg as a nice vacation and break from the war they were fighting. One confederate soldier even wrote home that he enjoyed his time off duty and “strolled through the little town” and rested at their camp.[5]  The citizens of Shippensburg, however, did not look at the rebel invasion as a vacation; they lived in constant fear that all of their possessions would be stolen and their town would be burned to the ground. Luckily for Shippensburg’s citizens, they only lived in fear for only five days, until the troops who occupied Shippensburg were called to the notorious battle at Gettysburg on June 28, 1863.[6] Although, Shippensburg will survive, it will gain an important place in American history as one of the few northern towns to make the Civil War map, and to be one of the last stopping points for Confederate troops, before the largest and deadliest battle in North America.

Post By: Megan Lukenich.

Photos property of the Author.

[1] Burkhart, William. “Soldiers Rob Local Merchants.” The Shippensburg News-Chronicle (Shippensburg, PA), June 1988.

[2] Centennial of the Civil War: The Great Decision 1863. Chambersburg, PA: Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce, 1963.

[3] Burkhart, William H., Samuel L. Daihl, J. Houston McCulloch, George Kaluger, Elizabeth Rolar, and Howard A. Ryder. Shippensburg in the Civil War. Shippensburg, PA: Shippensburg Historical Society, 1964.

[4] Cress, Joseph. “Civil War 150: Shippensburg Invasion.” The Sentinel (Carlisle, PA), June 2013.

[5] Burkhart, William H., Samuel L. Daihl, J. Houston McCulloch, George Kaluger, Elizabeth Rolar, and Howard A. Ryder. Shippensburg in the Civil War. Shippensburg, PA: Shippensburg Historical Society, 1964.

[6] Burkhart, William. “Soldiers Rob Local Merchants.” The Shippensburg News-Chronicle (Shippensburg, PA), June 1988.

General Samuel Davis Sturgis

General Samuel Davis Sturgis, who would serve with distinction during the Civil War, was born in Shippensburg on June 11, 1822 in a house on King Street. He became the first resident of Shippensburg to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating 35th in his class in 1846. He subsequently saw action in the Mexican War before spending the decade of the 1850’s as a cavalry officer on the western frontier. 1

Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Sturgis was stationed at Fort Smith in Arkansas, and led a daring nighttime evacuation that successfully prevented the capture of the fort’s supplies by the Confederacy. He was then promoted to Brigadier General and eventually put in charge of the defenses of Washington, D.C. Sturgis’s most distinguished war time moment, however, came at Antietam, where the division under his command were involved in the capture of Burnside’s Bridge. He then spent the remainder of the war commanding cavalry forces in Tennessee and Mississippi. 2

After the war, Sturgis spent the rest of his military career on the western frontier. In fact, it was Sturgis, not George Custer, who was the commander of the 7th Cavalry during the Battle of the Little Bighorn, but was in Minnesota to meet with other commanders at the time of the massacre. Sturgis would be involved in conflicts with Native Americans for the rest of his career before retiring to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he died on September 30, 1889. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The town of Sturgis, South Dakota, home of the famous annual motorcycle rally, was named after him. 3

Post by: Lucas Lapole

1. Shippensburg Historical Society, “Shippensburg’s Forgotten Hero: Samuel Davis Sturgis, 1822-1899” (Pamphlet, Shippensburg Historical Society), 1-3.
2. “Samuel Davis Sturgis,” Last modified March 29, 2007, http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ssturgis.htm
3. Shippensburg Historical Society, “Shippensburg’s Forgotten Hero: Samuel Davis Sturgis, 1822-1899” (Pamphlet, Shippensburg Historical Society), 4-6.

African American Soldiers From Shippensburg In The Civil War

Locust Grove Cemetery, in Shippensburg Pennsylvania, is the final resting place for a number of African American Civil War veterans. The local community of African Americans did their part in the Union’s struggle to end slavery in the South.  Several local brothers did not hesitate to enlist in the first all colored infantry regiments being formed in Massachusetts in 1863, their names where John Shirk, Casper Shirk, and James H. Shirk.  John and Casper both enlisted in the 54^th Massachusetts Regiment while their brother James enlisted in the 55^th Massachusetts Regiment.[1]

During the war, John and Casper took part in the battle for Fort Wagner in South Carolina, made famous by the movie Glory.  It is believed that Casper was killed during this battle, and he was believed by family to still be buried nearby.  John suffered wounds from the battle, but recovered to serve until the end of the war.  Their brother James also took part in the siege of Fort Wagner.  He was wounded during the fighting, but recovered not long after to serve till the end of the war.[2]

Both John and James returned to Shippensburg, Pennsylvania after the Civil War.  Both worked as farmers and cutting timber for charcoal.[3]  John passed away on February 20, 1913, and his brother James passed away not long after on March 1, 1913.  Both men were laid to rest in Locust Grove Cemetery in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.  Locust Grove Cemetery is a traditional African American community cemetery where both slaves and free blacks are buried.  Twenty-six of those buried here are veterans of the Civil War.[4]

Post by: Patrick Mravintz

Photos property of the Author.

[1] William H. Burkhart, “Shippensburg’s Colored Veterans of the Civil War” (Typed Manuscript, Black Veterans Binder: Mil Civ Black, Shippensburg Historical Society, October 1960), 30-33.

[2] William H. Burkhart, “Shippensburg’s Colored Veterans of the Civil War” (Typed Manuscript, Black Veterans Binder: Mil Civ Black, Shippensburg Historical Society, October 1960), 30-33.  William H. Burkhart, “Shippensburg’s Colored Veterans of the Civil War” (Written Manuscript, Black Veterans Binder, Mil Civ, Black, Shippensburg Historical Society, October 1960), 21-24.

[3] William H. Burkhart, “Shippensburg’s Colored Veterans of the Civil War” (Typed Manuscript, Black Veterans Binder: Mil Civ Black, Shippensburg Historical Society, October 1960), 30-33.

[4] Steven B. Burg, “From Troubled Ground to Common Ground”:’The Locust Grove African American Cemetery Restoration Project: A Case Study of Service :earning and Community History” (2008), Project Summaries, Paper 1, 55-59, http://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/slceprojectsummaries/1.

Shippensburg Boasts Ties to Bullet-Riddled Flag

August 5th of 1862 became a sentinel moment for the town of Shippenburg, Pennsylvania.  James Kelso, a resident of the town left his wife and children at their home on King Street to become Captain in Company D of the 130th Regiment.[1]  Joining him were other members of the community along with men from Cumberland and York counties.[2]  Kelso and his comrades found themselves at the center of many battles including Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Fredericksburg.[3]  Below is the 130th Regiment flag which represents these brave souls, and currently survives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.[4]

Kelso and his fellow Shippensburg men fought under the banner of the 130th Pennsylvania Regiment.[5]   This flag was integral during battle when it became difficult for men to keep their units intact, and identify friend from enemy.[6]  When men did become separated their flag shined like a beacon to gather them together.  Additionally, these flags served as a source of determination for troops who would either capture an opposing unit’s flag or simply as a totem of their pride for their fellow comrades.[7]

The 130th Regimental flag was carried into battle at Marye’s Heights in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  Carlisle native Henry Zinn observed the units dire circumstances and took to the field with the flag shouting, “Stick to your standard, boys! The Hundred and Thirtieth never abandons its standard!”[8]  This action helped to rally the troops of the 130th Regiment and while Zinn died shortly thereafter, the flag escaped certain death with 32 bullet holes and a shattered staff.[9]   While this story is not one told thousands of times over, it is one that probably never left the mind of the men from Shippensburg which Kelso recruited.

Post by: Monica B. Wilson

Sources:

[1] Roll of Company D 130^th, Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, REGISTERS OF PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS, 1861-1865, Records of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs, Volume 12: 127th-145th Regiments, series #19.65, Pennsylvania State Archives.

[2] Samuel P. Bates, “History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-65,” (Harrisburg, PA: B. Singerly State Printer, 1871), 204.

[3] Samuel P. Bates, “History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-65,” (Harrisburg, PA: B. Singerly State Printer, 1871), 205-207.

[4] 130^th Regimental Flag, PA Capitol Preservation Committee, Harrisburg, PA.

[5] Roll of Company D 130th, Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, REGISTERS OF PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS, 1861-1865, Records of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs, Volume 12: 127th-145th Regiments, series #19.65, Pennsylvania State Archives.

[6] Mark Weaver, “Civil War Battle Flags,” American Civil War Story, accessed October 17, 2015, http://www.americancivilwarstory.com/civil-war-battle-flags.html.

[7] Ibid

[8] George R. Prowell, “History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I,” (Chicago, IL: J.H. Beers and Co., 1907), 376.

[9] Ibid.