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.
Shippensburg and the Civil War 
