Dickinson College as hospital


"A Brief Experience as a Soldier during the Invasion of Pennsylvania," by William Peirsol
"A Brief Experience as a Soldier during the Invasion of Pennsylvania," by William Peirsol
June 18 - July 20, 1863

William H. Peirsol served in the First Regiment of Gray Reserves of Philadelphia (32nd Regiment of Pennsylvania Militia) during the Civil War. After the war, Peirsol published his account of his service during the summer of 1863. Peirsol's account, which contains daily entries between June 18...

"Eight Days at Carlisle," by Christopher J. Palmer
"Eight Days at Carlisle," by Christopher J. Palmer
May 11, 1982

Christopher J. Palmer's essay breaks down the Confederate invasion of Carlisle in 1863 and provides a day-by-day account for June 25 through July 2, 1863. This essay, which specifically focuses on the actions of the Union commanders and Carlisle residents, includes quotations from Dickinson...

Isaac Harris Diary, U.S. Sanitary Commission
Isaac Harris Diary, U.S. Sanitary Commission
June 12 - July 18, 1863

This transcript of a portion of the diary Isaac Harris contains entries from mid-June through mid-July 1863 largely related to the Confederate invasion of Pennsylvania. Harris, who serves with the U.S. Sanitary Commission, visits Carlisle and Dickinson College on July 7 to analyze the supply...

Letter from Conway W. Hillman to James H. Morgan
Letter from Conway W. Hillman to James H. Morgan
September 9, 1930

Conway Hillman ('73), the son of a Dickinson College Professor Samuel Dickinson Hillman ('50), writes to James H. Morgan in 1930 to discuss his memories of the college, the Confederate invasion, and the shelling of Carlisle. Conway recalls events specifically regarding his father, including one...

Letter from John K. Stayman to Edgar E. Hastings
Letter from John K. Stayman to Edgar E. Hastings
July 1863

John Keagy Stayman writes to Edgar E. Hastings and describes Carlisle after the departure of Confederate troops. Stayman depicts Carlisle as a town in shambles after the invasion, but suggests that with a return to normal “the town will put on its usual appearance.” Stayman also mentions a...

Letter from John K. Stayman to Edgar E. Hastings
Letter from John K. Stayman to Edgar E. Hastings
August 13, 1863

John Keagy Stayman questions Edgar E. Hastings as to when the draft will be lifted from Cumberland County, as he is “considered by Uncle Sam a ‘first class man’.” He also asks whether or not Dickinson College is still being used as a hospital, and hopes that it will quickly be vacated so that...

Letter from Thomas M. Griffith to His Siblings
Letter from Thomas M. Griffith to His Siblings
July 3, 1863

Thomas Miller Griffith writes to his brother and sister and describes the scenes in Carlisle as the Confederates occupied and shelled the town in the days before the Battle of Gettysburg. As the Confederates first approached Carlisle in late June 1863, Griffith recalls the expedited Commencement...
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