Confederates on Campus


"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...

Carlisle Sentinel, “Theodore M. Johnson Tells of Civil War Days in Carlisle”
Carlisle Sentinel, “Theodore M. Johnson Tells of Civil War Days in Carlisle”
June 1924

In a June 1924 article from the Carlisle Sentinel, Theodore Johnson describes his experiences during the Confederate invasion of Pennsylvania in June 1863. Johnson was the son of Dickinson College President Herman M. Johnson and lived in a section of East College. As a young boy Theodore...

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 George D. Chenoweth to James W. Marshall
Letter from George D. Chenoweth to James W. Marshall
July 15, 1863

George D. Chenoweth describes the Confederate invasion, occupation, and shelling of Carlisle. He mentions leaving Carlisle before the raid, and the pleasure of finding none of their personal belongings disturbed upon his return. 12,000 men entered the town, setting up camp around the town and on...

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 Theodore M. Johnson to James H. Morgan
Letter from Theodore M. Johnson to James H. Morgan
February 26, 1933

Theodore M. Johnson writes to Dickinson College President James H. Morgan and describes the cordial greeting between his father, Dickinson College President Herman M. Johnson, and a Col. Wilson of the Confederate army in 1863. Theodore notes that Col. Wilson accepted request that the college not...

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...

The Methodist, "A Few Days Under Rebel Rule"
The Methodist, "A Few Days Under Rebel Rule"
July 18, 1863

Samuel Dickinson Hillman, an alumnus and a professor at Dickinson College, recalls the invasion and shelling of Carlisle in this article from The Methodist.  Hillman covers the appearance of the Rebel troops, conversations had during the occupation, and the bombardment, all from his...
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