Invasion of Carlisle

"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...

"Boyhood Memories of The Civil War 1861-'65 - Invasion of Carlisle," by James W. Sullivan
July 1932

Publisher: Carlisle, PA: Hamilton Library Association

James W. Sullivan writes to Jane Van Ness Smead in July 1932 and provides extensive details regarding the invasion, occupation, and shelling of Carlisle. Sullivan also recalls the general sentiments of Carlisle...

"Civil War Miscellany on the Confederate Invasion of Carlisle in 1863"
1963

Contains many articles originally published in The Sentinel about the invasion, occupation, and shelling of Carlisle during the War. Some articles contain first-hand information, while others summarize personal accounts of the occurrences.  It also covers topics such as the routes that...

"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...

Broadside of "General Orders No. 72"
June 21, 1863

These Confederate Army general orders, from General Robert E. Lee to Lieut. General Richard Ewell, are posted publicly in Carlisle and provides specific procedures for the voluntary procurement of supplies, involuntary seizure, receipt information, as well as officer clearances for such duties...

Carlisle Civil War Centennial Commemoration Pamphlet
June 23 to 29, 1963

The Carlisle Civil War Centennial Committee publishes this pamphlet in 1963 as part of the Civil War Centennial commemoration. This official souvenir brochure includes the list of "Cumberland County's Heroic Dead," a brief summary of Carlisle residents' reactions to the fall of Fort Sumter in...

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...

Confederate Supply Requisition to "Authorities of Carlisle"
June 27, 1863

As Confederate forces enter Carlisle, Pennsylvania in late June 1863, Major John A. Harman, Chief Quartermaster with the Second Army Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia, under the command of General Richard S. Ewell, issues a requisition to the "authorities of Carlisle Pa." for supplies. The...

Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, "Carlisle... Barracks Destroyed"
July 18, 1863

Sketched by George Law, this image depicts the destruction of the US Army Barracks in Carlisle on July 1, 1863. The complete caption reads “Carlisle, Penn., Showing Gen. Smith’s Headquarters and the Barracks Destroyed by Gen. W. H. F. Lee.”

This engraving is from Frank Leslie’s...

Harper’s Weekly, "The Rebels Shelling... Carlisle, Pennsylvania," #1
July 25, 1863

Sketched by Thomas Nast, this hand-colored engraving depicts the Confederate's shelling of Carlisle on July 1, 1863. The complete caption reads, "The Rebels Shelling the New York Militia in the Main Street of Carlisle, Pennsylvania."

This hand-colored engraving is from Harper’s Weekly...

Harper’s Weekly, "The Rebels Shelling... Carlisle, Pennsylvania," #2
July 25, 1863

Sketched by Thomas Nast, this engraving depicts the Confederate's shelling of Carlisle on July 1, 1863. The complete caption reads, "The Rebels Shelling the New York Militia in the Main Street of Carlisle, Pennsylvania."

This engraving is from Harper’s Weekly vol. 7, no. 343 (...

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 Charles F. Himes to Ogden N. Rood
October 2, 1863

Charles Francis Himes describes the scenes in Carlisle as the Confederates approached in late June 1863 and notes how the local militia supported by two regiments from New York, took fortification a mile west of town. Himes also recounts his experiences traveling from Carlisle and describes the...

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
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 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
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
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...

Philadelphia Inquirer, "The Defense of Carlisle - Noble Service of the Militia"
July 4, 1863

This article, on page four of an issue of The Philadelphia Inquirer, praises the work of General Smith and the Militia in Carlisle for their defense of the town and their unwillingness to give in despite General Lee's various requests for surrender. Transcript included.

"The...

Philadelphia Inquirer, "The Rebels at Carlisle"
July 4, 1863

This article, from an issue of Philadelphia Inquirer, page 3, describes in detail the occurrences of the shelling of Carlisle, including the pre-attack discourses between General Lee and General William Farrar Smith. Transcript included.

"The Rebels at Carlisle," Philadelphia...

Philadelphia Press, "Special Despatch to The Press"
July 2, 1863

In this "Special Despatch to The Press," two reports mention Carlisle in reporting on the movement and actions of Confederate troops in central Pennsylvania. It provides a short account of the Confederate occupation of Carlisle and notes that they requisitioned supplies from civilians. The...

Pocket Diary of Charles F. Himes
1863

In diary entries from late June and early July, Charles Francis Himes (Class of 1855) describes the Confederate invasion of Carlisle. Himes, who follows the Confederates as they move on to Gettysburg, describes his interactions and movements through several days. Himes also briefly mentions...

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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