Letter from Thomas M. Griffith to His Siblings

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 ceremonies at Dickinson College, the rush to get students home, and the busy streets as "people were removing their things into and through [town]." Confederate General Albert G. Jenkins' troops, however, did not impress Griffith. "The rebels were so exceedingly dirty that they were not fit to enter any decent church," as Griffith explains. After those Confederate soldiers left, Griffith notes that a group of Union soldiers from Harrisburg arrived to "a hearty welcome." In addition to describing the skirmish, Griffith describes the damage that results from the Confederate shelling on July 1. Griffith, a member of the Class of 1858, also mentions his cold interactions with several Dickinson College alumni who had joined the Confederate army as well as the use of Dickinson College as a hospital. Transcript included.