Battle of Hanover
Hanover, York County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
On the morning of June 30, 1863, Confederate Cavalry under General Stuart attacked the rear of Union Cavalry SE of here and, for a while, had possession of the town. The attack repulsed, Stuart withdrew in the evening.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On the morning of June 30, 1863, days before the armies collided at Gettysburg, Confederate horsemen under J.E.B. Stuart clashed with Union cavalry in the streets of Hanover. Stuart's troopers briefly seized the town before the Union counterattack drove them off, and by evening the Confederates withdrew. The running fight helped delay Stuart's raiders and kept them from rejoining Lee's army before the great battle to come.
Why it matters
The skirmish at Hanover is a small but telling episode of the Gettysburg Campaign, showing how cavalry screening and delay shaped the war's most decisive battle.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Neas House0.2 mi away · 103 West Chestnut Street, Hanover, PA
- Hanover Fire Museum0.4 mi away
- Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association12.1 mi away
- Ford Motor Company Fund Education Center12.9 mi away
- Gettysburg Museum12.9 mi away
- Battlefield Military Museum13.0 mi away
Food & drink
- Mason Dixon Distillery13.1 mi away · 331 East Water Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Li's Buffet13.1 mi away · 165 York Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Reid's Winery Cider House13.3 mi away · 400 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Chinatown Kitchen13.3 mi away · 25 York Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Upper Crust Pizza13.3 mi away · 19 York Street, Gettysburg, PA
- Borough BBQ13.3 mi away · 15 York Street, Gettysburg, PA
Places to stay
- Sleep Inn and Suites11.2 mi away · 1650 York Road, Gettysburg, PA
- Courtyard Gettysburg11.4 mi away · 115 Presidential Circle, Gettysburg, PA
- Wyndham11.5 mi away · 95 Presidential Circle, Gettysburg, PA
- City Express11.5 mi away · 1857 Gettysburg Village Drive, Gettysburg, PA
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites11.8 mi away · 1971 Gettysburg Village Drive, Gettysburg, PA
- Hampton Gettysburg12.0 mi away · 1280 York Road, Gettysburg, PA
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Related people
- · J.E.B. Stuart
- · Judson Kilpatrick
Related events
- · Battle of Hanover
- · Gettysburg Campaign
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Kilpatrick Headquarters
Hanover, PA · est. 1954
On June 30, 1863, as Confederate cavalry struck the Union rear southeast of town, Brigadier General Judson Kilpatrick set up the headquarters of his Third Cavalry Division in this Hanover building. From here he directed the Union response during the fighting that briefly gave Stuart's troopers the town. The episode came just days before the armies met at Gettysburg.
Abraham Lincoln
Hanover, PA · est. 1954
On November 18, 1863, a half block east of here, Abraham Lincoln paused during his journey to Gettysburg and spoke briefly to a gathered crowd from his special train. He was on his way to dedicate the National Cemetery there — the occasion for which, the next day, he would deliver the Gettysburg Address. This small trackside moment placed the wartime president, if only for a few minutes, among the ordinary townspeople of Hanover.
Gettysburg Campaign
Penn Township, PA · est. 1947
As the Gettysburg Campaign reached its crisis, Union cavalry under General Judson Kilpatrick scoured the countryside hunting for J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate horsemen. On June 30, 1863, Stuart struck here, but was repulsed. Cut off from Early's departed column, Stuart rode north to Carlisle and did not reach the Gettysburg battlefield until July 2 — a delay that left Lee blind to Union movements at a critical hour.
Gettysburg Campaign
Penn Township, PA · est. 1947
In late June 1863, Robert E. Lee's Confederate army swept deep into Pennsylvania, and General Jubal Early's division ranged across York County ahead of the main force. On June 27, men detached by General John B. Gordon passed through Hanover by this route to destroy a railroad bridge at Hanover Junction, cutting Union communications. Their work done, the raiders rejoined Gordon as the armies drew toward a collision at Gettysburg.