HistoricSiteMarkers
Civil War

Gettysburg Campaign

Hamilton Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania

Marker Inscription

Part of Gen. Early's Confederate army, under Gen. J.B. Gordon, passed here June 27, 1863, to York. Early's main force followed a parallel route through Hampton and East Berlin. Both entered York the following day.

Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

The Story

Late in June 1863, before the armies met at Gettysburg, Jubal Early's Confederates swept east toward the Susquehanna. John B. Gordon's brigade passed here on June 27 bound for York, while Early's main force took a parallel route through Hampton and East Berlin. Both columns entered York the following day, part of the deepest Confederate thrust into Pennsylvania.

Why it matters

Early's advance toward the Susquehanna marked the high-water reach of Lee's invasion before he recalled his forces to Gettysburg.

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Related people

  • · Jubal Early
  • · John B. Gordon

Related events

  • · Gettysburg Campaign
  • · Occupation of York

Themes & tags

Civil WarLandmark

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Gettysburg Campaign

Berwick Township, PA · est. 1948

In late June 1863, as Robert E. Lee's army spread across southern Pennsylvania, Confederate divisions under Jubal Early swept eastward toward the Susquehanna. Troops led by John B. Gordon marched past this spot on June 27 bound for York, while Early's main column moved along a parallel road through Hampton and East Berlin. Both wings converged on York the next day — the deepest penetration the Confederacy would make into the North before the armies collided days later at Gettysburg.

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In the last days of June 1863, as the armies converged on Gettysburg, part of Confederate General Jubal Early's division tramped past this ground on its march toward York. Passing by Mummasburg and Hunterstown on June 27, the troops returned two days later along a route just to the north, heading toward Heidlersburg. Their movements were part of the sweeping maneuvers that set the stage for the war's most consequential battle.

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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.

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