Gettysburg Campaign
South Middleton Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's Southern cavalry arrived July 1, 1863, by Dover and Dillsburg. Finding Ewell had left the day before, Stuart burned the U.S. Barracks and left for Gettysburg, where the battle had begun.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On July 1, 1863, Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate cavalry rode into the Carlisle area by way of Dover and Dillsburg, only to find that Gen. Ewell's troops had already moved on the day before. Stuart put the U.S. Cavalry Barracks to the torch and then turned toward Gettysburg, where the battle that would decide the campaign had just begun. The moment captures the confusion and hard riding that shaped the Gettysburg Campaign's opening.
Why it matters
Stuart's roundabout march and the burning of the Carlisle barracks illustrate how communication failures and cavalry movements helped set the stage for the war's pivotal battle.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Ye Olde Sulphur Spa Historical Society13.0 mi away
- Appalachian Trail Museum13.4 mi away
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Related people
- · J.E.B. Stuart
- · Richard Ewell
Related events
- · Gettysburg Campaign
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Gettysburg Campaign
Carlisle, PA · est. 1949
By late June 1863, Confederate General Richard Ewell's corps had pushed as far north as Carlisle, the high-water reach of Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania. On June 28 Ewell received Robert E. Lee's orders to concentrate the army, and over the next day his divisions marched south from Carlisle over this road through Mount Holly Springs, York Springs, and Heidlersburg toward a small crossroads town called Gettysburg. Those movements set the stage for the war's most consequential battle.
Gettysburg Campaign
Carlisle, PA · est. 1947
On June 27, 1863, Gen. Ewell's Confederate corps marched along this road into Carlisle as part of Lee's bold invasion aimed at Harrisburg, sending Jenkins' cavalry ahead to scout the way. Two days later, Lee recalled Ewell to concentrate the army near Cashtown, drawing the Confederates back toward the ground where the Battle of Gettysburg would unfold. This road traced the high-water line of the Southern thrust into Pennsylvania.
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On the morning of June 28, 1863, Confederate cavalry probing the Cumberland Valley reached this farm — the farthest north any organized body of Robert E. Lee's army would advance. Learning that Union troops held nearby Sterrett's Gap, the outpost turned back toward the main force at Carlisle. Within days Lee concentrated his army eastward, and the campaign turned toward the fields of Gettysburg.
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