Gettysburg Campaign
Hampden Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Confederate General Albert G. Jenkins and his staff occupied this house, June 28-30, 1863. His brigade, a part of General Ewell's Corps, had entered Mechanicsburg to reconnoiter the approaches to Harrisburg with a view toward a June 30 attack. The troops withdrew from here on the 30th, however, having been ordered to Gettysburg in advance of the battle there. This house, owned at that time by John Rupp, was built in 1787 by his grandfather, Jonas Rupp.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In the last days of June 1863, as Lee's army pushed deep into Pennsylvania, Confederate cavalry commander Brig. Gen. Albert G. Jenkins made his headquarters in this 1787 Rupp family house. His brigade, attached to Ewell's Corps, had ridden through Mechanicsburg to scout the approaches to the state capital at Harrisburg, with an attack planned for June 30. That assault never came—the troops were recalled south to concentrate at Gettysburg, and the war's greatest battle opened instead.
Why it matters
This quiet house marks the high-water line of the Confederacy's northernmost reach, the moment the Gettysburg Campaign turned away from Harrisburg toward the fields that would decide the war.
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Related people
- · Albert G. Jenkins
- · Richard S. Ewell
- · John Rupp
Related events
- · Gettysburg Campaign
Themes & tags
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