HistoricSiteMarkers
Civil War

Gettysburg Campaign

Straban Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania

Marker Inscription

Near Hunterstown on July 2, 1863, Union cavalry led by Gen. Judson Kilpatrick attacked a Confederate cavalry brigade under Gen. Wade Hampton. Union troops commanded by George A. Custer and Elon J. Farnsworth engaged Hampton's brigade a quarter mile southwest of here near the Hunterstown Rd. Neither side was the clear victor in this four-hour engagement.

Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

The Story

As the armies converged on Gettysburg, the fighting spilled into the surrounding countryside. Near Hunterstown on July 2, 1863, Union cavalry under Gen. Judson Kilpatrick — with brigades led by the young George A. Custer and Elon J. Farnsworth — clashed with Confederate horsemen under Gen. Wade Hampton. The four-hour running fight ended with neither side able to claim a clear victory.

Why it matters

The Hunterstown engagement is a reminder that the Battle of Gettysburg was fought across a whole region, and that mounted actions on its fringes shaped the campaign that turned the tide of the Civil War.

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Related people

  • · Judson Kilpatrick
  • · Wade Hampton
  • · George A. Custer
  • · Elon J. Farnsworth

Related events

  • · Battle of Hunterstown (1863)
  • · Gettysburg Campaign

Themes & tags

Civil WarBattlefield

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