Allison-Antrim Museum invites the public to enjoy another installment of the Speaker Series on November 10 at 7 PM. John Miller, Executive Director of the Shippensburg Historical Society, will give a presentation on the defense of Pennsylvania during the first two weeks of the Confederate Invasion of Pennsylvania in 1863. The event will be held in the Barn.
Miller will discuss the New York State National Guard joining forces with the Pennsylvania Militia to fortify Harrisburg against a possible attack and stalling the Confederate advance toward Harrisburg. He will also share stories of the men defending the Commonwealth before and after the Battle of Gettysburg.
The event has no admission fee, but donations are welcomed.
Lee’s retreat from Gettysburg was plagued by thunderstorms and mud. With 50,000 troops to move to the safety of Virginia, and his 60 miles-long wagon train of wounded and supplies, his journey was arduous. There were two routes to Virginia. The longer route extended west from Gettysburg through Cashtown Gap to Chambersburg, and from there south to Greencastle and on to the Potomac River at Williamsport, Maryland. The shorter and more direct route extended west to Fairfield, and up the mountain through Fairfield Gap and Monterey Gap, and then on to Hagerstown and Williamsport.
40 miles of wagon trains and infantry marched the shorter route, on winding mountain roads, in pouring rain, with poor visibility and mud. The wagons across Monterey consisted of Lieut. General Richard Ewell’s Corps Train and the Reserve Train of Major John Harman.
In the late hours of July 4, 1863 and the early hours of July 5, the retreating Confederate forces were forced to fight on the precarious mountain roads. This engagement, now known as the Battle of Monterey Pass, is the second largest Civil War battle fought on Pennsylvania soil, involving 10,000 Union and Confederate forces.
Join members of The Friends of Monterey Pass Battlefield – Darwin Seiler, Lee Royer, and John Gorman – as they retell the story of the battle, and give you a video tour of the site today. Walk the mountain paths with your guide, enjoy the scenic views from visitor-friendly park trails, and explore the museum located on the site of the battle – all without leaving your comfortable armchair.
This presentation will run on the Facebook page of the Adams County Historical Society on April 1 at 7:00 pm. This link will take you directly to the ACHS Facebook page. It will not be posted until April 1.
Fought during the retreat of Gettysburg, the Battle of Monterey Pass is the second largest Civil War battle fought on Pennsylvania soil with 10,000 from both Union and Confederate forces. The fight took place in the late hours of July 4, 1863 and the early hours of July 5, 1863 during solid darkness and a torrential downpour on a precarious mountainside, spanning two states and four counties.
After the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee was faced with returning troops, supplies, artillery, wagons, and wounded across South Mountain to Virginia. From July 3 to July 6, the retreating Confederate troops moved across South Mountain. There were two routes the Confederate army took. One was along the Chambersburg Pike to Cashtown, onto Greenwood—today known as Fayetteville—and south to Hagerstown. A shorter route traveled winding mountain roads through Fairfield Gap and across Monterey Pass to Hagerstown.
A twenty-mile train of Conestoga-style wagons retreated on the longer route through Cashtown and was led by Brigadier General John Imboden. With so much rain, there was much mud. The multitude and weight of the wagons made an arduous and long retreat.
The exodus via the shorter route through Fairfield Gap and across Monterey Pass did not escape the terrible impacts of the rain. Men marched on flooded roads and thick mud. In many Confederate soldier’s diaries and letters, it was referred to as Mount Misery or the quagmire. The conditions made night travel even more dangerous because visibility was so limited.
On July 4, Union troops led by General Judson Kirkpatrick removed the Confederate sentries at Fairfield and were able to advance toward Monterey Pass. Brigadier General George Custer charged the Confederates with the 6th Michigan Cavalry, allowing Kilpatrick’s men to reach and attack the wagon train. Ultimately, the Union forces captured more than 1300 Confederate men and destroyed nine miles of wagons.
Today, the site of the battle is along PA Route 16, just east of Waynesboro. The battlefield land is preserved by the local municipality, Washington Township, and houses the Monterey Pass Battlefield Museum, open weekends from April to November. The museum interprets Civil War history, depicts details of the Battle of Monterey Pass, and portrays the historical significance of the region.
