The Civil War wasn fough in he orh or he ouh; i was fough in fields and on farms, in owns and ciies, and by sons and fahers. In order o undersand he breadh of our sruggle, we have o look a his grea conflic from all sides, wihou bias. The aional Civil War Museum is an imporan par of a rip along he Pennsylvania Civil War Trails. I presens he war wihou angles or agendas and presens i wih humaniy. Address: 1 Lincoln Circle Reservoir Park Harrisburg, PA 17103 Phone: 717-260-1861 Hours: ummer: Mon - a: 10 AM - 5 PM un: 12 PM - 5 PM Winer: Wed - a: 10 AM - 5 PM un: 12 PM - 5 PM For more informaion on area aracions and packages visi he Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visiors Bureau online a www.hersheyharrisburg.org or 877-727-8573 www.naionalcivilwarmuseum.org
Pennsylvania Civil War Trails: Prelude o Geysburg is a living, breahing discovery of our grea sruggle. From balefields and museums o ory ops and living hisory ariss, his is no merely a deeper look a Lincoln, Lee, and Meade, bu a journey o he margins. Here he silen sories are old, he faceless brough o life, he places in beween explored. Here he small owns and families who endured our mos personal war are he heroes. The experience draws on four relaed hemes: Defense of he Commonwealh: The sories of civilian miliia who sood on balefields and defended he Commonwealh a all coss. Commerce and Daily Life: The sories of he war s impac on he social landscape and daily life for men and women on he home fron. Women and Children Under iege: The remarkable accouns of courageous women and children whose lives were changed forever by he war. African-Americans & he Ques for Freedom: The lesser-old sories of African-American conribuions during he Civil War from he aboliioniss o hose who served on he balefields. We ve developed wo roadrips o guide your journey, The Road o Harrisburg and The Road o Geysburg. Boh feaure Pennsylvania s scenic Duch Counry Roads as a naural backdrop o your rip along he Civil War Trails and boh bring he sory o life wih Gaeway igns and ory ops along he way. Plan your roadrip oday a visipa.com/civilwartrails and follow he signs o see he sories less old. The experience would no be possible wihou he cooperaion of many, including he Pennsylvania Tourism Office, Pennsylvania Hisorical & Museum Commission, Pennsylvania Deparmen of Transporaion, Team Pennsylvania Foundaion, Deparmen of Conservaion and aural Resources, Jump ree Inc., The aional Civil War Museum, Preserve America, and he Duch Counry Roads Desinaion Markeing Organizaions of Adams, Franklin, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaser, and York counies.
War is a choice, someimes unavoidable, bu always a choice noneheless. Wihin his decision is an infinie deph of ohers. Figh or run? Aack or defend? Press on or surrender? And i is wihin hese choices, boh big and small, ha grea people are forged, grea sories old, grea momens defined. I is wihin hese choices ha generals decide he faes of heir men and weigh lives agains possibiliies. Afer a hard fough vicory in Chancellorsville, VA, he Confederae Army found iself baered and alhough no broken, severely ben. Wih 13,000 casualies Rober E. Lee was faced wih a decision: reire owards Richmond, say pu and encourage Union forces o aack, or invade Pennsylvania and head norh ino he hear of he Union. The Road o Harrisburg begins o ell he ale of he choice he made. Cover Phoo: Memorial quare, Chambersburg; Inside Cover Phoo: The Civil War Museum; Phoo lef: Momen of Mercy, culpor: Terry Jones, Phoographer: Chris Heisey; Phoo righ: PA Pas Players a Harrisburg Cemeery (Couresy of Jeb uar)
While i should never be he only place, i makes sense ha Geysburg is he firs ha mos people hink of when he words Civil War ener a conversaion. I was here ha Presiden Lincoln gave an address ha changed hisory. I was here ha General Lee s Pennsylvania Campaign came o a head, and i was here ha many believe he ide began o urn in he Civil War. The beginning of he decline for he Confederae Army is as good a place as any o begin a Civil War Trails our hrough Pennsylvania. ex o he Majesic Theare is an unassuming old rain saion. I s orange, imeless, and quie. This is where Presiden Lincoln firs arrived. His hos David Wills me him and hey srolled o he Wills House on he diamond downown. You can rerace his seps hrough he hear of own, or si on he porch of he Geysburg Hoel and wach he afernoon drif by across he faces of srangers as hey pass he Wills house, where Lincoln wroe he final words of his Geysburg Address. underrepresened in ales and omes. You can sop by he Jennie Wade House and hear of Geysburg s only civilian casualy. Jennie was killed insanly by a bulle ha cu hrough wo doors as she made bread for Union soldiers. Or visi he hriver House, a well-preserved museum ha ells he sories of war from he perspecive of he family who lived here and shows jus how close o home he bale came. The Geysburg Museum & Visior Cener is a mus. A new building, i has a wealh of informaion for everyone from he amaeur ouris o he lifelong enhusias. Bu rying o ell where o go from here is abou he same as hrowing dars a a board ha s all bullseyes. If you can say he nigh, wake up early o visi he balefields. Look ou over he misy grounds as he firs rays of sun pain long pale srokes across he ambling hills and ouch a place ouside ime, a momen ha is eernal. The res of downown has a hisoric sie every few seps. ome lead o shops and small museums, and some coninue o ell of he sacrifices ha fill he margins of our commonwealh s sory, sacrifices of hose Phoo lef: Monumen a Geysburg; Phoo righ: achs Bridge in Geysburg
Heading ou of Geysburg you quickly fall ino he back-road scenery of he Pennsylvania counryside on your way o some of he greaes small owns in America. The firs one you come across is Waynesboro. As you ease hrough a own ha hugs he Mason-Dixon Line you can feel he slow gai of Pennsylvania s pas. The whole place is beauiful in a way you can resore, bu can only preserve. You can picure people siing on porches and coninuing he quie momenum of commerce as soldiers marched hrough. Among hose hills is Monerey Pass, where on July 4h, 1863 a nine-mile long wagon rain weahered a deluge as hundersorms li he nigh wih lighning flashes. I was he Confederae rerea from he Bale of Geysburg. A he same ime he Union Cavalry came across 12-year-old Hey Zeilinger walking near her home. he no only warned hem of he Confederaes, bu led hem hrough he sorm, direcing heir pah so hey could come upon he rear and flanks of he enemy. 10,000 soldiers fough here ha nigh and more han 1,500 Confederaes were capured, making Heie no only a farmer s daugher, bu one of he heroes of he second larges Civil War acion fough in Pennsylvania. amed for Greencasle in orhern Ireland, much of he downown is he same as i was well over a hundred years ago. I was on July 2nd, 1863, day wo of he Bale of Geysburg, ha a small group of cavalrymen led by Ulric Dahlgren capured wo confederae couriers as hey enered he Cener quare of Greencasle. The couriers carried a message from Richmond, VA elling General Rober E. Lee ha General Beauregard s army would no be able o advance on Washingon from Virginia while Lee was in Pennsylvania, a key break for General Meade s Union Army. And while General Picke marched hrough own owards Geysburg, a girl named Dolly Harris waved he Union colors in he faces of he Confederaes, a bold show of courage and a symbol of a commonwealh unied for is counry. Pennsylvania has been he birhplace of one Presiden, he man who led in he years leading up o he Civil War, James Buchanan. Alhough ofen regarded as one of our naion s leas prodigious leaders, he own sill does is due deference o is naive son. The log cabin where he was born sands on he grounds of he Mercersburg Academy, a home o a number of famous alumni in is own righ. I s a own full of radiion ha hasn changed much over he years. The small square is no all ha differen from when General Jeb uar brough he Civil War o he doorsep of Mrs. eiger in Ocober of 1862. Mrs. eiger urned he General away saying ha her children were sick and her husband away. On heir way o Chambersburg, Confederae roops ran ino a livesock dealer, aking him hosage and sealing his horses. The man hey capured wih hope o ransom was George eiger. Bu he escaped ha nigh, making his way back o suprise a house full of worried family and concerned neighbors. Confederae invasions of Pennsylvania were no jus for supplies bu also o round up freedom seekers and kidnap free men. o far from own is he Zion Union Cemeery, home o he graves of 36 African American Civil War veerans, a shadowy reminder of he breadh and deph of heir role in his grea conflic. Phoo op-lef: Renfrew Museum; Phoo boom-lef: Allison-Anrim Museum; Phoo righ: Zion Union Cemeery
As you firs happen upon Chambersburg, i s hard o imagine ha in 1864 a large porion of he own was burned o he ground. The square, or as hey call i in hese small PA owns, he diamond is full of smiling faces. ear a sparkling old founain is a saue of a Union oldier facing souh as if o warn of incoming Confederaes. The Union army, however, provided very lile in he way of proecion for Chambersburg. A good place o sar on his small own s sory is a he Heriage Cener, on he souheas corner of he square. The solid marble building, once a bank proecing valuables and money, now proecs a wealh of informaion. In he vaul are some of he real reasures, old documens and arifacs, some you can even pick up and hold. One of he buildings o survive he fire is he Franklin Couny Jail. I has a own hall grace for a place where from he gallows hung many menacing men. The couny gallows res in he yard, surrounded by high sonewalls and nex o an old apple ree. If you have ime for a our, he basemen gives you a sense of wha prison was like during he Civil War. The smell, low ceilings, and dim sharp ligh all give he feeling of disillusion, and he feeling ha ime would slow down or speed up a is uncerain will wihou regard for anyone inside. Before you coninue on, you can sop by Mary Riner s boarding house, where John Brown sayed while he planned he raid on Harpers Ferry. Known as he John Brown House, i blends ino a row of oher homes full of families and sories all heir own. Phoo lef: aue of Union oldier, Memorial quare; Phoo righ: Heriage Cener
Heading from Chambersburg owards Carlisle, if you wan a quick rip on he kind of deour ha was made for driving, ake Pine Grove Road. A lef off Roue 30, i runs righ hrough Pine Grove Furnace ae Park. Covered in he scen of pine and surrounded by green, every urn off akes you o a campground, a scenic hike, a waerfall or par of he Appalachian Trail. The canopy-pah hrough he woods akes you back o a ime when you can hear he drumbea of a Union march. As you keep on owards Carlisle you ll go hrough a place you could almos miss if you happen o blink a he wrong ime Boiling prings. As you sop o ake a sroll around he pond full of families of geese and ducks, i s easy o undersand why people in his picuresque seing worked for he freedom of ohers. Close o he Mason-Dixon Line and Appalachian Trail, i wasn always jus an idyllic image, bu once an ideal place for freedom seekers. If i s he righ ime of day, sop for lunch a he Boiling prings Tavern. The only hing beer han he service is he food fresh, delicious and heary. And if afer your meal you feel like meandering hrough he afernoon and saying he nigh, he Allenberry Resor Inn and Playhouse is he perfec place. e on 57 acres jus ouside of own i offers a 40-week play season, fly-fishing in he Yellow Breeches Creek, and a simple seing ha frees he mind and soul of burdens and bohers. For more han 250 years, Carlisle has been par of he sory of he American Miliary, wheher by raining fuure generals a he Army War College, being home o he second oldes barracks in he counry, or coming ino direc conac wih our bloodies conflic. Tree-lined srees filled wih buildings of blownglass windows lead o he Cumberland Couny Hisorical ociey. I s across he sree from Carlisle Theare, a movie heare ha looks like i saw he premiere of unse Boulevard. Inside is all you could ever wan o know abou Carlisle and he couny around i, se inside a much more inviing museum han he word ends o imply. o far from here, in he square, sands he Old Courhouse wih a weahervane perched and poining oward he wind s nex desinaion. I has been here since he Civil War; rough spos and small holes show sandsone scars of he Confederae shelling. You can run your fingers hrough places carved by muniions. The Army Heriage and Educaion Cener ells he sory hrough he eyes of he American oldier, a sop sure o preserve a perspecive on he realiy of war. On your way ou of own, Dickinson College is a reminder of he way he Civil War se friend agains friend. In he archives is an auograph book ha shares he paring words of 118 sudens headed o war. A he ime, he suden body was spli beween orh and ouh. One of he sudens, F.B. ellers, had his fellows sign he aforemenioned book ahead of heir deparure, giving hem a chance o say heir final goodbyes before hey d say hello on he field of bale. Phoo lef: Mural a Cumberland Couny Hisorical ociey; Phoo righ: Lake in Boiling pings
Mechanicsburg is a perfec lile slice of America, from is dicionary definiion Main ree full of hisorical homes, o is quie charm. Is brick-laid walkways and breezy, cozy srees make i an easy place o sop and srech your legs as he afernoon inches on. ear he edge of own is he aionmaser s House. His name was George Zacharias and his saion saw weny-five rains a day during he war. In he cener of own is Civil War and More, an old shoe sore ha s full of all hings Civil War. In 1863 he people of Mechanicsburg saw he war in ways beyond a well-socked shop. They lef heir homes o aend unday s services and when hey came ou he own was under siege. They knew he Confederaes were coming and had sen much of wha hey owned ou of own so i couldn be capured, bu ha didn sop General Jenkins from requesing provisions. I was only by he acions of hen Mayor George Hummel ha he own was saved from fire and kep in a condiion conneced o is soried hisory. On your way o Harrisburg you will pass he norhern mos advance of Lee s Confederaes ino he orh. Many of he buildings ha saw he kirmish of poring Hill are sill sanding, some marked wih signs for he Geysburg Campaign, ohers simply rehabbed ino some modern use. If you need a pick-me-up before you hi all he aracions of he ae s capial, sop by Cornersone Coffee. I s a small coffee shop wih oudoor seaing, a smiling saff and he smell of fresh roasing beans in he air. Phoo op-lef: Museum and Train House; Phoo righ: Civil War & More; Phoo boom-lef: Monumen a nearby Lemoyne
The capial of he second larges sae in he Union, Harrisburg was a he cener of he orh s war effor. A major railroad and sraegic hub, i provided supplies and money ha suppored he vas norhern forces. More soldiers passed hrough is saion han any ciy besides Balimore or Washingon. I was near he saion, in 1862, ha Eby Byers and John B. imon creaed he oldier s Rerea, a refuge for he soldiers passing hrough and heir families, wih mos of he supplies and money coming from he ciizens of Harrisburg. The people of Harrisburg provided more han a place o say. The Broad ree Marke helped feed he roops raining a Camp Curin, he larges federal raining camp in he war. The marke is sill open oday and is an ideal place o sar your day. You can hear a hum of life coming hrough open windows ha rade heir morning smells for fresh, cool air. The women of Harrisburg played a role of paricular imporance during he war. The Ladies Union Relief Associaion, under he leadership of Mary Beay, raised cash, goods, and services for he Union. Many of he oher Pennsylvanians who conribued o he defense of he commonwealh are inerred a Harrisburg Cemeery, anoher sop on your our of Harrisburg. Afer a rip hrough downown, head up o The aional Civil War Museum for an unbiased look a he war. I sis high aop a hill, wih visas and breahaking views in every direcion of he rolling sea of green ha is Cenral Pennsylvania. The posiion of he hill beween so many ohers leads o heavy breezes full of houghs from oher places and imes. Looking ou over he busy lives of srangers below, one can help bu wonder wha migh have happened had he Confederaes crossed he usquehanna. Ouside he museum is he Walk of Valor, an arc of red bricks inside of which are eched he names of hose who served. Organized by sae, hey pain a picure of no jus he bloodshed bu he breadh of he conribuion across our counry. Each sep insills a deeper sense of he sacrifice made by owns and ciies, husbands and wives, sons and daughers. Each sep reminds you of he sories less old and he lives hey changed. Afer you ve filled your mind inside, here are pleny of pahs cuing hrough he manicured lawns for long srolls in he afernoon sun. If you say all day, here s a place o he righ of he fron enrance where you can see he sun se near he meeing of wo hills. And you may feel somehing beyond anyhing we can read, wrie or ell. You may for a momen remember, how we all mus give for our world o keep going. Phoo lef: Camp Curin saue; Phoo righ: Broad ree Marke
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