Mechanicsburg's Irving Female College

When the 2nd Pennsylvania Emergency Militia left Harrisburg for the "seat of war", they, like other regiments, were speedily transported along the Cumberland Valley Railroad.  At each of the small towns along the route, hordes of townspeople turned out to cheer on the defenders of the Commonwealth.  Located about 8 miles west of Harrisburg, the small town of Mechanicsburg (originally named for the abundant amount of mechanics and machinists who lived in the area) turned out at the railroad station, and along the tracks, in droves that mid September in 1862.  The sights of their journey would be forever etched into the "green" soldiers' minds.  Louis Richards, a Reading militiaman in Co. G, remembered one particularly pleasing sight for the young men while passing through Mechanicsburg:

Crowds of people came out to the stations to meet us, and black and white, old and young, all joined in the heartiest demonstrations of welcome.  Were also greeted from the houses and roadsides all along the line by people waving their handkerchiefs and swinging their hats.  At Mechanicsburg a whole girls' school was out to see us.  This was a specially engaging sight to some of our number, who thought that that village would be a good place to camp.  The elite of the town were at the station, and S. pointed out to me the leading beauties of the place - I mean the ladies.  Soldiers of a day, we already began, in the midst of these inspiring scenes, to feel like real veterans.

An Illustrated History of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania



Founded in 1856, the Irving Female College was named for famed author Washington Irving, who served on the board of trustees until his death in 1859.  It became the first female college in the nation to grant degrees in arts and science.  Irving Hall, a large Italianate building, was soon constructed, "amongst a beautiful grove and grounds" located along the Cumberland Valley Railroad tracks, and on the eastern end of town (an area soon known as Irvington).  Irving Hall could house "forty students, as well as supply the classroom, the parlor, the library, and the college offices."  In the early days of the school, the average enrollment was 91 students (many of which were day students who lived in the surrounding region).

By the end of the 19th Century, the College was prospering; a second building was needed.  Known as Columbian Hall, the new building, "contained 40 additional dormitory rooms on the upper floors and a large auditorium on the first floor."  In 1901, an expanded wing was constructed onto the eastern wing of Irving Hall, creating rooms for music, a kitchen, a cafeteria, and a gymnasium.  In it's hey-day, Irving Female College had buildings that were, "...imposing in appearance, substantially built of brick, conveniently arranged, and comfortably fitted up with the modern conveniences, and every thing calculated to make it an attractive and safe home, with full and thorough educational advantages for young ladies."  Some of Irving's "young ladies" would go on to be accomplished alumnae, including Ida Kast, Cumberland County's first female attorney, and Jane Deeter Ripon, President of the Girl Scouts of America. 

postcard of Irving Female College ca. 1901. Columbian Hall is located on the right.



postcard of Irving Female College ca. 1901. Expansion can be seen at left-rear of Irving Hall.



The presence of Irving was not just enjoyed by the young men of the Emergency Militia, but by the town itself, as it, "...provided Mechanicsburg with a source of culture, music, great literature and drama that the rural town would not have experienced otherwise."  An alumna later said "The college meant a great deal to the community.  It was a social center."

Sadly, the College's brighter days would soon be behind it. Suffering from a combination of the economic downturn due to the Great Depression, and increased competition from larger private universities and state funded colleges, the College was closed and its buildings sold off by 1937.  Irving and Columbian Halls would soon be renovated on the interior, and converted into apartment space, which they still remain as to this day. 



President's Hall ca. 1982 (built 1911, since demolished)

In 1954, the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission placed a historical marker in front of the College along Main St., and in 1983, Irving Female College was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  Through adaptive reuse and historic preservation, these historic buildings have stood, and continue to stand, as silent observers of our past. 



Irving Hall as seen today - Dave Maher

sources:

Egle, M.D., William H. An Illustrated History of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Civil, Political, and Military, From it's Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Including Historical Descriptions of Each County in the State, Their Towns, and Industrial Resources. Harrisburg, PA: De Witt C. Goodrich & Co., 1876.

Richards, Louis. Eleven Days in the Militia During the War of the Rebellion; Being a Journal of the "Emergency" Campaign of 1862. Philadelphia: Collins, Printer, 1883.

Rose, Sarah, "Irving Female College National Register of Historic Places nomination form", 1982.  on file at the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office, or online through the Cultural Resource GIS.

Antietam National Battlefield: Images

 video taken at dawn 9/17/10

149 years ago today, two American armies slaughtered each other by the tens of thousands (roughly 23,110) on the hills and fields outside of Sharpsburg, MD.  By sundown, the Battle of Antietam would cement itself as the single bloodiest day in American History.  One Emergency Militiaman, who could hear the Battle rage that day, off in the distance, would poignantly write:
"A dull gruff belch, at irregular intervals, accompanied by a sense of concussion, told the story of the distant conflict.  This inspired strange and solemn feelings.  Human lives were being offered up as a sacrifice upon the altar of our country, and thousands of homes would sit in dread suspense until it should be known upon whom the fatal blows had fallen."

For those who have studied the battle, I'm sure you are quite aware of the mesmerizing, yet shocking photographs of the carnage, like the one below.  Antietam was the first Civil War battlefield to be photographed, just days after the fighting ended.  When the images were printed in newspapers (woodcut versions) and displayed in galleries, the American people were not prepared for what they saw.  The scenes were nothing like the romantic descriptions of death on the battlefield that were commonplace in the pre-war era.  It was supposed to be gallant and heroic; a stark contrast to the bloody heaps of twisted and bloated corpses that were strewn about the fields of Antietam.  Numbers of casualties aside, the Battle of Antietam literally changed the way America viewed war.  [You may view a gallery of period Antietam images here.]


carnage near the Dunker Church - Library of Congress

For those of you that have have visited Antietam National Battlefield, it might be hard to imagine that scenes, like the one above, ever took place.  With the rolling landscape, the meandering creek, and charming buildings, Antietam is located in one of the most beautiful and serene settings.  Not exactly how you might imagine a Civil War battlefield to look.  A testament to the communities and people of the region, modern day Antietam is also a shining beacon for historic preservation, as a careful watch for development and sprawl enables visitors to better experience the story and history of the battlefield, and the region as well.

In honor of the tranquility of Antietam, and the contrasting horrific destruction that took place there, I thought I would share just a few photos of Antietam's silent beauty, which I tried to capture while out and about on the battlefield.

[FYI: check back this evening for another Antietam related blog post]

128th Pennsylvania monument (l), 137th Pennsylvania monument (r)

Antietam National Cemetery

130th Pennsylvania monument at the Bloody Lane

a tree swallow stands guard

the Otto Farm

position of Battery B, 4th US Artillery, along Hagerstown Turnpike

Irish Brigade monument

cannon on the Piper Farm

Burnside Bridge

Dunker Curch at sunrise

Richards, Louis. Eleven Days in the Militia During the War of the Rebellion; Being a Journal of the "Emergency" Campaign of 1862. Philadelphia: Collins, Printer, 1883.

"Some of the men...were walking armories of miscellaneous weapons"

Louis Richards, a Private in Co. G, 2^nd Pennsylvania Emergency Militia, wrote in 1883 of his experiences in September 1862.  Among his many recollections, Lewis gives us an interesting picture of how Emergency Militia of 1862 were supplied and outfitted.

On September 10, 1862, Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin called upon all organized militias to report to Harrisburg for the defense of the Commonwealth.  Louis noted:
The companies were directed to be filled in accordance with the army standards of the United States, and as it was stated that the call might be sudden, the officers and men were required to provide themselves with the best arms they could procure, with at least sixty rounds of suitable ammunition, good stout clothing, uniform or otherwise; boots, blankets, and haversacks.

While still organizing in Reading, prior to taking the train to the capital, Louis describes his company’s supplies situation:
Arms of all kinds were in urgent demand.  Rifles and shot-guns, single and double-barreled, old and new; pistols of all designs, long and short, ancient and modern, together with some other unclassified implements of war, were brought out from their hiding-places, hastily cleaned and put in working order.  Some of the men, when equipped for the march, were walking armories of miscellaneous weapons.  The hardware stores were invaded in search of powder, shot, and ball.  A gum blanket, with which in most cases an army blanket, or in default thereof, a pair of ordinary red blankets, were rolled up; a haversack of canvas or oil-cloth, hastily put together at the saddler’s, a tin cup, knife and fork and spoon, made up the rest of the equipment.

After arriving in Harrisburg, Louis’ company received a welcomed surprise:

We were much relieved to find that we were to be furnished with arms and equipments by the State, as our force was far from effective in its present shape.  At the State Arsenal, on the Capitol grounds, we were supplied with Springfield muskets, knapsacks, haversacks, and canteens.  Delivered up our old guns to be returned home.  The muskets and bayonets, on first introduction, were handled with some curiosity.  As there were no scabbards provided for the latter, the bayonets had to be carried fixed to the pieces.  Of ammunition there was none on hand at present, but it was stated that a supply would be sent after us. 

Among the Governor’s call for militia to organize, was the strong suggestion for the troops to supply their own rations, for which Louis was very grateful after arriving in Harrisburg:
My haversack had been bountifully stocked by my good landlady at home, Mrs. B., whose liberality as a provider and kindness of heart will always be held in grateful remembrance by her guests.  The foresight of the Governor in mentioning in his proclamation the subject of rations, was generally commended, as little or nothing eatable seemed to be obtainable in this town since its occupation as a militia camp.

After leaving Harrisburg, and traveling south along the Cumberland Valley Railroad, the 2^nd PA Emergency Militia camped just outside Chambersburg.  While there, Louis watched as more companies arrived, with one well equipped unit making a lasting impression:
Regiments were continually arriving from the railroad, and the shrieks of the steam-whistles, the blasts of bugles, clatter of drums, and the cheering of the troops enlivened the day.  Among the accessions were the Blue Reserves, of Philadelphia, a uniformed organization, which made a handsome appearance.

On September 19, the men of the 2^nd were in position just outside Hagerstown, MD, when a report of “a considerable body of rebels” nearby spread through the ranks.  Though they were about to march into battle (as far as they knew), they were still lacking important equipment of war:
We were now supplied with sixty rounds of ammunition per man – the first we had received – and loaded our guns, which looked like business.  In default of the usual appliances [cartridge boxes] for that purpose, the cartridges were deposited in our overcoat pockets.  Thus ballasted, we were marched down the road…

Finally, in Maryland, Louis made a comical observation of one of his fellow soldiers, who had supplied himself with a beacon for ridicule:
J. H. F. [Jacob H. Forney], an ex-country justice of the peace, enjoys the distinction of being the only man in the company in regimentals, having donned a uniform made for him some years ago, when he was an orderly sergeant of a company which belonged to the Kutztown battalion.  His avoirdupois [weight] has greatly increased since the garments were made, and his harness is so tight that he finds marching very uncomfortable.  He stands upright a large part of the time from force of circumstances, and sits down with caution.

Illustration from Harper's Weekly showing the variety of the civilian "uniforms" of the militia

source:
Bates, Samuel P. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5 : prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, State Printer, 1869.

Richards, Louis. Eleven Days in the Militia During the War of the Rebellion; Being a Journal of the "Emergency" Campaign of 1862. Philadelphia: Collins, Printer, 1883.

Reading, PA Responds to the Emergency

In September of 1862, Louis Richards was a Private in the "5th Ward Guards" from Reading, PA.  Eventually his unit would be sworn into state service as Company G, 2nd Pennsylvania Emergency Militia.  Writing some twenty years after the events of '62, Richards offers us a comical, if not somewhat innocent, view into the ranks of a "green" militia unit, as well as the excitement, patriotism, and fervor that was bubbling over in the streets of Reading, PA.

"The night was one of much activity and excitement.  Drilling was done in Penn Square to the inspiring accompaniment of fife and drum, which gave the town a decidedly warlike appearance.  This exercise was continued daily and nightly until the militia had marched, and at no period during the entire war did military enthusiasm of the people reach a greater height.

In the instruction of the troops, the manual of arms had to be omitted, for there were no guns.  Officers had been hastily selected, and the commands in most cases given to experienced soldiers, whose services were in sudden and great demand.  The fidelity of the men was accepted without any suggestion to the test of an oath.  The companies recruited rapidly, and were not long in filling up to the standard.  Their evolutions, which were conducted to a large extent in the open square, under the cover of darkness, were at times edifying to witness.  As the battalions marched with sturdy tread up and down on either side of the central market-houses, collisions would now and then derange the symmetry of the forces.  Frequent resort to unmilitary language on the part of the commanders was necessary to bring up the laggard platoons, and movements were habitually executed for which no precedent could have been found in either Scott or Hardee [military drill manuals].  But it was patriotism and not tactics that was uppermost in the minds of all, and trifling imperfections of military discipline were, for the moment at least, sunk out of sight in the sense of common danger."

Photograph of Penn Square in Reading, Pennsylvania, ca. 1870.

Historical Society of Berks County

sources:

Gayley, Alice J. "Histories of the Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiments," accessed 26 June 2011; available from http://www.pa-roots.com/pacw/reghistlist.htm; Internet.

"Penn Street through the years," accessed 26 June 2011; available from http://www.berkshistory.org/pennst/; Internet.

Richards, Louis. Eleven Days in the Militia During the War of the Rebellion; Being a Journal of the "Emergency" Campaign of 1862. Philadelphia: Collins, Printer, 1883.