USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > Carlisle > Early history and growth of Carlisle > Part 3
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Decade after decade now passes away. The Square sees growing up around itself a typical Pennsylvania town of culture and refinement. Some of the most delightful families in the country
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made their homes here; which fact, added to the existence of Dickinson college, and for many years of a military post, combined to characterize Carlisle as an educational and social center. It is not strange, then, that the town is so well known, nor that her children should have become distinguished in the service and council of both state and nation. Those who attended the college and those who came to and went from the military post were widely scat- tered; the descendants of many of our old citi- zens are in many places. "Go where you will, you will meet some one from Carlisle," has become a proverb among us. When Peary returned from his recent Arctic expedition, his experience was under discussion in a Carlisle home, whereupon a wit remarked, "Well, if any one ever does suc- ceed in reaching the North Pole, he will find a man from Carlisle sitting with his feet cocked up on the pole." The following illustrates the truth of the proverb. A man from Carlisle, who is now living in New York, was climbing the Andes. While seated under a ledge of rocks, he whistled the air of an American song, and another traveler, attracted by the familiar strains, approached, and the two fell into conversation. The first traveler
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presently said to the second: "I don't know where you came from, but you talk like a Pennsylvanian." The second replied, "I live in Carlisle, Pennsyl- vania; who the devil are you?" "Why, I was born in the old town myself forty years ago," was the quick response.
Late in June, more than a generation ago, the Square was startled by the sudden consciousness that a danger often dreaded was close at hand. Every year after the beginning of the civil strife, whenever the pleasant weather of summer made the movement of the armies a matter of compara- tive ease, and the ripe harvest fields drew foragers to a land famed for its abundance, the tremors of a possible invasion had run through Carlisle. Now word was brought by scouts that the unwel- come men of the South were at the door. With only a few cavalrymen at the barracks, the town must look for protection at this trying hour to its own men. It did not look in vain. Old and young, patrician. and plebeian, pastor and people, all formed themselves into companies of militia for the defence of those otherwise defenceless. The air was charged with suppressed excitement. Mer- chants began to send their goods to Philadelphia,
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or to secrete them in the most secure places. The diplomas of Dickinson graduates were awarded without ceremony. Special trains rumbled across the Square, bearing those that dared no longer delay. Herds of horses and cows were driven over it by farmers who sought to hide their stock in the woods of Perry County, or beyond the waters of the Susquehanna. Family silver and valuable papers were buried or hidden, perhaps, in the dark recesses of some furnace chamber. Yet, as the hours passed, and no enemy appeared, the more sanguine still ventured to hope.
On the morning of that never-to-be-forgotten Saturday, June 27, '63, a lieutenant in the Union cavalry rode into town and dismounted at the Mansion House.
"Why are you fellows falling back ?" was asked by one of the citizens.
"Lee's army is about to pay you a visit; his advance is just out yonder," was the reply.
"I will bet fifty dollars there isn't a rebel north of the Potomac."
"Keep your cash and your confidence, for you may need both."
A few hours later four hundred Confederate
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Junio 27: 1863 To the authordes of Carlito To By direction of It. Lead to furnish the following subsistenco for The Grey, 2Stro Mb Bacao 100 Jacks Voll 1300 Bls. Flow. 23- 1l. Potatoes 21- 13h. Molasses 1000 Mr. Caffeo
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the alors Suppoles with her lady at 6. Block; X deliveries in front of the
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M.J blink thaj Va, 1
Requisition received by Joseph W. Ogilby, then Secretary of Town Council. Owned by J. Webster Henderson, Esq.
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cavalry under General Jenkins entered town and immediately demanded fifteen hundred rations. In less than an hour the stalls of the market house were richly stored, and man and beast were fed and filled. Now the strains of "Dixie" were heard, and looking out Pitt street, to the Walnut Bottom road, one saw nothing but march- ing men. On they came, many ragged, shoeless, hatless, and all begrimed and bedraggled by the twenty-mile march covered that June day. Little they looked like "the flower of the southern army!" Shoulder to shoulder with many a master in these ranks marched his negro servant, ready to share whatever the fortune of war might bring. General Ewell, who before the war had been stationed at the barracks, entered at the head of these troops and occupied the town. Fortunately Carlisle still held her niche in his heart, and this affection now stood the imperiled town in good stead, though his demand for supplies was too extravagant to be complied with. No violence or outrage was per- mitted, no buildings were destroyed, and after his departure scarcely a sign of occupation by a hostile force remained. Many of the soldiers, too, had been Dickinson students before the war. These
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took pleasure in renewing old friendships and in repaying old favors. At one prominent home the family had retired that anxious Saturday night, only to be aroused by a ring at the bell. On asking who wished entrance and receiving a well-known name in reply, the ladies timidly said, "Do you come as friend or as foe?" "Always as friend to this house," was the quick response.
Two churches on the following morning opened their doors alike to the Blue and the Gray-the Second Presbyterian and the First Lutheran. As word had been passed through town that the stores and shops would be searched at this time, it is not strange that most of the accustomed worshipers were obeying elsewhere the command, "Watch." Dr. Fry, the Lutheran pastor, chose as his Scripture lesson the One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Psalm. When too late to retract, he remembered that it contains the command, " Depart from me, therefore, ye bloody men." As over half of the sixty present were Confederate officers, he politely refrained from giving the words a personal touch, passing. over them as lightly as possible. On the campus, where troops were quartered, and at the garrison, services were held by the chaplains in charge.
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Old Second Presbyterian Church, torn down in 1870
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The following day escape from town was ren- dered still more difficult by the destruction of the railroad bridge, east of the Square. Fires were made of the ties, and the rails, heated and softened in these, were twisted around the telegraph poles. Grim jokes enlivened the work. "You Yanks wanted us back in the Union pretty badly. Well, here we are. How do you like it?"
Tuesday morning music sweeter than any the town had ever heard, sounded through the air. "Away down South in Dixie Land, Away, Away," -soldier feet were keeping step to the notes, while from the barracks and from the college campus, over the Square, out of the town passed the invad- ing troops. Hour after hour went by and still sounded the tread of marching feet. Tramping horses and rumbling wagons furnished a deep, strange accompaniment for the notes of fife and drum. "Oh, my darling Nellie Gray, they have taken her away,"-many a soldier boy then marched to the familiar strain who a little later was lying stark on Gettysburg's field. "Maryland, My Mary- land" and "The Old Kentucky Shore " wait in vain for their return.
At last the old Square breathed freely once
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again. Horse and foot had disappeared on the road to Holly Gap; the dreaded danger was past, and life and home were safe. The following morn- ing, dusty, travel-stained men rode into town and halted on the Square. Their regimentals were blue! Cheers rent the air at the welcome sight, and men and women came flocking from all quar- ters to hear the news so long kept from the beleaguered town, and not less to minister to the wants of these hungry men. Throughout the after- noon of that first day of July, Union troops kept arriving until the Square overflowed into the adjoining streets. The light of day fades; but, as cool evening comes on, the entire town empties itself into the streets. Women and children are chatting gayly, relieved from the strain of more than a week of suspense. Carlisle's fair daughters, in the dainty white gowns and bright ribbons which are theirs by birthright, bring pitchers of hot coffee, loaves of freshly baked bread, and other substantials to the welcome visitors. Suddenly, without a word of warning or demand for sur- render, batteries open fire. The consternation is indescribable. Women shriek and laugh hysteri- cally, children weep and cling to their parents, the
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soldiers rush to disentangle their arms, the horses of the cavalrymen leap and plunge while saddles are strapped. Shells shriek through the air and fall to explode in the streets. Meanwhile, the militia are making preparations for resistance. Large shade-trees are sacrificed to form a barri- cade against a cavalry charge. Soldiers get into position to shoot from the roofs of houses, when the Confederates shall come marching up the streets. Half an hour-though time can not now be measured by minutes-and an officer comes from General Fitzhugh Lee, under a flag of truce, to demand the surrender of the town, with a threat that the shelling will be resumed should the offer be rejected; but, between the puffs of his cigar, General Smith coolly replies, "Shell away and be damned."
"Fifteen minutes for non-combatants to leave the town," was the word quickly passed through street and alley. The sight that followed happily has no parallel in Carlisle's history. The blazing gas - works and lumber - yards furnished a hideous illumination, by the light of which flight was made from town. Rich and poor wended their way together on foot to farmhouses, barns, school-
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The Shelling of Carlisle
General Smith, on the white horse, faces castward, whence came the shells. The corner building, back of General Smith, stood where now is the home of F. C. Kramer
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houses - anywhere beyond the shriek of the deadly shells. Some withdrew to their cellars, too terrified to venture into the streets raked by grape and canister. One old lady, who was walking down High street, heard the shriek of a shell and pres- ently saw all the soldiers prone on the ground, where they had thrown themselves to escape the effect of the explosion. "Oh, God be praised for his mercy !" she exclaimed. "And am I the only one saved?" Amusing sights added comedy to the night's tragedy. One woman fled as rapidly as possible, encumbered as she was by a feather-bed which she carried to ward off the shells. One hugged a new bonnet as her dearest treasure, an- other a gilt-framed mirror, while the route of a third was marked by silver spoons, which dropped from the pillow-case she was grasping by the wrong end. During that terrible night the sky was again lit up by the dread glare of a confla- gration. The barracks and garrison had been fired. But another light soon flashed out near Holly Gap, whose language General Lee could read. It was a signal-light, and at this summons his guns were silenced, and the next morning it was found that his entire force had been withdrawn.
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Gradually affairs calmed down, and the Square and the town resumed their quiet and content, save for a feeling of awe as the reverberations of the Gettysburg cannon were heard echoing in hill and valley. In the midst of the deluge of rain that washed the town clean of the filth of occupation, two days afterward, the wounded began to arrive and were cared for in the improvised hospital at the college. No thought then as to the flag under which these men had fought-stars and bars or stars and stripes, what matter? Cruel wounds and fevered brain-what can be done for them? The story of those July days, of the devotion on one side when reward was impossible, of the thankful looks and yet more eloquent silences on the other-these are among the unwritten chapters in the story beautiful of Carlisle.
War's dread alarms are past. When northern general or southern general comes into our midst now, he comes as a welcome friend. If you glance up a half block from the Square you may see in the brick wall of the home of the late J. Herman Bos- ler a small white tablet. On it you will find the words "July 1, 1863." On the occasion of a visit to town several years ago, General Fitzhugh Lee,
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while calling at Mr. Bosler's office, casually in- quired, "What is that mark on your house yonder?" "General, that is the card you left the last time you called," was the signif- icant reply. Had he entered another home not far away, he would have found there a re- minder of those self- same days. A table, handed down from Revolutionary times, Bearing the mark of the conflict was standing in the hallway of the home of Mr. James Wilson Hen- derson, when a Confederate ball came spinning through a window and plowed its way into the heart of this mahogany. At the time of this visit, General Lee and General O. O. Howard found themselves shoulder to shoulder as they sat on a platform at the Indian School. Foes no longer, brothers rather, these white-haired veterans recog- nized that each had fought for the right as he had seen the right, and above their heads was draped the flag of a reunited country.
The old Square-we leave it now to glance at
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other places that Old Carlisle has bequeathed to New Carlisle, and that Carlisle of to-day will pass on to coming years. Peace and war, buying and selling and getting gain, mirth and mourning, the murderer's frown and the benediction of the good man's presence-it can say of these, "All of them I saw, and a great part of them I was." Before turning our backs upon it, we lift to our lips the tin cup at the market-house fountain and say, "Here's to your health, and the health of your family; long may you live and be happy."
JULY I,, 1863.
General Lee's "visiting card "
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III
O THER places besides the Public Square are points around which the life and his- tory of Carlisle have crystallized. Conspic- uous among these is Dickinson College. In its service learned men have spent their lives and have left an impress both intellec- tual and spiritual upon the entire community. Winter on the Campus (South Gate) Within its walls have been trained men who have attained national fame as they have gone forth to fulfil their destinies. The existence of Dickinson College has, perhaps, more than any other one thing, maintained for Carlisle a continuous connection with the move- ments of the outside world.
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Old West
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Of the twelve buildings which with their con- tents make up the material equipment of the col- lege, the one richest in memories and historic asso- ciations is Old West, "scion of a hundred years." It is one of the most charming examples of academic colonial architecture in the country, having about itself an air of distinction as of one well born and well bred. When the original building was almost completed, a misfortune occurred that was regarded as a national calamity. A fire, originating in some ashes near the building, consumed it on February 3, 1803. Not only did the trustees of the college and the people of Carlisle generously respond in that hour of need, but the President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, members of Congress, and many others in public life, sent liberal contri- butions for the rehabilitation of the building. The donation of President Jefferson was one hundred dollars. Be it remembered that in those days money was not plentiful; nevertheless, the present building was opened for occupancy in the fall of 1805. Up the brownstone steps, carved with the names of some above whom now rests the mossy marble, beneath the high portal surmounted with that many-paned half-circle, were carried the
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wounded from Gettysburg. Here they were nursed back to life, or went to meet the reward of brave soldiers. On the walls of the principal room hang portraits of many of the former presidents of the college, one of them in the powdered wig of far-off days. These many pairs of eyes, some keen and some kindly, seem to be still keeping watch over the welfare of their former kingdom. Venerable also among the buildings of alma mater are Old East and Old South. To these three halls, which for many years were the only ones of the college, in the days before the war came many sons of the South, as well as of the North. When the coming tempest was betokened, the blood of these often waxed hot in debate, two fiery patriots, on one occasion, going out to the edge of the town to settle there by the bullet the dispute begun in forensic halls. Time has laid its hand on all these buildings, but with no ungentle touch. They have found a place in song and story, and in the lives of the many hundreds of graduates who are scattered so widely that Dickinson can say, "The sun never sets on my domain."
In 1798, seven and one-third acres of ground, an entire square, were purchased by the college
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authorities for a campus. Previously this land had been an open lot which, it was claimed by some, had been promised by the proprietaries as "com- mons," or a free pasture for cattle. Quite different was the part that this ground was destined to play in the drama of the town. Long ago the campus won for itself a warm place in the affections of college and community. With seats here and there, walks broad ånd well kept, a wealth of verdure overhead and under foot, it is a spot which one feels in no haste to leave. Several hundred trees of great variety are scat- tered over it, and many a person pauses in the long days of midsummer to enjoy this shelter from the fierce noontide. Un- consciously, the beauty of the spot, "Lovers' Lane," Dickinson Campus
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the equal of which few universities in our country can furnish, enters into the life fiber of college and town, and many an absent son and daughter of Carlisle, as well as of Dickinson, heart-hungry and world-weary, has longed for the sight of the old campus and the sound of the college bell.
In recent times, the James W. Bosler Memorial Hall, the gift of the family of the late James W. Bosler, and the Jacob Tome Scientific Building have added their pleasing proportions to the campus group.
Across the street from the southeastern corner of the campus, stood for many years the Denny home. This was built shortly after the Revolution, and was occupied in its early days by Simon Bard, who had married a sister of Major Ebenezer Denny. It remained in the Denny family until it was donated to Dickinson College, in 1895, at which time the old home was torn down. The tra- dition is accepted that Washington stood under the old locust tree at the corner to review the troops as they passed through Carlisle en route to quell the Whiskey Insurrection. On this site was built Denny Hall, which was opened for college uses in 1896. In March, 1904, a horror - stricken crowd
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gathered to find this beautiful building a mass of hopeless flame. Fast and furious was the work of destruction, even the college records which were in the building not being rescued. Never before
The Old Denny Home
or since has Bosler Hall Chapel held so sad a gathering of faculty and students as met there the following morning for the accustomed worship. But the president of the college, Dr. George Edward Reed, through whose efforts Denny Hall
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The First Denny Hall
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Denny Hall, March 3, 1904
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had been built, is a man of faith as well as of works. Raising his right hand in a gesture more of promise than prophecy, he said, in ringing tones that infused courage into the listeners, "Denny shall rise again." These words became the slogan
Laying Corner-stone of New Denny, 1905
in a campaign for funds among the student body and friends of the college, marked by rare zeal and self-sacrifice. One brief year, and the promise found fulfilment. A new Denny Hall, larger, more beautiful than the former, stood with open doors, ready for its work. Thus it stands, one of many
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lasting testimonies to the courage and energy of the man who has given to Carlisle a new Dickin- son. Carved in stone above the main entrance is this record: "Re-erected through the generous
New Denny Hall
aid of the trustees, faculties, students, alumni and friends of the college, and particularly of public- spirited citizens of Carlisle."
As an illustration of the growth of Carlisle, one has but to look at the changes which have taken
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The William Clare Allison Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church and the Warehouse of R. C. Woodward, Which Formerly Occupied the Corner
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place within a comparatively short time on two corners adjacent to the Dickinson campus. One of these is at the southwestern corner of West and High streets, a spot occupied for many years by the Woodward warehouse. The location was long regarded as on the outskirts, West street being originally the borough limit in that direction. At length, however, the town had so expanded that the old warehouse became an anachronism. It was accordingly removed, and in 1890 a Methodist Episcopal Church, the William Clare Allison Memorial, was built on its site. The church is in the Gothic style, graceful in every line. It is often called "The College Church," most of the faculty and student body worshiping here. A noteworthy feature of the interior is the stained-glass windows, every ray of light that falls through them reveal- ing a beautiful harmony of color.
Near by is the building formerly occupied by this congregation, but now used as the home of the Dickinson School of Law. This traces its beginning back to one of the earliest schools of law established in the United States.
Opposite another corner of the campus is St. Paul's Lutheran Church, dedicated in the
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St. Paul's Lutheran Church
The J. Herman Bosler Memorial Library
spring of 1907. Beautiful, spacious, and admirably equipped, the building is the product of such zeal and devotion as are at once an example and an inspiration. It is built of natural limestone and is rarely equaled for architectural symmetry.
Almost opposite Denny Hall stands the J. Her- man Bosler Memorial Library, erected and liberally endowed by the family of the late J. Herman Bosler. Approaching it, one feels that he is about to enter a Greek temple, so purely classic are its white
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marble lines. There is no feeling of disappoint- ment as one finds himself in the lobby, surrounded by busts of the world's great poets. Looking farther on, he sees pictures of masterpieces in painting and sculpture hanging on the wainscoted oak walls, while the light on the main book-room falls through the rich colors of a memorial window, designed from Burne-Jones' painting, "Hope." In this quiet and beautiful spot, rich and poor meet together, and come into close touch with the world's best books. Schoolboy and college student, children of toil and of ease, all may be found in the reading room, book or magazine in hand. For nearly ten years Carlisle has counted this library among the most powerful of those influences that make for civic righteousness.
Before leaving this section of Carlisle, we walk a half square beyond the campus on the west, and there we find an imposing structure, one of the largest buildings in Carlisle. This is the prepara- tory department of Dickinson College. Through the influence of Dr. Reed, the building was pre- sented by Mr. Andrew Carnegie with the wish that it should be named for his friend of many years, Dr. Moncure D. Conway, one of the oldest
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of Dickinson's alumni; the school is accordingly known as Conway Hall. The distinguished Doc- tor died in Paris on the night of November 14, 1907, and was cremated at Père Lachaise Ceme- tery.
Carlisle may be called the home of schools as well as of churches. Besides those al- ready referred to, there is also a college devoted School of Miss Becky Weightman exclusively to young ladies-Metzger College. This school was founded and endowed by the late Hon. George Metzger, who died after rounding out nearly a full century, and whose memory is not suffered to fade, "Founder's Day" being annually celebrated at the school. The building, with its broad verandas and abundant setting of well-kept lawn, attracts our attention. Ascending the wide flight of steps, we enter, and believe ourselves not in a building
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