Battle for Hanover Part 11 With Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps
November 6, 2009
Brigadier General Wade Hampton III (March 28, 1818 – April 11, 1902) commanded the last brigade of Confederate cavalry to reach the Hanover area on June 30, 1863. He was a native of South Carolina and a month after the Gettysburg Campaign was promoted to Major General and was placed in charge of a cavalry division. After J.E.B. Stuart was killed at the Battle of Yellow Tavern, Hampton was given command of the Cavalry Corps on August 11, 1864. Only three Confederate Cavalry commanders earned the rank of Lieutenant General during the Civil War: J.E.B. Stuart, Nathan Bedford Forrest, and Wade Hampton III. This view was taken circa the 1860s.
The Battle for Hanover is a not very well known, but very important action in the Gettysburg Campaign. Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps has written a book on this event: A Strong and Sudden Onslaught, The Cavalry Action at Hanover, Pennsylvania. John is the host for our series on the events leading up to the battle, and the battle itself. John is a McSherrystown, Pennsylvania native, a Hanover, Pennsylvania resident, and has been a Licensed Battlefield Guide since 1995. He had four ancestors who fought in the Civil War, all with Pennsylvania units. One relative fought on Gettysburg’s East Cemetery Hill the night of July 2, 1863.
In our first post we concentrated on an introduction to Stuart’s Cavalry raid, and showed some images from Union Mills, Maryland.
In our second post we continued our visit to Union Mills and looked at the route of the Old Hanover Road.
In our third post we finished our approach to Hanover and stopped along Line Road and the Gitt Farm.
In our fourth post John described the initial clash at Hanover at the junction of Westminster Avenue and Frederick Street on the morning of June 30, 1863.
In our fifth post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps showed us that as the battle moved toward Hanover’s town square, Confederate cavalry found an alley to outflank Union forces moving on Frederick Street.
In our sixth post, Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps showed us some items on the southwest and southeast quadrants of Hanover’s Town Square.
In our seventh post, John Krepps showed us the location of the farthest Confederate advance north of Hanover’s Town Square.
In our eighth post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps showed us “The Commons” area used by the 5th New York Cavalry as a staging area before they counterattacked the Confederates. He also showed us some monuments on the northeast quadrant of Hanover’s Town Square.
In our ninth post, Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps showed us how the fighting moved south and southwest of Hanover and how Major-General J.E.B. Stuart jumped a ditch as he escaped from Union forces.
In our tenth post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps showed us the high ground south of Hanover used by Stuart’s cavalry to post their artillery.
In today’s post, Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps continued to show us the high ground south of Hanover used by Stuart’s cavalry to post their artillery, and also the area where skirmishing occurred east of Hanover.
This map shows the location of where our videos were produced on the Old Hanover Road. Videos #1-#30 were shown in our previous Hanover posts. Videos #31 and #32 were taken south of Hanover in Mount Olivet Cemetery. Video #33 was taken east of Hanover and north of the Hanover Shoe Farm. Video #34 was taken east of the Hanover Shoe Farm. This map was created facing north at approximately 4:00 PM on Friday, August 21, 2009.
This map is from John Krepps’ book, A Strong and Sudden Onslaught, The Cavalry Action at Hanover, Pennsylvania. This map shows the United States troops regaining Hanover, and their advance on the Confederates south and southwest of town on June 30, 1863. Union units are shaded a dark color. Confederate units have lines running through them. Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Dave Weaver drew the basic map, and John Krepps drew the troop movements.
This map shows Hanover in 1860. It is known as “Shearer’s Map of York County, 1860: from surveys by D. J. Lake. W. O. Shearer and D. J. Lake, Publishers, Philadelphia.” This map is courtesy of John McGrew of the Pennsylvania Room of the Guthrie (Hanover) Public Library
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps is the author of the book, A Strong and Sudden Onslaught, The Cavalry Action at Hanover, Pennsylvania. He is standing in Mount Olivet Cemetery. The structures in the right background are located along Baltimore Street. This view was taken facing north at approximately 3:30 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.
In Video #31 (Videos #1-#30 were shown in our previous Hanover posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps is standing in Mount Olivet Cemetery. He explains that Confederate artillery might have occupied the cemetery. John also informs us that Wade Hampton’s Confederate brigade acted as a rear guard in this area for Stuart’s cavalry after Hampton’s troops arrived on the field. This view was taken facing north at approximately 3:30 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps is still standing south of Hanover in Mount Olivet Cemetery. He is pointing to the area where Baltimore Street/Baltimore Pike crests the large ridge behind the cemetery. Confederates would use this area to leave Hanover. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 3:30 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.
In Video #32 Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps is still standing in Mount Olivet Cemetery. He explains more fully that Wade Hampton’s Confederate brigade acted as a rear guard in this area for Stuart’s cavalry to safely leave Hanover. This view was taken facing north to southeast to east to southeast at approximately 3:30 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.
John Krepps is standing near the Hanover Shoe Farm, southeast of the Hanover Square. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:00 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.
In the background are some of the livestock and buildings at the Hanover Shoe Farm. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:00 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.
In Video #33 John Krepps is standing near the Hanover Shoe Farm, southeast of the Hanover Town Square. He explains how members of the 5th New York Cavalry and the 1st Vermont Cavalry skirmished with Hampton’s Confederates in this area during the afternoon of June 30, 1863. This view was taken facing north to south to southeast at approximately 4:00 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.
John Krepps is east of the Hanover Shoe Farm. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:00 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.
John is pointing to the open area at the end of Charles Street where Confederates occupied the fields while they skirmished with Union forces in this area. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:00 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.
In Video #34 John Krepps is still standing near the Hanover Shoe Farm, southeast of the Hanover Town Square. He gives us a different look at this area where skirmishing went on east of town, hours after the main fighting had ceased on June 30th. This view was taken facing west to east at approximately 4:00 PM on Tuesday, August 18, 2009.
