Battle for Hanover Part 5 With Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps
August 25, 2009
Lieutenant-Colonel William Henry Fitzhugh Payne (1830-1904) was the commander of the 2nd North Carolina Cavalry Regiment that outflanked Union troops on Frederick Street in Hanover by using a parallel alley. Payne was a native of Virginia, and attended VMI for one year. Payne studied law at the University of Virginia and established a law practice in Warrenton, Virginia in 1851. The following year, he married his cousin, Mary Elizabeth Winston Payne. The Paynes had ten children. He served as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Fauquier County for several years. 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 today’s post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps shows that as the battle moved toward Hanover’s town square, Confederate cavalry found an alley to outflank Union forces moving on Frederick Street.
This map shows the location of where our videos were produced on the Old Hanover Road. Videos #1-#9 were shown in our previous Hanover posts. Videos #10 and #11 were taken at the “Confederates Invade Pennsylvania” wayside marker northeast of the junction of the Westminster Road/Westminster Avenue and Frederick Street. Video #12 was taken at the junction of Westminster Road/Westminster Avenue and Frederick Street. Video #13 was taken near the Henry Winebrenner House on Frederick Street. Videos #14 and #15 were taken in Exchange Alley, a block south of Frederick Street. This map was created facing north at approximately 1:00 PM on Sunday, August 2, 2009.
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 near the red, brick, Henry Winebrenner House on Frederick Street. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 2:45 PM on Wednesday, July 29, 2009.
In Video #13 (Videos #1-#12 were shown in our previous Hanover posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps is standing on Frederick Street near the Henry Winebrenner House. He discusses the initial clash between the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry and the 13th Virginia Cavalry as the fighting moved towards Hanover’s town square. This view was taken facing northeast to southwest to northeast at approximately 2:45 PM on Wednesday, July 29, 2009.
This map is from John Krepps’ book, A Strong and Sudden Onslaught, The Cavalry Action at Hanover, Pennsylvania. This map shows the first action of the Battle of Hanover at the junction of the Westminster Road and Frederick Street on June 30, 1863. It also shows how the Confederates pushed the Union troops through the town square. 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.
John is still standing on Frederick Street. The curve behind him, near the red vehicle, was the location of the Hanover Borough limits in 1863. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 2:45 PM on Wednesday, July 29, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps is standing in an alley known as Exchange Place. He is showing with his arms the direction in which the alley runs. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 2:45 PM on Wednesday, July 29, 2009.
In Video #14 Licensed Battlefield Guide John Krepps shows us the alley (Exchange Place) south of Frederick Street that would be used during the Battle of Hanover. This view was taken facing southwest to northwest to southwest at approximately 2:45 PM on Wednesday, July 29, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide John Kress is pointing down the alley known as Exchange Place. The 2nd North Carolina Cavalry rode up this alley, towards the camera, in an attempt to outflank Union troops. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 2:45 PM on Wednesday, July 29, 2009.
In Video #15 John Krepps shows us how the alley south of Frederick Street was used by the 2nd North Carolina Cavalry to outflank Union troops moving a block away on Frederick Street. This view was taken facing southwest to northwest to northeast at approximately 2:45 PM on Wednesday, July 29, 2009.
John Krepps is pointing toward Frederick Street where the old Hanover Theater is located. The 2nd North Carolina Cavalry rode down Exchange Alley (where John is standing) and rode down side streets to outflank Union troops on Frederick Street.
