Would You Like a Little Wine with That History?

Local Wineries to Visit : Adams County Winery

During the Civil war era, fruit wines were popular, as were Madeira and malmsey. Wine was considered a digestive aid, and a healthful beverage long before scientists pointed out the benefits of a glass of red wine a day Locals in Adams County know that the local wineries have great products that personalize gifts, and also make a trip to some local restaurants a chance to get a "taste" of Adams County. Of the three wineries that have stores in town and also places out in the county, the oldest is Adams County Winery, which has been in the wine-making business for over 30 years. During that time, the winery has expanded both products and services and has become a favorite of visitors and locals alike. The Adams County Farm Winery is located 8 miles west of Gettysburg in beautiful orchard country. 

At the Farm Winery currently, some construction projects are underway, but the Pennsylvania bank barn is still the site of wine tastings of all the varieties offered by the winery. Popular choices do sell out, but the list offers a wine for every taste -- from sweet (my favorites) to dry and everything in the middle. Current offerings have labels commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. Many of the varieties also feature names that relate to the battle. White wines include Chardonnay, Tears of Gettysburg, Traveller, which is a Vidal, and Stray Cat Strut. Rebel Red, Three Ships to the Wind, Rusty's Red, and Turning Point comprise the reds. The Adams County Winery also provides fruit wines, among them the whimsically named Scrapple (for sweet cranberry apple). Wine tastings will give you a chance to sample some of the wines, but the friendly staff is quite willing to let you sample just one variety that you think you'll purchase. If you want advice, staff members take the time to discuss the flavors and possible pairings. You can also browse the various wine themed gifts and necessities offered to  put together a wine themed gift. I have stopped at the winery to pick up a last minute hostess gift on several occasions; for the convenience of procrastinators like me, the Farm Winery is open 10 am to 6 pm seven days a week.

More Than Just a Place for Tasting

 

 At the Farm Winery, the gardens and grounds invite you to look around and linger. 

 Throughout the season, events and festivals provide reason to visit and celebrate. Concerts are also scheduled, especially in the season. Visit the website for more information and specific dates.


 http://www.adamscountywinery.com/index.htm

If you don't want to drive west to the Farm Winery, you can still sample the wines at 25C, the Downtown Wine Shop which is located at 25 Chambersburg Street. You can browse for wine-themed merchandise here as well. Events are sometimes scheduled at the downtown venue; check at the shop or on the website. This location is also open seven days a week, but the hours are 11 am to 6 pm.

Locals often suggest local wines to accompany dinner. These restaurants serve wines from Adams County Winery:


The Cashtown Inn                                  Cashtown, PA
The Dobbin House                                 Steinwehr Avenue, Gettysburg PA
Farnsworth House                                  401 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA

 

 

 

Orienting Locations in Gettysburg

NORTH & SOUTH & EAST & WEST

 Gettysburg, Pennsylvania became the site of the great battle between Lee and Meade precisely because of its orientation. From Gettysburg, roads led to Baltimore, Emmitsburg, and Taneytown in Maryland and to Carlisle, York, Hanover, and Chambersburg in Pennsylvania. Locals have the benefit of using these roads and thus gaining an understanding of  how the various sites on the battlefield relate to compass locations. For instance, knowing that while Lee's army was advancing on Gettysburg from the west, J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry was engaging in the battle of Hanover(June 30,1863) east of Gettysburg helps to explain why Stuart was delayed in joining the battle.

Although it is really too simplistic to say that Gettysburg looks just like the compass rose, keeping the four cardinal directions in mind can help you to visualize the action in a particular battle, and also all the sites around the town.
I have placed the roads in their approximate locations without the roads themselves to make it easier to see the relationships.
To the southwest is Fairfield, about 8 miles from town; Chambersburg is northwest, while Emmitsburg is south-southwest. The Baltimore Pike starts out due south, but curves to the southeast. To the east is the Hanover Road, leading to Hanover. The Carlisle Road, Route 34 goes to Biglerville to the north.
                                                                   

                                                                                                 Carlisle Rd

                                                                                  .

Chambersburg St.

                                                                                                         York Rd.

                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                  Hanover Rd.

 Fairfield Road

                                                                     Baltimore St.

                                                                                    

           Emmitsburg Rd.

                                          Taneytown   Rd.        

 Once you have these main roads clearly in your mind, the relative locations become easier to figure out

Now, putting previous posts into a locational context becomes easier. The Battle of Hunterstown took place northeast of Gettysburg. The next day, The battle at East Cavalry Field occurred east of town, just north of the Hanover Road. Cemetery Hill, the North's central position is just barely south of the town center.

                              

Riders in the East

Action at East Cavalry Field : Stuart meets Gregg & Custer

Round Top, Devil's Den, Culp's Hill, the Wheatfield -- all these places are on the average tourist's "must see" list. But three miles east of Gettysburg lies a less visited, but crucial battle site. Called East Cavalry Field, this site lies just north of Route 116, then called the Hanover Road, and along Low Dutch Road. This site offers views of the town and the mountains to the west and monuments that tell the tale of the clash of men and horses on July 3, 1863.  I walk along the road often, trying to picture thousands of men and horses here; it is a scene hard to visualize in the peace and serenity of a central Pennsylvania farm.
Here there were troops from Pennsylvania, Michigan, Maryland, New York, Maine and New Jersey with their artillery meeting troops from Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. This was a chess board with many movements. J.E.B. Stuart's troops were to reach Baltimore Street and attack the Federal position from the rear. David Gregg's Union troops knew that they had to block and delay that movement. As the Confederates advanced, the artillery opened fire on them, and horses and men began to fall.

This is a complex story, and more than I could understand in a single visit. I walked back past the road the the monument to the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry. This regiment consisted of 394 men, commanded by Edward Jones. This monument describes their action.


"July 2nd 1863. Reached the field at noon from Hanover. Engaged dismounted a Confederate Brigade of Infantry on Brinkerhoff's Ridge from 6 to 10 p.m. July 3rd engaged mounted and dismounted with the Confederate Cavalry Division on this field from 2 p.m. until evening portions of the Regiment. Advancing in a mounted charge and driving the enemy beyond the Rummel Farm Buildings." 

      Cavalry troops were armed with a carbine and pistol. They fought both mounted and dismounted.
In the story of these almost 400 men, you see the chaos of the cavalry battle. Walking back to this monument, which marks their position on the day of the July 3 battle, you can look to the northwest and imagine hundreds of mounted Confederates advancing toward them. Among the Third PA Cavalry troops was William Miller, who was resolute in pushing back the Confederate advances. Miller is quoted as saying,

"Shell and shrapnel met the advancing Confederates and tore through their ranks. Closing the gaps as though nothing had happened, on they came. As they drew nearer, canister was substituted by our artillerymen for shell, and horse after horse staggered and fell. Still they came on." 

 Then the Michigan cavalry led by George Armstrong Custer also pressed on, and Miller helped to reform the Pennsylvania troops. Miller further states, 

"It was like the falling of timber, so sudden and violent that many of the horses were turned end over end and crushed their riders beneath them. The clashing of sabers, the firing of pistols, the demands for surrender and the cries of the combatants now filled the air." 
 The best map of the conflict clearly shows the Confederate and Union troop positions. However, the many markers on the field are also helpful.
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/gettysburg/maps/eastcavalryfieldmap.html

 If you go, keep in mind that there are two parts to the road through East Cavalry Field. The first entrance is a left turn from Rout 116 after you see the sign for East Cavalry Field. The position of the Third PA Cavalry is best accessed from Low Dutch Road, about 3 miles east of Gettysburg on Route 116 Hanover Road. From 116, turn left onto Low Dutch Road, then left again onto the East Cavalry Field road.

Get Out of Town -- July 5, 2012

A Trip to North Cavalry Field

 The sign above is located northeast of the town of Gettysburg at the corner of Route 394 and Granite Station Road. In the tiny hamlet of Hunterstown took place one of the cavalry clashes that helped to determine the outcome of the 3 day battle of Gettysburg. This encounter, which took place in the late afternoon of July 2, 1863 has come to be known as North Cavalry Field. Engaged here were a very young George Armstrong Custer of the Union and Wade Hampton of the CSA.
Although today Hunterstown remains very small, the people of the town and Adams County are working to preserve the history of this area. If you have time, you might find this website very interesting.

http://www.hunterstown1863.com/

The cavalry battle between Custer and Hampton was critical in delaying the CSA's attempt to move on Culp's hill from the northeast.In the town are the Tate farm and blacksmith shop and the Jacob Grass hotel.
Nearby is the Great Conewago Presbyterian Church, which served as a hospital on the day of the battle.

The Lives We Live -- The Dobbin House  July 4, 2012

     Gettysburg before the battle, and after

On this July 4, it is fitting that we honor those who fought in the Revolution, those who signed the Declaration, and the patriots whose quiet resistance helped to drive the British from this country. The year was 1776, and the world was about to see the birth of a new democratic republic. First under the Articles of Confederation and then under the Constitution, the people of the United States of America have shown the world how democracy can work. It isn't always perfect, but it works. On this Independence Day, I'd like to turn my attention to the people whose lives shape our country. Patriotism certainly moves people to fight and die for a country, but patriotism also informs and drives the everyday actions and interactions of neighbors who make their towns and neighborhoods better.
Locals and frequent visitors to Gettysburg know and love Dobbin House. Located at 89 Steinwehr Avenue, Dobbin House is a restaurant, tavern, bed & breakfast, and gift shop. It is a house that brims with the history of living -- the activities that make a town. Long before Lee, Longstreet, Meade, & Sickles converged in Gettysburg for the fateful battle, people, Americans all, were making a town in Gettysburg. One of those people was Alexander Dobbin, born in Ireland but called to serve as a minister in the Marsh Creek settlement. In the early 1770's, Dobbin served churches in the area and as far away as Greencastle. He was much appreciated since there were few ministers in the area at that time. Dobbin had married while still living in Ireland and fathered a large family. He acquired hundreds of acres in what is now the town of Gettysburg. By 1776, he built the two story stone dwelling that is now known as Dobbin House for his wife and family.

The Dobbin House

Composed of local stone, the house has eleven rooms and seven fireplaces. At each end of the house is a chimney emerging from the gabled roof. Dobbin's house also served as a school, one of the first schools west of the Susquehanna River. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “To penetrate and dissipate these clouds of darkness, the general mind must be strengthened by education” and Dobbin strove to do just that. 
Over the years, the house served as a station on the Underground Railroad, and was made famous by photographs in National Geographic magazine of a small concealed room that was used to hide fugitives on their journey north.  This room was probably created during the time that Matthew, the son of Alexander Dobbin who inherited the house, lived in the house during the nineteenth century.  During the Gettysburg battle, the home served briefly as a hospital, as did many of the homes in the area. Thus, in Dobbin House, you see the lives we live, over centuries, as people build, dream, create, teach, stand up for what is right -- and most certainly, cook.

No visit to Gettysburg is complete without a visit to this link to the colonial past. The Springhouse Tavern is located a few steps down into the past. It is dark and lit by candlelight, with both booths and taverns. This is casual dining, with interesting food choices. Couples and families will find the tavern equally charming. Don't miss the Springhouse Spread and Adam's Delight. On a hot humid day, the descent into the cool dark environs of the tavern is amazingly refreshing. However, the visit is equally delightful in winter, and many locals consider a holiday visit to Dobbin House a necessity. Upstairs you'll find the Alexander Dobbin Dining Rooms, six different rooms of fine dining.Reservations are suggested for the Dining Rooms.
Locals who need just the right gift often make a hurried stop at the Country Curiosity Store, where you can find everything from creative jewelry to soap, Gettysburg books to country candy.
Parking is available in front, off to the right side, and in a parking lot across an alley in back of the Dobbin House.
http://www.dobbinhouse.com/index.htm

_____________________________________________________________

Other Eighteenth Century Sites in Adams County

In 1794, George Washington really DID sleep at Russell's Tavern, now a private residence on the Goldenville Road, north of Gettysburg just off Route 34. If you are driving north from Gettysburg, turn right onto Goldenville Road. the tavern is a stone residence on the right. A Pennsylvania historical marker gives details.
Lower Marsh Creek Presbyterian Church, about 6 miles west of town on Route 116, the Fairfield Road, was built in 1790. Alexander Dobbin is buried in its old cemetery. Although it has been remodeled several times over the years, the stolid stone exterior remains.
Also on the National Register of Historic Places is Conewago Chapel, a historic Catholic chapel located in Edge Grove, Adams County, about 12 miles east of Gettysburg. This beautiful building, also made of brown stone was constructed between 1785 and 1787. It replaced an earlier structure. In the adjacent cemetery, some of the tombstones are dated in the mid-1700's.
http://www.choosepennsylvania.com/basilica_of_the_sacred_heart_of_jesus-sp-4304/
Driving directions can be found at the link above.

Culp's Hill - Spangler's Spring Area July 2, 2012

Welcome to Gettysburg Local! The purpose of this blog is to bring a different point of view to the Gettysburg visitor and provide a glimpse into the lives of those of us who live near the Gettysburg Military Park.
Today's post is about an area near to my heart that also gives me the "zero at the bone" that Emily Dickinson refers to. I walk often along the road, East Confederate Avenue, from Spangler's Spring back to East Middle Street. For many locals, this is the perfect place for jogging, walking, exercising the dogs, and biking. Occasionally a Segway tour cruises by in a quiet hum.Parking is available in several places, most notably by Spangler's Spring. From the spring, one can walk uphill to Culp's Hill, or back along the road which parallels Rock Creek. The creek is obscured from view for most of the road. At one time, apparently, there was a path along the edge of Rock Creek because a fence is still there.
July 2 was a time of heavy fighting, and I walked there thinking of the men who fought and died at this place. Monuments to Steuart's Brigade CSA, Walker's Brigade, CSA and the 28th Pennsylvania Infantry lie along my usual path.
Yesterday I went back to the 28th PA Infantry monument because I am drawn to that spot. I'm not a "ghost hunter;" I walk at the battlefield all the time and don't hear voices; ectoplasm doesn't emerge from the bushes when I'm around. However, there is something poignantly haunting about the little path that leads to the 28th Infantry monument. The monument is in the shape of a knapsack, which might not be readily apparent, but the careful roll at the top is designed to make us think of the things they carried in that long ago war.  A shagbark hickory tree stands vigil, and poison ivy slithers along the ground and climbs the trunks of trees, shiny and sinister. Deer tracks often mark the muddy places along the path, and the rustling in the brush is apt to be a gray squirrel that I have disturbed. But there is something else...perhaps someone else.
Every time I visit -- fall, winter, spring, summer -- a presence of some kind reaches out to me. At this place I am watched; on both sides of the path there is a palpable presence.

I now know that this was contested ground, Steuart's Brigade had crossed Rock Creek near here, and the 28th Infantry served as "skirmishers" in these woods. Skirmishers are sent ahead of the larger group to engage the enemy and ascertain enemy positions. Taking the hill was the goal of the CSA troops; defending the hill was the sacred charge of the 28th and other Union troops. Here, in this forest on a day just as muggy, just as hot, the firing of weapons blasted leaves and twigs off trees, filled the air with smoke and noise.  Here some lived and some died. Who is it whose compelling story drives them to remain in this place? What sorrow or betrayal took place in this grove? I walk and I wonder. The thrushes call from the hill and from the low places back and forth. Did the men of the 28th pick the leaves from the spicebush trees and crush them as I do  for their lemony scent?
I keep going back and researching these men and their struggle. I have read the primary source accounts which capture the passion and despair. These words are from McKim, of Steuart's CSA brigade:

  Still we pressed on. General Steuart, Captain Williamson, and I were all on the right-centre, where was the Second Maryland and eight men of the Third North Carolina. Oh! it was a gallant band. We had our sabres drawn, and were cheering on the men, but there was little need of it. Their gallantry did not avail, and their noble blood was spilled in vain. . . . It was as if the sickle of Death had passed along the line and mown down the noblest and the bravest. Major Goldsborough fell [as we supposed], mortally wounded. That brave officer and noble gentleman, Captain Murray, fell dead. Friends dropped all around me, and lay writhing on the ground..
 http://www.gdg.org/Research/SHSP/shmckims.html

I will return, again and again, to honor those who fought and mourn those who died, to listen to the call of the cardinal and the blessed silence of peace that now prevails beneath Culp's Hill.


http://www.drawthesword.goellnitz.org/2007/11/28th-pennsylvania-infantry/

Addendum: Watching a ranger presentation on PCN the evening of July 4, 2012 proved instructive. When I talked to my daughters about the feeling I perceived, I repeatedly used the word "betrayal." Tonight I discovered that in the darkness, the 1st Maryland was actually fired upon by their own men. After crossing Rock Creek, in the darkness, the NC brigade came along a bit later. They began firing at other members of Steuart's Brigade.  The term the ranger used was actually fratricide, which seems so very sad. Perhaps I feel some of those who were struck by friendly fire trying to tell me what happened to them.


If you go: From  the square (Route 30.Baltimore St/ Carlisle Street/) proceed NORTH on Baltimore Street one block. Turn left onto EAST MIDDLE STREET. E. Middle is one of our annoying streets with 4 way stops at each corner. Go about two blocks and turn RIGHT onto East Confederate Avenue. (one way street) Follow the road to Spangler's Spring; park and walk back along E. Confederate Ave. to the Steuart's Brigade bronze plaque on the right side of the roadway. The 28th Infantry position monument is along the winding, often muddy trail.