The Battle of Hanover

While the North Virginia Army was advancing north along the Shenandoah Valley, Jeb Stewart's cavalry set off on a raid around the Potomac Army. Stuart managed to capture many prisoners and convoys with supplies, as well as spoil the telegraph lines of the enemy. However, when Stuart headed north and tried to join Lee's army, the federal commander Pleasanton sent cavalry to neutralize Stuart.

On the right flank of the Potomac Army was the cavalry division of Judson Kilpatrick . On June 30, part of Kilpatrick’s cavalry went through the Borough of Hanover , making a short rest stop. Shortly before this, Hanover was raided by the cavalry of Lieutenant Colonel Elia White (attached to the division of Jubal Earley). The White people came here from Gettysburg and took the horses, food, clothes, shoes, and other necessities, paying the Confederate dollars. They also cut the telegraph wires, cutting off Hanover from the rest of the world. The appearance of Kilpatrick was a pleasant surprise for the inhabitants of Hanover, and they met the cavalrymen with refreshments and drinks.

At the end of the halt, the people of Kilpatrick stepped out of the city north to the Pigeon Hills and Abbstown. Only a small rearguard remained behind, guarding the roads south and west of Hanover. At this time, Stewart left his parking lot at Shrivers Corner in Maryland , headed south, crossed the Pennsylvania border and was about to move to Littlestown, but found out that an adversary was spotted there and turned in the direction of Hanover. Stuart was escorted by a convoy of 125 heavy vans captured at Rockville, and they greatly slowed his movement. In addition, he was detained by a shootout with the Delaware cavalry on June 29 in Westminster.

On June 30, shortly after 10:00, rearguards of the 18th Pennsylvania Regiment of Cavalry spotted the Confederate pickets 5 kilometers from Hanover, near the Gitts Mill. A shootout followed, during which one southerner was killed and several wounded. Soon after 25 men from the G company of the 18th Pennsylvania Army were captured by cavalrymen of the 13th Virginia Regiment from the Chambliss Brigade, which was at the forefront of the Stuart convoy. That morning there were several more minor clashes at Littlestown and elsewhere ^[1] .

Southwest of Hanover, near the small village of Pennville, the 2nd North Carolina Cavalry Regiment attacked the 18th Pennsylvania Penitentiary. Southerners began a random retreat through the streets of Hanover. Stuart artillery deployed nearby and opened fire on them. Southerners entered the city after the retreating enemy, and at this time, Federal General Elon Farnsworth deployed the 5th New York Regiment near the city and attacked the enemy on the flank, forcing the North Carolians to retreat from the city. In this battle, William Henry Payne, commander of the 2nd North Carolina, was captured.

When the other cavalrymen of Chambliss and Stuart appeared on the battlefield, they met at the Karle Forney farm a new federal force, because of which Stuart almost got captured and was forced to leave the pursuit through the fields. Hearing the sounds of battle, Kilpatrick rushed to Hanover, and drove the horse, who died under him just in the city square. Kilpatrick placed his people in and around the city, blocking the streets with barricades. When the battle at Carle Forney's farm subsided, Kilpatrick sent Custer’s brigade to the farm and waited for events.

When the Virgin Brigade of Fitzghu Lee approached, Stuart moved his people to a new position on the ridge that stretched from Keller Farm to the southeast from Mount Olivet Semeteri Cemetery.

At 14:00, Wade Hampton left the wagon train 3 kilometers from Hanover and brought his brigade and Brethead’s battery to Mount Oliver-Semeteri, and stood to the right of Stuart. An artillery duel began, which lasted about two hours. While the shootout lasted, the 6th Michigan Regiment from Custer's brigade dismounted and approached 300 meters to the positions of Chambliss. Caster lost 15 people prisoners in this attack, but repeated the maneuver and managed to take the Littlestown - Frederick road, which made it possible to establish contact with the XII corps. in this phase, the battle gradually died out, passing into a series of small skirmishes.

Stewart gradually withdrew his troops from the battle and began to move away from Hanover to the northwest, to York, because he knew from local newspapers that there was an Earley division. In New Salem, he learned that Airlie had just left York and was heading northwest towards Dover. Stewart changed course and went north at night, trying to find Earley or other parts of Ewell, suggesting that they were somewhere near Saskehanna.

Stuart's column stretched for 27 kilometers. The advance detachments arrived at Dover at 02:00, and the rearguards only at 08:00. He learned that Airlie had gone west, to Schippensberg. Then Stuart released 200 prisoners on parole, gave his detachment 6 hours of rest, and continued the march in the evening, taking 1,000 fresh horses from local farmers.

• Anthony, William, Anthony's History of the Battle of Hanover. - Hanover, PA: Self-published, 1945.
• Encounter at Hanover: Prelude to Gettysburg. - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: Historical Publication Committee of the Hanover Chamber of Commerce, Times and News Publishing Company, 1962.
• Ferree, Barr, ed. 1906 Year Book of the Pennsylvania Society of New York, New York City: The Pennsylvania Society, 1906.
• Krepps, John T. A Strong and Sudden Onslaught: The Cavalry Action at Hanover, Pennsylvania. Ortana, PA: Colecraft Industries, 2008 .-- ISBN 978-0-9777125-7-1 .
• Rummel III, George. Cavalry of the Roads to Gettysburg: Kilpatrick at Hanover and Hunterstown. - Shippensburg, PA: White Mane Publishing Company, 2000. - ISBN