Gettysburg College - Spectrum Yearbook (Gettysburg, PA)

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conflicts were involved. of which the college company was a part, did not achieve any brilliant military successes, it was the first to oppose entrance of the Rebels into Pennsylvania; the first to meet the enemy at Gettysburg, and the iirst to draw blood in that historic combat. Although the 26th regiment, HE monument standing at the inter- section of Springs and Buford avenues in Gettysburg was erected to the 26th Pennsylvania Emergency Regiment as a tribute to the outfit. By engaging the enemy and by forcing them to pursue and attack, the 26th regiment had delayed the Con- federate advance on Gettysburg a full day, allowing more Union troops to be rushed to the scene. History may have been greatly altered if Union Commander Meade had been unable to take advantage of this delay and postponement of battle. Classes were still being held at the college until the morning of July 1 when gunfire was heard. Thereupon they were suspended amid great excitement, not to be resumed until the next term. On that fateful afternoon, l9! Vt: W .. the Union Signal Corps occupied the cupola of Old Dorm, this point oEering an excellent panorama of the battlefield. However, toward the afternoonh end, the Union forces were forced to abandon their vantage point. Scores of bloody soldiers streamed across the campus. By nightfall the South had possession of the entire northern end of town, including the campus. Old Dorm was converted into an emergency hospital. By this time the few remaining students had fled the campus, leaving their possessions with the president and his wife, the only remaining persons. The next day General Lee ascended to the top of Old Dorm to observe the drawing of battle lines. The Union army once again took possession of the college grounds on July 4. after they had won the battle. About 500 battered and wounded men, mostly Confederates, were housed in Old Dorm. Many died and were buried on the camping but their bodies were later exhumed and removed to na- tional cemeteries. After the removal of casualties to field hospitals sev- eral weeks after the fighting, considerable renovation of the building was necessary before it could be reoccu- pied by the school. The only other college building at that time, Linnaean Hall, apparently was not entered.

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u Vv schools in Allentown. After fiery debate, however, the merger plan failed and by funds obtained from the state and from the Lutheran church Pennsylvania Col- lege remained in Gettysburg, its woefully weak financial natus improved. During these years when the college finances were unstable and other circumstances clouded the college's future something of a mote dire natute, of greater significance, was added to the snuggle: of Pennsylvania College: the Civil War. And in that petiod of strife and national chaos Gettysburg played an important role. Although the town of Gettysburg had many southern characteristics, some of which are evident yet today, it gave almost unanimous support to the Union cause despite the mixed reeling betore the war. Most ot the Gettysburg students tavoxed the Northern cause and in the spring of 1861 a military company was formed by the students. it dtilled regularly in the held back at the college and on occasion in the town square. Aside from these military maneuvers college lite was at hrst little disturbed by the war. However, towards the end of the year many withdrew ttom school and Joined the army. Those who remained pursued their books with a rather disconcerted feeling. However, when in May, 1863, Leeis planned invasion of the North was announced and President Lincoln and Governor Cumin issued an urgent call for volunteers, the students were. immediately aroused. The news hit Gettysburg one June day. The students were congre- gated around Buehler's book store, after their noon meal, as was their custom, when the call for volunteers was posted. Within a few hours 57 had signed up for the duration of the emergency. At that time there were about 114. students enrolled in school. Eventually 61 students enlisted in the company includ- ing several from the seminary and prep school. Along --v---- ---I--- with a number of town boys this group was shipped off to Harrisburg after it was organized and othcers elected at a meeting in front of Linnaean Hail. The prompt action of the college company led to the concession of the post of honor to them in being the first regiment organized under the Presidenfs Emergency Call. It became Company A, 26th Regiment, Pennsylvania Militia. 'M I 7 7 !HE college boy soldiers were trained for C h 'jl a period of only a week at Camp Curtin, t '3: :2; thereupon issued uniforms and ammuni- !,13 CAI tion and sent back to Gettysburg, as it mas ngJ was rumored that General Lee's armies were moving in through the South Mountains. The 26th Regiment was ordered to move out the Chambersburg Pike to Marsh Creek. This was on June 26. Through a drizzling rain they matched, meeting heeing refugees at every step. They halted in a patch of woods and pitched camp and sent a score of pickets on ahead. No sooner had these scouts been stationed than it was discovered that a Rebel force of some six thousand men were within a mile of the small regiment. This action took place in the burly mountain passes neat Cashtown. It was futile for the small 26th regiment to try to engage this huge invading force. A retreat was ordered. The retreat was somewhat disotderly, a number of the men being captured and taken prisoners. The main body of the regiment made a hasty retreat to Harrisburg, being on the march about 55 hours and having very little food and water. It was a terrible strain on fresh troops. During this time the fleeing regiment had sev- eral skirmishes with the advancing enemy but no serious

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--.---- .n-m-n-ol --.--uu -- - Do. In Old Dorm furniture had been destroyed, certain tix- tures removed, and many books in the library rooms which had been used as pillows for wounded fighters were bloodstained and useless. Some of these volumes are still in the college library. Repair work was started immediately with aid from the government and church donations. Old Dorm was ready for occupancy in September, although the college did not reopen after the battle until the beginning of the next college year. x; Gettysburg to dedicate the soldiers cem- e etery, most of the students in college 5,1 were in the parade preceding the dedi- wJD cation exercises. They were given a position right in front of the speakefs platform when Mr. Lincoln made his immortal Gettys- burg address. 4 President Baugher died in 1868, the only president yet to die in office. His administration had been faced with grave financial problems as well as the havoc created by the war. Nevertheless one building was erected under his guidance, Stevens Hall. This was completed in 1868 and was used to house the prepara- tory dehartment. Dr. Milton Valentine, '50, an out- standing scholar and preacher, was elected to the presi- dency in 1'868. During the 16 years that Dr. Valentine was president, irritating diEerences with the squabbling Pennsylvania ministerium were settled, the debt was greatly reduced and the curriculum was enhanced by a number of new courses. Two buildings were also erected, although neither are standing today: the Observatory, finished in 1875, located near Stevens Hall, and McCreary Gym- nasium, which was built in 1872. This building was located northeast of Old Dorm near the present SCA Building. It was a large barnlike structure and was converted into a chemical lab in 1890. The position of Dean of Gettysburg College was also created under Dr. Valentine's administration, Dr. P. M. Bikle being the first to hold this position, being elected in 1889. After Dr. Valentine had resigned in 1884, the college had completed its first half century. Dr. Harvey W. McKnight, '65, an outstanding minister and teacher, was elected to the presidency. Under his administration much was accomplished. For over 4.0 years no building of any significance had been built. One of the first things Dr. McKnight did was to purchase new land for the college. He thereupon launched his new building program. The iirst building to be erected was Glatfelter Hall, which contained the library, a large museum, two halls for the literary societies, administrative offices, in addition to 12 classrooms. Originally a wing to house a chapel was to be built but this was dropped when Colonel Brua otfered to build a separate chapel building. Giatfelter Hall was completed in 1889, while Brua Chapel was finished in the spring of the same year. Rickety McCreary Gymnasium was converted into a science building in r890, while Linnaean Hail, the citadel of science, was transformed into a gym. The building spree did not stop here. Contributions to the college were liberal and Dr. McKnight was quick to use the incoming funds. Stevens Hall was recon- ditioned in 1898 and what is today McKnight Hall was constructed in the same year to provide for addi- tional dorm quarters, Old Dorm having been recondi- tioned and expanded but still inadequate to fill the de- mands. The new men's dorm was called South College until 1912, when it was named in honor of Dr. Mc- Knight. The question of co-education first arose in 1873. The question was rejected by the board, but finally young women were admitted, the tirst coed registering in the fall of 1888. Coeds were taken as day students until 1923, when it was decided to admit no more. Several years later coeds were again admitted, however, when the prep school was disbanded. The first intercollegiate games between Gettysburg and other institutions occurred during the '7ois. How- ever, intercollegiate athletia were not a significant fac- tor in the life of the school until about 1890. During the decade between 1890-1900 sports as we know them today became firmly established at Gettysburg. Previous to 1877 croquet was the main sport and it was on a purely intramural basis. Those in need of more strenuous activity took to smashing windows and rolling cannon balls up and down the halls. Football fever hit the campus about T77. The college boys liked the game but townspeople who visited the games were a bit dis- gusted, reporting that twenty-two men got together for the purpose of yelling and kicking each other on the shins; the cry of the game being iOutaboundsJ and the side that yelled the most won. In 1879 track became popular and in September of that year the first inter- collegiate football game was played with Dickinson. In 1881 the first intercollegiate baseball game was held not