GDG- Southern PA

[Smith David]

Doug & Bill:

Not only is Adams County closer to Baltimore than it is to Philadelphia,
but there are no significant geographical barriers between the two -
unlike the broad Susquehanna which inhibited communications with
Philadelphia until it was bridged c. 1814 (and even then the Lancaster
road was bad - it took the railroad to really connect south-central Pa
more firmly to eastern Pa than Baltimore).

There was a lot of "Copperheadism" in the area - a lot of pro-peace
people, a lot of desertion (more in York and Lancaster than Adams I
think), and a lot of people who wanted to fight a short, limited war
rather than a war for emancipation.  Of course, I don't think I would be
with them had I lived back in the day, but let's not forget it was a
long and bloody war.

Don't feel too bad though - there was also an unusually active
Underground Railroad in the region, helping fleeing fugitive slaves, and
many of the Southern Pa counties voted for Lincoln - although just
barely, and helped by the fact that the Democratic vote was divided.
Pennsylvania as a whole delivered more soldiers to the Union Army than
any other state except New York.

David

 

 

Message: 1

Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 11:11:40 -0500

From: "Gitt, Doug" <dgitt at state.pa.us>

Subject: RE: GDG- Gettysburg's newspapers

To: <gettysburg at arthes.com>

Message-ID: <A7AD4B6242F4AE47B952923AEF7B5C7D7A3647 at enhbgpri11.backup>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

This is certainly understandable; Baltimore is closer than Philadelphia.
As a native of southern Adams County, I can attest that the orientation
for many has been this. A modern example: in my youth, the pre-cable TV
stations we watched were from Baltimore and DC. I knew more about MD
news than PA. 

This orientation may be even more so today, with the influx of people
living in PA and working in DC.

Doug

 

 

<<From: "Bill Gower" <billgower at charter.net>

I have read that Central and Southern Pa. was a hotbed for Copperheads
and those disloyal to the North. When I read this I was embarrassed
because I come from this area.

Bill>>