GDG- Hard times at Gettysburg!

[Dennis Lawrence]

"THE 11th ARMY CORPS ON JULY 1, 1863"

By D. Scott Hartwig

It was shortly after 10:30 a.m. when Maj. Gen. Carl Schurz's 3rd Division 
of the 11th Corps, passed Horner's Mill on the Taneytown Road. The 
division, along with the balance of the corps, was en route for Gettysburg 
from its June 30 bivouac at Emmitsburg, Maryland. To facilitate the 
movement of the corps, its commander, Maj. Gen. Oliver 0. Howard sent his 
3rd and 2nd Divisions, respectively, by way of the Taneytown Road, and 
directed the 1st Division to follow the 1st Corps up the Emmitsburg Road. 1

The weather was cloudy and humid with occasional rain showers drenching the 
moving column of men and turning the dirt roads into slippery mud. The 
first several miles of the march were unremarkable-the sultry atmosphere 
preventing the sound of battle at Gettysburg from reaching the column-and 
the tedium was only broken momentarily when the head of the column crossed 
the Pennsylvania border. The Pennsylvania regiments of Schurz's Division 
beat their drums, dipped their colors, and raised a cheer for their native 
soil. Then the march resumed its steady, monotonous pace along the muddy 
road. 2

As Schurz's column cleared Horner's Mill, approximately 5-6 miles southeast 
of Gettysburg, he was met by a hard riding courier from corps commander 
Howard. The courier brought news that the 1st Corps was engaged at 
Gettysburg and that Schutz was to assume command of the corps and bring up 
his command with all haste. Schurz summoned 1st Brigade commander, Brig. 
Gen. Alexander Schimmelfennig, and turned command of the division over to 
the former Prussian Army officer with instructions to increase the pace to 
the "double-quick." Schurz spurred on to Gettysburg with his staff. As the 
cavalcade neared Gettysburg they encountered an increasing stream of 
civilian fugitives fleeing from Gettysburg. One terrified woman at tempted 
to stop Schurz, crying out, "Hard times at Gettysburg! They are shooting 
and killing! What will become of us!"3

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http://www.gdg.org/Research/OOB/Union/July1-3/11thidx.html