Our First Day of Caching in Gettysburg & Guess What.....Still Raining 5/7/2009

Well we started out this morning and it started to rain as soon as we got to our first cache at a monument where the first Union soldier was killed in the Battle of Gettysburg. To George W. Sandoe goes the dubious "honor" of being the first Union soldier killed at Gettysburg. Sandoe was a member of Company B. Indpt. 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry. Upon arriving at Gettysburg June 26th 1863, General Gordon (Confederate 2nd Corps, Early's Division) sent out a picket line on the Baltimore Pike. As these pickets reached the Nathaniel Lightner property, Sandoe along with William Lightner, also a member of Company B, aproached the Pike, coming across the McAllister field from the direction of Rock creek. Owing to a growth of bushes and trees along the fence, they did not discover the Confederate pickets until they were ordered to halt. Lightner at once jumped his horse across the fence and escaped by riding rapidly down the pike. Sandoe's horse fell in making the leap, and in attempting to escape by riding back in the direction from which he came, Sandoe was shot and killed.
This incident occurred four days before General Buford's troopers arrived at Gettysburg, and five days before the "official" start of the battle. Sandoe lies buried at Mount Joy Church, in Mount Joy, Adams County Pennsylvania.
This was a multi-cache so when we gathered the information it took us to where this soldier is buried at Mount Joy Lutheran Church Cemetery. Sandoe, George Washington b. November, 1842 d. June 26, 1863 Civil War Union Soldier. He served as a Private in Company B, 21st Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry. On June 26th, 1863, he along with Nathanial Lightner were on patrol on Baltimore Pike just south of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. They came upon members Colonel E.V. White's 35th Virginia Cavalry and in a brief skirmish, George Washington Sandoe became the first Union Soldier to die in what would be known as the Gettysburg Campaign.
A Lutheran congregation was organized on July 22, 1851. The first church cornerstone was laid April 27, 1852 and the church was dedicated October 24, 1852. Jacob Maring Sr., the donor of the ground, died July 13, 1852. The transfer of the deed had not yet been completed and his widow, Anna Margaret, signed the deed by making her "mark". The deed dated January 28, 1854 records one acre and 26 perches of land from Jacob Maring to Christian K. Shriver and Abraham Waybright as Trustees for the Mt. Joy Church. An Indenture dated April 10, 1883, describes a transaction relative to one acre and 16 perches (parsonage and lot) located between George Maring and wife and Mt. Joy Church Council.
A third deed dated May 28, 1887 for 80 perches of land was signed by Edwin H. Benner and wife, John Sharetts and wife, also Jacob E. Sharetts and wife as executors of the Matilda B. Spangler (Mrs. Jonas Spangler) estate. In 1916, Edwin H. Benner provided some additional land for the cemetery.
This first church was destroyed by fire on March 2nd, 1890. Just as the pastor, Rev. Howard M. Heilman, announced his text, it was discovered that the edifice was on fire. The strong March winds fanned the flames. Nothing was saved except the organ and a Bible. A congregational meeting was called on the 3rd of March to decide if the old church should be repaired or a new one erected. The congregation proceeded at once to rebuild.
The lumber came from a northern county in Pennsylvania and was brought by boat down the Susquehanna River to Wrightsville. From there it was hauled by horse and wagon to the church site. Many of the old bricks were used for the inner walls of the church.
The new bricks were made on the McQuigan Farm about two miles away. The total cost of the new church was $4,531.34. After many generous subscriptions, the sale of old lumber, collection of $1,000. of insurance, and a donation of money raised by the Ladies Aid Society, there was a balance of only $39.44 left to pay to clear the debt of rebuilding. In addition, much hauling and labor was done gratuitously by the members. The corner stone was laid June 15th, 1890 and the church was dedicated on November 30, 1890.
Next cache was a NRV cache located in the Outlet Mall in a tree. Next was also a cache near the Outlet Mall and it was at a sculpture named "Unity". It was a sculpture of flags designed as a symbol honoring the reunification of the 35 states torn apart by the bitter fighting of the Civil War. Every state in the Union during the Civil War is represented by their state flag in a cluster with the flag of the United States of America triumphantly rising above them. This sculpture of flags moves with the wind symbolizing the enduring freedom of the United States. Each state flag represents the uniqueness and individuality of that state, yet all are unified under the stars and stripes commemorating the "Unity" of a nation. It was a very lovely and moving memorial.
Next cache was in a small cemetery at the White Church just outside of Gettysburg. Next was a guardrail cache. Then we were off to another small cemetery outside of Gettysburg with nothing but a wooden fence around it for a cache in a tree. There was a plaque there commemorating 6 Revolutionary War, 1 War of 1812 and 2 Civil War veterans that are buried there. Then it was onto the Boyd's Bear Country for 2 caches located near the big red barn. It was a huge bard with not much else but bears in it. They had a museum, hands on craft section, restaurant and of course a store with every Boyd bear ever made and then more. Then it was another cache in a tree and another guardrail cache.
Then it was on to the Battlefield Bed & Breakfast located on 30 acres of the Gettysburg Battlefield. It was a multi-cache where we had to walk into a field to the grave marker of Phillip Rohl. It wasn't really his burial place but the owner we talked to for a little bit told us that they found the stone in the barn when they bought the house after they bought it there were strange things happening and going on in the barn so they figured that Phillip wanted out so they took the marker and put it in the field and the strange things stopped. Quite a story. We did find the cache and walked around looking at a very lovely property.
This Pennsylvania fieldstone farm house was built in 1809. That was the year that Lincoln was born. The bank barn was built between 1820 & 1840.
The owners during the Civil War were Cornelius & Anna Houtelin. They had four children, two daughters and two sons.
Cornelius died in 1866 at the age of 66. He left a will, leaving a horse to one of his two sons. Both son's were in the Union Army. The one son had been sending money home from his paycheck because of the "great devastation" on the property during the battle.
There is also an oral history brought to the inn by some people from the west coast. They said that they were descended from the Houtelins. They said that there were five sons, two Union and three Confederate soldiers. They said that the Confederate sons all died during the war.
This was the site of the South Cavalry Battlefield. There was a Union cavalry charge against Confederate infantry that took place after Pickett's Charge on July 3, 1863. The cavalry was repelled by the infantry, who were behind fortifications. After the battle, there was a Cavalry Camp here on the night of the third day. Cornelius's estate attorneys filed a damage claim for the crops eaten by the horses. The damage claim was never paid.
Catherine Keckler was born here in 1913. She lives in New Oxford now. She grew up in the house and had her first baby here. When she was growing up, her family would invite the neighbors over on Saturday night. They would roll the rug back in the Summer Kitchen and dance to fiddle music.
In the 1950's, the house was a rental. The family that lived here had 12 children. At that time, President Eisenhower would walk up the lane from the cottage next door and use the outhouse. There was a player piano in the parlor, which is now the Graham's Artillery Room. There was a clock on the mantle in the dining room, now our Lincoln Room, which was exactly like the clock that we have on our mantle.
Pauline and Wally Murdock bought the house in 1971. Wally was an entomologist in Washington, DC. They modernized the house, adding a full kitchen and indoor plumbing. In 1983, they added another addition where the Reilly's Room is as an in-law quarters for their parents. One of their sons, John, still lives here in Gettysburg and is a real estate agent in town.
The Tarbox’s bought the farm in 1993 to turn it into a bed and breakfast. They added the present dining room wing, as well as a lot of bathrooms. The inn opened Memorial Day, 1994.
We did see one other interesting site as we were driving from cache to cache and that was Sachs Covered Bridge. We noticed a historical marker along the road and stopped to read it and it told us the bridge was right down the road from where we were so we drove down to see it. David Stoner built the bridge in 1854, Sachs Covered Bridge spans Marsh Creek on the Cumberland Township/Freedom Township line in Adams County, Pennsylvania. This county-owned bridge, rebuilt after a devastating storm, is 100' long, and is located not far behind the right flank of the Confederate artillery line, which participated, in the pre-charge barrage of July 3, 1863. Portions of the Confederate Army used the bridge to cross Marsh Creek during the July 4th withdrawal from Gettysburg. A portion of the 1st Corps used it as they approached Gettysburg. During the War, the bridge was known as Sauck's Bridge. The inside of the bridge was a Civil War operating hospital during the Battle of Gettysburg.
Then it was on back to the RV and we had lunch and Mom did her thing and I did mine and by that time it was dinner time so we ate and called it a day. Until next time we love you all. Mom & Dad