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The Gettysburg College

Gettysburg College (then known as Pennsylvania College) played a significant and multifaceted role in the Battle of Gettysburg. Because of its location on the northern outskirts of town, the campus was one of the first locations to see combat and was subsequently overrun, serving as a hospital and command post for both armies.

The college's main building, Pennsylvania Hall (often called the "College Edifice" or "Old Dorm"), stood on high ground and became a focal point for both armies.

• Observation Post: On July 1, as the battle began, Professor Michael Jacobs (a math and science professor) led Union signal officers to the building's cupola to observe Confederate movements. Later, after the Union retreat, General Robert E. Lee utilized the same cupola to survey the battlefield.

• Field Hospital: The building became a massive field hospital for both Union and Confederate wounded.

  • The Scene: Descriptions from the time paint a gruesome picture. Amputated limbs were piled outside the windows, and blood dripped through the floorboards of the upper levels into the rooms below.

  • The Library: The college library was located in the building. Many books from that era still held in the college's Special Collections are stained with the blood of soldiers who were laid on them or used them as pillows.