Lifeline of the Valley: The Cumberland Valley Railroad

Lifeline of the Valley: The Cumberland Valley Railroad (HM29AK)

Location: Shippensburg, PA 17257 Cumberland County
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Country: United States of America
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N 40° 3.042', W 77° 31.247'

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Inscription

Shippensburg Civil War Trail

The Cumberland Valley Railroad operated between Harrisburg and Virginia beginning in the 1830s, and during the Civil War it permitted the Union to move troops and supplies rapidly up and down the valley. The railroad's tracks ran down the center of Earl Street, also known as Railroad Street. Before Antietam, Secretary of War Edward M. Stanton ordered the railroad to transport a load of ammunition from Harrisburg to Hagerstown, "to be run through with the fastest possible speed...as General McClellan needs the ammunition to be used in the battle fought tomorrow." On September 16, 1862, that ammunition train rushed through Shippensburg, reaching its destination in record time. The railroad also provided the Union with important logistical support during the Confederate invasion of 1863. On June 19, Captain Boyd's 1st New York Cavalry detrained in Shippensburg and then continued south to delay the Confederate advance. The railroad sustained considerable damage during the Confederate invasion, including the destruction of its Scotland Bridge across the Conococheague Creek south of Shippensburg.
Did you know?
According to local legend, the crew of the Cumberland Valley Railroad was so determined to get their load of ammunition to the Union forces in time for the Battle of Antietam that they threw slabs of bacon into the



firebox to force the train's engine to burn hotter and run faster. [Photo caption reads] C.V.R.R.'s The Pioneer and coach c.1855
[Photo/illustration captions, left to right, read]
· Cumberland Valley Railroad's bridge across the Susquehanna in 1855
· C.V.R.R. on North Earl Street, c. 1900
Details
HM NumberHM29AK
Tags
Placed ByShippensburg- Historical Society, Borough Historical Architectural Review Board, Chamber of Commerce, University, et al
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Thursday, July 12th, 2018 at 7:01pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18T E 284973 N 4436429
Decimal Degrees40.05070000, -77.52078333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 40° 3.042', W 77° 31.247'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds40° 3' 2.52" N, 77° 31' 14.82" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)717
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling South
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 14 PA-696, Shippensburg PA 17257, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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