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A Soldier's Letters

“I fear I shall never arrive at the point where a letter from you doesn't cause the sun to shine brighter upon its arrival." So wrote a corporal in the American Expeditionary Forces in France to his wife at home in 1919.

Cumberland County Government and Court Records

In 1978, Cumberland County Government and Cumberland County Historical Society (CCHS) entered into a formal agreement to transfer older government and court records. The records, officially on long-term loan to the Society according to the agreement, are housed at the Society in an archival environment. Acid free supplies are used to store the records and the Society's archives provide a temperature and humidity controlled environment to better preserve these early documents.

Cumberland County's Connection to John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry

In October of 1859 the well-known raid by John Brown and his men occurred at Harper's Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia). Most members of the Brown group were captured at the time of the raid, but several men escaped including John E. Cook and Albert Hazlett who fled into Pennsylvania. These facts serve as the backdrop for events that occurred in Carlisle later in October.

The Sadler/Levinson Curtilage

The need for a dormitory to house Dickinson School of Law students was recognized as early as 1898, twenty years before the Law School moved from its original home in Emory Hall, located at the corner of South West and West Pomfret Streets, into its current home in Trickett Hall on South College Street in Carlisle.

History of Ralph Ray Watts, Veteran, World War I, United States Army

The following is a reminiscence of the World War I military experiences of my grandfather, Ralph Ray Watts. His memory of those experiences was recorded by my grandmother, Laura Mae Wakefield Watts. I suspect some of the "editorial" comments were added by my grandmother. Her handwritten summary was later transcribed by a cousin, Cindy Pricker.

Cumberland County Goes to War: General Forbes' Campaign in 1758

Two hundred and fifty years ago Cumberland County was the focus of one of the three battles in 1758 that would change the outcome of the French and Indian War in North America. Carlisle, the new seat of Cumberland County, was the launching point for the third military expedition to attempt to take Fort Duquesne from the French and open up the Ohio country to English traders. General John Forbes would lead this campaign and succeed where others had failed.

Great Uncertainty: Pennsylvania's Defensive Measures in 1756

In 1754 and 1755, Great Britain suffered two humiliating defeats in North America at the hands of the French. First, Colonel George Washington faced the French at a hastily built fortification in western Pennsylvania named Fort Necessity. After a short skirmish, Washington conceded defeat and surrendered his predominantly provincial command to the combined French and Indian force opposing him.

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