A Tale of Two Camps: Gettysburg’s Forgotten History

In the years since the Battle of Gettysburg, the battlefield has undergone many changes and uses.

Those familiar with the history of the battlefield know about the Reunion of the Blue & Gray in 1913 and the 75th Reunion in 1938. Many also know about the establishment of Camp Colt, commanded by Captain Dwight Eisenhower in 1918. But hidden away at the bottom of the history pile are two camps on the battlefield that few people know about.

During the 1930s and the Great Depression, the battlefield played host to two Civilian Conservation Corps camps staffed by young African American men seeking to support their families during the hard years of the depression. These men contributed much to the battlefield that we see today.

A decade later, US soldiers, older than most GIs, of many nationalities and able to speak multiple languages, received training at a secret camp on Seminary Ridge called Camp Sharpe. The training these soldiers received was so secret and the trainees so tight lipped that no one in Gettysburg had any idea what was happening in McMillan Woods. These men, using the skills learned at Gettysburg, worked tirelessly throughout the European Theater of Operations during WWII to bring an end to the war.

Join Licensed Battlefield Guide Jim Fouts, February 22nd at 2pm, as he explores the fascinating history of two little-known camps once located on the Gettysburg battlefield, uncovering their unique contributions to the rich tapestry of Gettysburg’s story.

Purchase tickets here