Please visit the Emmitsburg Historical Society's Website

Mount Saint Mary's University:

Found in 1808, Mount Saint Mary’s did not escape the divided loyalties at the outbreak of the American Civil War. It had a good many Southern students who had proclaimed their allegiance to the newly formed Confederate States of American. Dr. John McCaffrey was the College’s President and a strong supporter of the Confederate States. John McCloskey was the College’s Vice-President and a strong supporter of the Union. Although a Union man, he still placed the practices of Mount Saint Mary’s first and treated every southern student with respect. John McCaffrey and John McCloskey didn’t allow their beliefs get in the way of their friendship or College matters.

Indian Lookout located near Emmitsburg, Md.

Daniel Beltzhoover, a professor of mathematics, was an 1847 graduate of West Point and served in the wars in Florida and also Mexico. Before the Civil War, he commanded a company of Zouave Mountain Cadets and drilled them thoroughly. He entered the Confederate Army and was commissioned in the 1st Louisiana Heavy Artillery Regiment. He became a Lt. Colonel and a school teacher at Mobile, Alabama by late 1864.

Using the highest point in the Emmitsburg area, Indian Lookout became a landmark.  This area situated near Mount Saint Mary's College held the most spectacular view of the battle of Gettysburg.

The Mountain Cemetery at the entrance to the Grotto is the final resting place for many Civil War veterans including Daniel Beltzhoover. A trail leading to Indian Lookout is also on the grounds of the Grotto.

Toll Gate Hill:

During the afternoon, a part of General George Armstrong Custer’s Brigade of Michigan cavalry encamped just south of Emmitsburg on the old tollgate, before heading toward Hanover on the following Monday. George Custer was only 24 years old when he was promoted to Brigadier General in Frederick. He had replaced General Joseph T. Copeland as commander. General Custer had scouted the Emmitsburg area and hired a local resident by the name of Jim McCullough to guide his cavalry around the Emmitsburg area.

The old Toll House stands next to the Getty gas station off of Route 15 at the exit for South Seton Avenue. Traces of the old Emmitsburg Road can still be seen.

Saint Joseph's and the Daughters of Charity:

Elizabeth Ann Seton, was the founder and first Superior of the Sisters of Charity in the United States. According to Sisters of Charity and the Civil War an article written by S Helms, the author wrote; “On September 17, 1862 the Maryland authorities petitioned the help of the Sisters at St. Joseph's of Emmitsburg, Maryland after the Battle of Antietam. When the Sisters went to the battlefield, they found wounded of both armies on the ground; many were moved to hospitals. "For six days, the Sisters went from farm to farm, seeking wounded and sick and risking their own lives because of unexploded bombshells". Courage and commitment to duty were a few of the solid characteristics of the Sisters. "Their mission was to serve persons marginalized by poverty, illness, ignorance, disability and injustice". The "black caps" as they were called by the soldiers, lived out their mission to its fullest during the Civil War. The superiority of the Sisters of Charity as nurses is known wherever the name Florence Nightingale is repeated ... the soldiers feel encouraged by their kindness and care"

From South Seton Avenue, three Civil War Trails markers are located in the parking lot of the Daughter's of Charity and St. Joseph's.

The Emmitsburg Post Office:

At the entrance to the Post Office are two itinerary tablets describing the Gettysburg Campaign. From there proceed to the traffic light at the square and turn left onto Route 140 west.

The Emmit House is a few blocks down and a statue of a World War One Doughboy stands in the front yard.

The Emmit House:

On the morning of July 5th, General JEB Stuart made his way from the fields of Gettysburg to Emmitsburg. General Stuart came to the town of Emmitsburg during the dawn hours with the 34th Virginia Cavalry under Lt. Colonel Vincent Witcher leading the advance into Emmitsburg. There was a sharp skirmish fought near the town's square as seventy Union men and their Captain were taken prisoners.

Among the prisoners was a photographer from Mathew Brady’s Photography Firm. Three photographers named, Alexander Gardner, Timothy O'Sullivan, and James Gibson all were traveling to Gettysburg when they came to Emmitsburg on the night of July 4th. Gardner himself stayed at the (Hoffman) Farmers Inn and Motel at Emmitsburg. Which one of the three photographers that Stuart Captured is not known however, however, evidence may suggest it could have been Gardner himself. Gardner's fifth-teen year old son Lawrence was attending a boarding school just outside of Emmitsburg and his father may have been assuring his sons safety while was held in captivity. The photographer was released and the three men headed to Gettysburg.

On July 7th, Gardner and his crew came back into Emmitsburg on their way to Washington. While in Emmitsburg, the photography crew produced seven negatives of different scenes in Emmitsburg. One is a picture of the Farmers Inn taken sometime in the afternoon on July 7th. Their works on the Gettysburg battlefield and also those taken in Emmitsburg would become some of the most famous photographs that future generations would marvel upon.