On the afternoon of June 24, 1863, 700 men of the 26th Pennsylvania Emergency Regiment were steaming towards Gettysburg. They had been ordered to the mountains west of Gettysburg as a blocking force against a possible Rebel Invasion of the county and were taking the train to that location. As luck would have it, an elderly woman was driving her cow on a railroad bridge crossing a gully over Swift Run, east of town, at the same time. Suddenly, an unscheduled train appeared. Although the woman was able to reach safety, the cow was struck and killed, derailing the locomotive and sending several cars over the embankment.  As a result, the 26th Pennsylvania never reached its assigned destination. Join Timothy H. Smith as he discusses how a cow on the tracks may have altered the course of the Gettysburg Campaign.

Please note that pre-registration is required for this program as we have limited seating available.  For more information please email info@gettysburghistory.org or call 717-334-4723 x101.  Thank you