The Civil War's Impact on the Seminary Archives

153 years ago the grounds of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (LTSG) were quite different than today. On the morning of July 1, 1863 the campus was filled with union troops. Soon thereafter, three buildings (pictured above) were occupied by confederate soldiers and became sites of refuge for the wounded and dying: Schmucker Hall or "Old Dorm" (center), the Schmucker House (right), and the Krauth House (left). The Battle of Gettysburg was underway.

The devastation of war is highly examined in academia, literature, and entertainment, yet the effect that war has on archival repositories is not widely discussed. Although the act of keeping items of value has been around since the beginning of humankind, the concept of security measures or a disaster plan did not exist until the second half of the twentieth century. LTSG had been collecting seminary-related documents of importance since its founding in 1826. Housed in founder Dr. Samuel Simon Schmucker's own home which stood on seminary grounds, the morning of July 1, 1863 had a devastating impact on what is available for research today. Keep on reading to learn more.

"Scenes From the Battle-Field at Gettysburg, PA." Schmucker Hall or the "Old Dorm" sits off in the distance on the morning of July 1, 1863.

On that morning of July 1, 1863 the Seminary quickly became occupied by confederate troops over the next two days of fighting. The Schmucker House was only less than 100 yards from the battle line. A known abolitionist, Dr. Schmucker and his home became targets for confederate troops. Dr. Schmucker himself quickly escaped, only to return after the battle to find his house "most damaged." In his August 11, 1863 report to the seminary board of trustees, he describes the state of his home: 

The Archives of the Seminary were, like everything in the house, broken open by the rebels,  

          and the contents scattered promiscuously with my books, papers, letters, etc. over the floor; yet

          I am happy to state that by careful searching amongst the rubbish for several days I have found

          the greater part of the documents which are of any value to the Seminary...

Founder of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Dr. Samuel Simon Schmucker served as president from 1833-1864. He was also an ordained preacher and professor.

The effects of the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg are reflected in the materials available in the archives. Although many documents related to the Seminary, according to Dr. Schmucker's report, were salvaged, he was unable to recover Faculty minutes after 1846, which contained matriculations from 1857-1863. Another record that was not saved was the memorandum book containing the descriptive list of all the ground rents in Philadelphia owned by the institution.

 

Letter from S.S. Schmucker to "Editor of the York Gazette, York, Penna." The brown markings throughout the document depict that this document could have been in contact with confederate soldiers. Dated February 6, 1830.

Dr. Schmucker's own papers and belongings were also destroyed. His books were removed from shelves, torn and defiled. His furniture, looted. An oil portrait of his father, the Rev. Dr. John George Schmucker, was pierced and slit by a bayonet. His manuscripts of lectures and study courses were thrown about, many tossed out windows into the mud. No personal property in the other buildings were harmed, only leading to the conclusion that Dr. Schmucker was targeted for his views against slavery. Documents that were able to be saved show the effects of the confederate soldiers' destruction to this day, such as the letter shown above from Dr. Schmucker to "Editor of the York Gazette, York, Penna" dated February 6, 1830. The brown markings on the back (first image) and inside (third image) depict the possibility that this document was tossed about during the confederate soldiers' occupancy.

Despite the confederate's destruction, many of Dr. Schmucker's papers were saved and make up the Schmucker Collection which is currently housed and available for research in the Seminary Archives.

Want to learn more about Samuel Simon Schmucker and Gettysburg Seminary History? Contact  Assistant Archivist Sheila Joy by email at sjoy@ltsg.edu or by phone at 717- 339-1317.

Sources Consulted:

Wentz, Abdel Ross. "S.S. Schmucker in Perspective." Gettysburg Seminary Bulletin 31, no. 2. May, 1951.

Wentz, Frederick K. Gettysburg Seminary's Role in a Defining Event in American History.
     Gettysburg: Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary, 1999.