| Dates | Augusta County, VA | Franklin County, PA | Virginia | Pennsylvania | National |
| 01-1863 | Lincoln ordered Confederate churches behind federal lines given protection against interference by the military in their internal affairs. | ||||
| 01-01-1863 | Slaveholders instructed to have their slaves at the courthouse so that they may be sent off the next day, once the appraisement had been completed. | Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in AR, AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TX, VA, & LA. Confederates captured Galveston, TX. | |||
| 01-06-1863 | Hiram Keyser of Franklin elected 1 of 4 transcribing clerks in the PA legslature. | ||||
| 01-08-1863 | Friendship Fire Co. passed a resolution commemorating the loss of their colleague R. B. Fisher in combat. | ||||
| 01-11-1863 | Col. Imboden thanked Augusta citizens and the Aid Society of Fishersville for donated items. | ||||
| 01-12-1863 | Augusta slaves worked on the fortifications at Drewry's Bluff. | ||||
| 01-13-1863 | All men between the ages of 18 & 45 ordered to report to Staunton for examination. | PA legislature elected Democrat Charles R. Buckalew to the U.S. Senate. | |||
| Mid 01-1863 | Union Brethren Church held a series of revivals. | ||||
| 01-20-1863 | Spectator reported only 49 marriage licenses issued in Augusta in 1862, far fewer than in 1861. During 1862, 1102 people imprisoned for misdemeanors; 49 for felonies; 25 for running away from their masters; 2 for kidnapping; and 2 for murder. | ||||
| 01-21-1863 | Lt. E. N. Ford of the Provost Guard in Chambersburg was shot & killed in an attempt to arrest a deserter in Fulton County. | ||||
| 01-26-1863 | Capt. S. R. McKesson & the noncommissioned officers for recruiting business left Chambersburg to rejoint the 77th PA. | ||||
| 01-27-1867 | A German family resisted a fire co.'s attempt to take water from a nearby cistern to save Nicolas Uglo's stable. | ||||
| Early in 02-1863 | 158th PA sent to Newbern, NC. Col. McClure resigned his commission as Asst. Adjutant General in protest of the constant charges in command of the Army of the Potomac. | ||||
| 02-02-1863 | House of Representatives passed a bill providing for the employment of black soldiers. | ||||
| 02-03-1863 | Spectator complained Gen. Jones did not do enough to protect the people of the lower Valley, despite the fact that he had more men & artillery than Gen. Milroy. | Richmond Whig raised questions about Col. M. G. Harman's alleged unethical conduct as quartermaster. | Department of the East created. | ||
| 02-04-1863 | Confederate Gen. Magruder declared Port Galveston, TX open to the commerce of the world. | ||||
| 02-09-1863 | Chambersburg Female Seminary began its spring session. | ||||
| 02-11-1863 | Confederates attempted to assassinate Gen. Banks in New Orleans, LA. | ||||
| 02-12-1863 | The Wesley Church, a black congregation near Chambersburg, sponsored 2 days of public entertainment. | US Senate passed the National Currency Bill. Jefferson Davis suggested the Confederate Congress adopt retaliatory measures against the operation of the Emancipation Proclamation. | |||
| Mid 02-1863 | Capt. S. Brownson of Mercersburg promoted to Maj. of Company C, 126th PA. | ||||
| 02-16-1863 | US Senate passed the Conscription Bill. | ||||
| 02-18-1863 | 4 Chambersburg men died either from wounds or illness received thus far in the war. | ||||
| 02-20-1863 | Vindicator resumed publication. Col. Harman appealed to Augusta for socks and information regarding members of the regiment who were AWOL. | Lt. William Burgess of the 6th PA released on parole from a Confederate prison in Richmond & allowed to visit his Franklin family. | National Currency Bill passed the US House of Representatives. | ||
| 02-21-1863 | Gen. Fitz-John Porter dismissed from U.S. service having been adjudged under the 9th & 52nd Articles of War. | ||||
| 02-24-1863 | Territory of AZ formed from the Territory of NM. | ||||
| 02-25-1863 | Congress passed the National Banking Act, providing for a system of national banks. National Currency law secured by U.S. bonds passed and approved.New Exemption Bill passed by the Confederate Senate. | ||||
| 02-26-1863 | Mr. Foote offered peace resolutions in the Confederate Congress. | ||||
| 02-27-1863 | Vindicator printed discussions of whether the counties of northwestern VA will remain part of VA & the Confederacy. | ||||
| 02-28-1863 | Confederate war steamer Nashville destroyed in the Ogeechee River, GA, by the Montauk. | ||||
| Early in 03-1863 | Atlantic & OH Telegraph Co. began construction of a 2nd line between Chambersburg & Harrisburg. | ||||
| 03-01-1863 | Franklin received 12 to 14 inches of snow. | ||||
| 03-02-1863 | Congress authorized a railway gauge of 4 feet 8.5 inches for the track width of the Union Pacific Railroad. | ||||
| 03-03-1863 | Spectator complained that the Confederate military had been impressing food supplies at prices greatly below market value. | The War Department informed all men who are liable to conscription that if they come forward & volunteer for service, they are eligible for a $50 bounty & furlough. | Territory of ID created. First US Conspriction Act in the nation's history passed. Congress initiated free delivery of mail in cities. Congress resolved to suppress the rebellion, rather than attempt mediation. Congress authorized a $900,000,000 loan for 1863-1865. | ||
| 03-06-1863 | Vindicator described a meeting at the Wheeling courthouse of persons opposed to establishing a new state & recounted the response to the meeting as published in a pro-new state newspaper, Intelligencer. | Gen. Hunter ordered the drafting of blacks for federal service in the Department of the South. | |||
| 03-10-1863 | A concert at the VA Female Institute netted $325 for the relief of Fredericksburg. A concert by the Staunton 5th VA Regiment band raised $400 for the soldiers' families. Spectator implored farmers to plant corn & "renounce cotton & tobacco." | ||||
| 03-14-1863 | Democrats of Green Township met to select candidates for the township election. | ||||
| 03-17-1863 | Engagement at Rappahannock Station & Kelly's Ford, VA. | ||||
| 03-18-1863 | South Ward Democrats met to select a ticket for the spring election. | ||||
| 03-21-1863 | Lurgan School District Teacher's Institute met in the Roxbury schoolroom. | ||||
| 03-25-1863 | Impressments of private property, including slaves, in the Confederate States authorized. | ||||
| 03-27-1863 | President Davis proclaimed March 27th as a day of fasting, humiliation, & prayer. | ||||
| 03-28-1863 | A valuable horse belonging to John Funk stolen from the shed in Kurtz's yard. A new Provost Guard arrived in Chambersburg. | The first African-American regiment from the northern states left Boston, MA. | |||
| Late 03-1863 | Three Franklin men who were taken as political prisoners during the raid of Stewart's Cavalry were released from Libby Prison in Richmond, VA. | ||||
| Early in 04-1863 | John Forney put on trial for the murder of Lt. Ford of the Provost Guard. | ||||
| 04-02-1863 | Spectator reported that a band of robbers attempted to rob Richmond stores in broad daylight, but denied that the riot stemmed from want. | ||||
| 04-03-1863 | Howe Y. Peyton announced his candidacy for the House of Delegates. Vindicator published an editorial complaining of the general filth of Chambersburg. | Bread riots in Richmond. | |||
| 04-04-1863 | 4 slaves ran away from William J. Shumate. | Public meeting produced a petition asking the legislature to pass a law forcing the railroad co. to bridge the Waynesboro Cut. | |||
| 04-07-1863 | Spectator complained that Southerners were preying upon each other. | Confederates evacuated Island Number 10 in the Mississippi River. | |||
| 04-11-1863 | Member of the 25th & 31st VA Regiment became drunk & rowdy as they passed through Staunton, & were subsequently placed in the guardhouse. | Richard Simpson, a bound boy belonging to Adam Piper, ran away from Concord Township. | |||
| 04-13-1863 | Presbyterian Sabbath School held an anniversary. Democratic county committee met & selected a delegate to the Democratic state convention. | Gen. Burnside ordered the death penalty for aiding Confederates. | |||
| 04-14-1863 | William Bullock of PA patented a continuous-roll printing press. | ||||
| Mid 04-1863 | Edward McPherson of Franklin was nominated Deputy Commissioner of Internal Revenue. | ||||
| 04-17-1863 | Grierson's Raid began. | ||||
| 04-22-1863 | Sanford's Ethiopian Opera Troupe performed at Franklin Hall. | ||||
| 04-23-1863 | Union troops raided the Valley and came as far south as Woodstock. | ||||
| 04-24-1863 | Governor Letcher announced his candidacy for representative from his old district in the next Congress. | ||||
| 04-25-1863 | Meeting held at the courthouse to establish a Democratic club opposed to the party in power. Series of altercations occurred between Chambersburg residents & members of the Provost Guard. | ||||
| 04-26-1863 | 33 new communicants received by the Lutheran Church of Chambersburg. | ||||
| 04-27-1863 | 40 to 50 black recruits left for MA to join a new regiment being formed there. | ||||
| 4-30-1863 | Franklin residents observed the national day of humiliation, fasting, & prayer. | Day of fasting in the U.S. | |||
| Late in 04-1863 | Bill legalizing the payment of bounties to volunteers passed both houses. PA Senate voted to reduce the pay of the state militia. | ||||
| Early in 05-1863 | Ladies Aid Society of Chambersburg became an official auxiliary to the Philadelphia agency of the U.S. Sanitary Commission. | ||||
| 05-01-1863 | Battle of Chancellorsville, in Spotsylvania County, VA began: Gen. Lee defeated Gen. Hooker. | Battle of Port Gibson, MS. | |||
| 05-02-1863 | 9 members of the 5th VA Infantry killed & 111 wounded during the Battle of Chancellorsville. | 81 members of the 126th PA reported killed or wounded during the Battle of Chancellorsville. Chambersburg Academy students gave a concert in Franklin Hall. Democrats of Washington Township met to establish a Democratic club. | Gen. Jackson & his men mistaken for Union soldiers & fired on by their own forces. Gen. Jackson shot in the left arm. | ||
| 05-03-1863 | 2nd Battle of Fredericksburg, VA: Gen. Sedgewick & the Union forces defeated Gen. Lee & the Confederate forces. | Confederates abandoned Grand Gulf, below Vicksburg, MS. | |||
| 05-04-1863 | Chambersburg borough elections held. Chambersburg Academy students gave a 2nd concert in Franklin Hall. | By orders of Gen. Burnside, Clement L. Vallandingham arrested at Dayton, OH for alleged treasonable utterances. | |||
| 05-05-1863 | Vindicator supported Baldwin, the former Whig. Spectator supported Letcher, the former Democrat. | ||||
| 05-10-1863 | Gen. Jackson died. | ||||
| 05-12-1863 | Spectator questioned Col. Harman for giving his wife a silver set that had been captured. | Franklin Farmers & Mechanics Association met to elect officers. | Battle of Raymond, MS. | ||
| 05-14-1863 | Members of the 126th PA arrived back in Franklin. | Gen. Grant occupied Jackson, MS. | |||
| 05-15-1863 | Corbin & Gran hanged at Sandusky for recruiting within the Union lines. | ||||
| Mid 05-1863 | David Lawson of Montgomery Township arrested for treason & sent over the lines. | Frederick Douglass gave a speech in Philadelphia calling for blacks to be accepted into the "American family." | |||
| 05-16-1863 | 3 slaves ran away from their owner's home on the South River near Stuart's Draft. | Battle of Champion Hills, MS. | |||
| 05-17-1863 | Battle of Big Black River, MS. | ||||
| 05-18-1863 | Confederates retired as the siege began within the defenses at Vicksburg, MS. | ||||
| 05-19-1863 | Two prisoners broke out of the county jail. | ||||
| 05-20-1863 | Teachers' Association of Franklin held its 7th semi-annual convention. | ||||
| 05-21-1863 | Col. Harman takes exception to the Spectator's comments about the silver set & beats Mr. Mauzy, the Spectator's editor, senseless. | U.S. forces began an assault on the Vicksburg works. | |||
| 05-22-1863 | Vindicator called for women of Augusta to return to the Staunton hospital to treat wounded soldiers. | ||||
| 05-23-1863 | Stockholders of the gas co. met to determine what could be done about the lack of gas in Staunton. | ||||
| 05-25-1863 | 33 members of the Union League paraded through Chambersburg. | ||||
| 05-27-1863 | Valley Spirit editors called for Democrats to organize against the Loyal Leagues being formed in the county. | Gen. Banks unsuccessfully assaulted Confederate works at Port Hudson. | |||
| 05-28-1863 | 1st Northern African-American regiment, the 44th MA, departed for Hilton Head, SC. | ||||
| 05-29-1863 | Gen. Burnside ordered the suppression of the Chicago Times because of its violently anti-Lincoln & pro-Southern opinions. | ||||
| 05-30-1863 | Democrats of Chambersburg & the surrounding area met in Franklin Hall. | ||||
| 05-31-1863 | German Reformed Church of Chambersburg observed the 300th anniversary of the Heidelberg Catechism. | ||||
| Early in 06-1863 | John Baldwin won reelection to the Confederate Congress. | Mass meeting in Philadelphia protested the arrest of C. L. Vallandingham for treason. | |||
| 06-01-1863 | Augusta citizens created a Central Committee to devise measures for the relief of the exiles from western VA. J. F. Johnson sold three slaves in Staunton. | Lincoln revoked Gen. Burside's order given 3 days earlier. | |||
| 06-02-1863 | The Central Committee appointed a committee of ladies to visit exiled families from western VA as they arrived in Staunton to ascertain the needs of the refugees. | ||||
| 06-03-1863 | Valley Spirit editors complained about the frequent loud gatherings of blacks near Wallace's Corner in Chambersburg. | Gen. Lee began movement for the invasion of the North. | |||
| 06-08-1863 | Col. McClure & H. S. Stoner purchased the Franklin Repository & Transcript. | Cavalry battle at Beverly's Ford, VA. | Departments of Monongahela & Susquehanna created. | ||
| 06-12-1863 | Christian Commission met at the Lutheran Church. | ||||
| 06-14-1863 | Battle of Winchester, VA began. | ||||
| 06-15-1863 | Confederate cavalry raided Chambersburg | Confederate troops entered PA. | Government called for 100,000 men for 6 months of service to resist the invasion of PA. | ||
| 06-17-1863 | Democratic state convention in Harrisburg opened & nominated George W. Woodward for governor. | ||||
| 06-19-1863 | Gen. Stuart's cavalry began to fight screening action along modern Route 50. | Confederates invaded IN. | |||
| 06-20-1863 | WV admitted to the Union as the 35th state. | ||||
| 06-22-1863 | Augusta residents held a public meeting to establish a home defense. | Confederate troops occupied Chambersburg. | |||
| 06-24-1863 | Maj. Harman demanded that residents of Chambersburg provide invading Confederate troops with clothing & supplies. | Confederate troops began to cross the Potomac River. | Gen. Rosecrans advanced from Murfreesboro, TN against Gen. Bragg's forces at Tullahoma, TN. | ||
| 06-26-1863 | Army of the Potomac crossed the Potomac River. | ||||
| 06-27-1863 | Confederate troops under Gen. Lee began the invasion of southern PA. | Confederates advanced within a few miles of Harrisburg, PA. | |||
| 06-30-1863 | Augusta Female Seminary sponsored a concert & gave the proceeds to benefit sick & wounded soldiers. | Battle of Hanover Junction, PA. | |||
| Late in 06-1863 | During the occupation, Confederates broke into the Columbus Lodge of Odd Fellows & cut to pieces the regalia there. | ||||
| Early in 07-1863 | Dinner given in honor of the returned soldiers in Waynesboro. A number of Chambersburg citizens arrested by Confederates on the suspicion of spying. | ||||
| 07-01-1863 | 1st day of the Battle of Gettysburg, PA. | ||||
| 07-02-1863 | Yankee prisoners taken at Upperville & Winchester arrived in Staunton. | 2nd day of the Battle of Gettysburg, PA. | |||
| 07-03-1863 | The 5th VA Infantry & the 52nd VA Infantry suffered heavy losses during the Battle of Gettysburg. | Occupying rebel forces retreated from Chambersburg. | 3rd day of the Battle of Gettysburg, PA: Pickett's Charge; Gen. Meade & defeated Gen. Lee. | ||
| 07-04-1863 | Chambersburg residents celebrated the 4th of July by raising a flag on a makeshift flagpole. | Battle of Vicksburg, MS: Confederates under Gen. Pemberton surrendered to Gen. Grant. Battle of Helena, AR. | |||
| 07-05-1863 | Absalom Shetter,a farmer just outside Chambersburg, hung himself after Confederates made off with his stock & grain. | ||||
| 07-07-1863 | Confederate raiders under Gen. Morgan crossed the OH River at Brandenburg, KY into IN. | ||||
| 07-08-1863 | Valley Spirit & Franklin Repository resumed publication. | Battle of Port Hudson, MS. | |||
| 07-09-1863 | 20 prisoners who had been captured by Col. Jackson at Beverly arrived in Staunton. | A riot broke out between members of the NY militia sent to defend Chambersburg & other Union troops stationed around Chambersburg. | |||
| 07-10-1863 | Franklin held official 4th of July exercises. Maj. Couch arrived in Chambersburg to form an army corps for the defense of PA. | Battle of Ft. Wagner, SC began. | |||
| 07-11-1863 | Telegraph line between Chambersburg & Loudon reconstructed. | Conscription under the draft began in New York City. | |||
| 07-13-1863 | Governor Curtin visited Chambersburg. | Anti-draft riots broke out in New York City for 3 days, with nearly 1000 killed or wounded before federal troops restored order. | |||
| Mid 07-1863 | Governor Curtin called for 840 more troops from Franklin. PA militiaman stabbed by a drunk soldier in Chambersburg. Franklin unable to pay all the taxes as a result of the rebel occupation | ||||
| 07-15-1863 | Mr. Kyle & his son killed when they attempted to chisel open a shell they found. | 2nd Battle of Jackson, MS. | |||
| 07-17-1863 | Col. Davidson notified Staunton that soldiers who beg for food are "skulkers" & not legitimately absent from their commands. | ||||
| 07-18-1863 | Gabriel Hirsh's store burglarized. | U.S. troops repulsed in their assault on Ft. Wagner, Morris Island, SC. | |||
| 07-20-1863 | Chambersburg Bank resumed business after hiding its assets during the Confederate raid. | ||||
| 07-26-1863 | Gen. Morgan's raid in IN & OH ended. | ||||
| 07-28-1863 | Confederate officers impressed horses in Staunton. | ||||
| 07-30-1863 | Lincoln issued a proclamation for the protection of African-American troops against retaliation by the Confederates. | ||||
| Late in 07-1863 | George Platt of the 126th PA returned to resume his dentistry practice in Chambersburg. | ||||
| 08-01-1863 | Union League met to organize a reception for the 158th PA. | Jefferson Davis granted a general pardon to all AWOL Confederate soldiers, as long as they return to their posts by August 20th. | |||
| 08-06-1863 | Franklin residents observed the National Day of Thanksgiving & Prayer. | US day of National Thanksgiving observed. | |||
| 08-08-1863 | County school superintendent began examining applicants for teaching positions. | ||||
| 08-12-1863 | Gen. Toombs exposed the bankruptcy of the Confederacy. | ||||
| Mid 08-1863 | J. K. Reid collected clothing for his nephew & other Franklin citizens in Libby Prison in Richmond, VA. | ||||
| 08-18-1863 | Spectator called for a law to prevent marriage of 1st cousins. | ||||
| 08-19-1863 | Horses reported stolen by thieves disguised as Union soldiers. | ||||
| 08-21-1863 | Jefferson Davis proclaimed the 21st a day of fasting, humiliation, & prayer. | ||||
| 08-23-1853 | Union troops crossed the mountains at Buffalo Gap, & Confederate forces & local citizens readied themselves for an attack. | ||||
| 08-25-1863 | Spectator, citing Nostradamus, predicted the world would end in 1866. Col. Baldwin appealed to Augustans to form volunteer companies for home defense. | ||||
| 09-01-1863 | Samuel Fisher elected president of the county committee at the County Democratic Convention. | ||||
| 09-04-1863 | Slave woman ran away from her owner, Peter Hanger, Jr., near Waynesboro. | Knoxville, TN occupied by the advance forces of Gen. Burnside's command. | |||
| 09-05-1863 | Staunton Town Council doubled taxes to provide for families of soldiers. Fisherville, Mint Spring, & Middlebrook organized volunteer companies for home defense. | ||||
| 09-07-1863 | British government seized the Confederate rams building in the Mersey, forbidding their departure. Confederates evacuated Ft. Wagner in the night. | ||||
| 09-09-1863 | Soldiers in the 9th PA cavalry in TN reported to be complaining about receiving too few letters from friends & family in Franklin. | 21st Division Corps under Gen. Wood, army of the Cumberland, occupied Chattanooga, TN. | |||
| 09-15-1863 | Capt. McNeill, Capt. Imboden, & Capt. Hobson brought 147 captured western VA Unionists to Staunton. | Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus. | |||
| Mid 09-1863 | Franklin Railroad repaired. Washington township farmers organized an association to protect against horse thieves. New telegraph line connecting Chambersburg with Philadelphia, Baltimoe, & Pittsburgh completed. | ||||
| 09-19-1863 | Battle of Chickamauga, TN began. | ||||
| 09-28-1863 | Augusta residents agreed to tithe their produce to the government & passed resolutions to end extortion & disloyalty in the county. | ||||
| 09-29-1863 | State agricultural fair opened in Montgomery County, PA. | ||||
| 10-02-1863 | State agricultural fair ended. | ||||
| 10-03-1863 | Board of Enrollment of the 16th Congressional District of PA exempted 12 Franklin men from military service. | Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day a national holiday. | |||
| 10-14-1863 | Battle of Bristow Station, VA. | ||||
| 10-15-1863 | Methodist Episcopal Sabbath School gave an exhibition for the benefit of poor children in Staunton. | ||||
| 10-17-1863 | Lincoln called for 300,000 men for 3 years. | ||||
| 10-18-1863 | Constable Unger shot by John Flohr of Waynesboro while he tried to break up a riot in the schoolhouse yard. | ||||
| 10-20-1863 | Spectator reported that some farmers were skirting the price regulations. | ||||
| 10-21-1863 | Repository reported that all 3 members of the John Brown family died of a fever over the last month. | ||||
| 10-25-1863 | McClanahan's Battery shelled the retreating Union troops at Charlestown until the Confederate cavalry captured the latter. | ||||
| 10-28-1863 | Reports surfaced of Franklin men trying to evade the draft by presenting false exemption certificates. | ||||
| 10-29-1863 | Capt. Chambers, formerly of Harper's Ferry, shot & beat Capt. Sutton of Richmond, after the 2 quarreled in front of the VA Hotel. | ||||
| Late in 10-1863 | George Yates of Mt. Sidney & a number of citizens of Rockingham County arrested on charges of helping deserters from the Confederate armies to the Yankee lines. | ||||
| Early in 11-1863 | Franklin citizens moved from Libby Prison in Richmond, VA to a better prison in Salisbury, NC. | ||||
| 11-01-1863 | 12 new members joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in Staunton during the religious revival that began amongst the soldiers in the hospital. | A plot to liberate Confederate prisoners in OH discovered. | |||
| 11-06-1863 | Near Greenbrier, a greatly outnumbered Confederate force under Gen. Echols & Col. Jackson fought heartily, but retreated in the face of a determined attack led by Gen. Kelly & Gen. Averill. | Vindicator published an excerpt from Gen. Lee's report on Gen. Imboden's latest military feat: surrounding Charlestown & capturing most of the Yankee force there. | |||
| 11-07-1863 | Union troops under the command of Gen. Averill began to move towards Staunton. | John Birny, an Irish teamster & Chambersburg resident, fatally kicked in the stomach by a horse. | |||
| 11-09-1863 | In the trial of the 10 men charged with helping deserters, the men were released from prison & re-arrested & transported to Staunton for trial. | ||||
| 11-11-1863 | Franklin Teachers' Association opened meetings. | ||||
| 11-12-1863 | Near Covington, Gen. Imboden stopped Union troops under Gen. Averill who were moving towards Staunton. | William McLellan elected president of the Chambersburg Bank. | PA Supreme Court declared the Conscription Act unconstitutional. | ||
| 11-13-1863 | Home Guard units in Staunton prepared to march to the mountains to meet Gen. Averill's troops. | ||||
| Mid 11-1863 | Capt. Eyster offered $30 reward for the apprehension of any of the 80 draft dodgers in Franklin. George Jacobs elected president of the Bank of Waynesboro. Joseph Hooker, a notorious horse thief, captured. Two horse thieves caught in Fulton County last week escaped from jail. | ||||
| 11-16-1863 | Jacob McCune of Mercersburg died of paralysis. | Battle of Campbell's Station, TN. | |||
| 11-18-1863 | 2 NJ companies stationed in Chambersburg. | ||||
| 11-19-1863 | Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at ceremonies dedicating a national cemetery in Gettysburg, PA. | ||||
| 11-22-1863 | T. J. Filbert, a tailor in Waynesboro, robbed of his cloth. | ||||
| 11-23-1863 | Battle of Chattanooga, TN began. | ||||
| 11-24-1863 | The religious revival at the Methodist Episcopalian Church in Staunton continued, with 70 new members in the last month. Spectator reported that distillers in Augusta & Rockingham counties made about 500,000 gallons of whiskey each year. | During the Battle of Chattanooga, the Battle of Lookout Mountain, TN occurred. | |||
| 11-25-1863 | Battle of Chattanooga, TN ended when General Grant captured Confederate positions, but the Confederates under Gen. Bragg fled to Dalton, GA. | ||||
| 11-26-1863 | Dr. J. K. Reid offered to box any food Franklin residents wanted to send to starving prisoners in Southern prisons. Ladies of Mercersburg held a festival & raised $235 for sick & wounded soldiers. | National Forefathers or Thanksgiving Day observed. | |||
| 11-27-1863 | 5th VA Infantry fought at the Battle of Mine Run. | Battle of Mine Run, Orange County, VA began. | |||
| 11-29-1863 | Battle of Ft. Sanders, TN. | ||||
| Late in 11-1863 | 7 members of Company D, 11th PA Cavalry arrived home in Franklin. | Governor Curtin sent representatives to Southern prisons to look after captured Pennsylvanians. | |||
| 12-01-1863 | U.S. inventors continued to improve the stereoscope. Siege of Knoxville, TN began. | ||||
| 12-02-1863 | Repository editors explained how to send letters & packages to soldiers in Southern prisons. The 77th PA reported to number fewer than 200 men after experiencing significant losses at Chickamauga. | ||||
| 12-03-1863 | The 4th Corp, army of Cumberland, began to reinforce Knoxville from Chattanooga, under Gen. Sherman. | ||||
| 12-07-1863 | Hope Fire Co. held elections. New County officers took their posts. | ||||
| 12-08-1863 | Spectator claimed only few Southerners were not still dedicated to the cause. | Lincoln issued a proclamation of amnesty & reconstruction, offering full pardon to all Southerners who voluntarily take a prescribed oath. | |||
| 12-12-1863 | Authorities notified of the refusal of the Confederates to receive or distribute supplies sent to starving Union prisoners in Richmond, VA. | ||||
| 12-15-1863 | Contrary to rumors that Augusta had enlisted 12 or 15 hundred substitutes in the army, the enrolling officer reported that the true number is fewer than 400. Vindicator suspended publication until January 8, due to the fact that the staff went to defend against Averill's raid. | ||||
| Mid 12-1863 | Capt. Clarence Clayton of the Quartermaster's Dept. in Chambersburg acquitted on charges of unlawfully disposing of U.S. property. | ||||
| 12-17-1863 | Congress awarded Gen. Grant a gold medal for distinguished services at Ft. Donelson, Vicksburg, & Chattanooga. | ||||
| 12-20-1863 | Augusta Raid Guard assembled & went to Rockingham County to defend Harrisonburg from the Northern troops. | Deadline for men to apply for an exemption from military service. | |||
| 12-21-1863 | Chambersburg Female Seminary gave a concert of vocal & instrument music to benefit sick & wounded soldiers. | ||||
| 12-22-1863 | Spectator reprinted a letter from a Confederate soldier who complained of widespread discontent in the army. | ||||
| 12-24-1863 | Mt. Pleasant, home of John Guyer, caught fire. | ||||
| 12-26-1863 | Capt. Schelling's Company D, 16th PA Invalid Corps left Chambersburg for Elmira, NY. | ||||
| 12-31-1863 | Children of the Presbyterian Sunday School treated to a festival. |
