Putting Hanover On The Map, Editorial Staff, The Evening Sun, September 19, 2012
"Where are the eyes of my army?" Gen. Robert E. Lee asks in the movie "Gettysburg." "Where is Gen. Stuart?" As any serious local student of the Gettysburg campaign can tell you, Lee's cavalry commander, J.E.B. Stuart, was right here in Hanover the day of the great battle to the northwest. Area historians say the cavalry clash here on June 30, 1863, delayed Stuart long enough to change the outcome at Gettysburg. And soon enough they'll have a chance to illustrate their position on the famous Electric Map of the Gettysburg battlefield.
Like the cavalry riding to the rescue, Hanover developer Scott Roland has swooped in and bought the five-decade-old artifact at government auction for $14,010, beating out a still-unknown rival bidder in a daylong auction last week. And with his new acquisition, he wants to put Hanover on the Civil War map - literally. Roland plans to install the 12-ton, 29-foot-square map at the former Wachovia Bank building, which he hopes to turn into a downtown Hanover Heritage Conference Center. And he plans to add another section to the map so that the battle of Hanover can be featured as a proper prelude to Gettysburg.
The news of Roland's winning bid couldn't come at a better time, with the desire to revitalize downtown Hanover as strong as ever. And with the 150th anniversary of the 1863 Civil War battles coming up next year, national interest in the Gettysburg campaign is at an all-time high. Hanover has wayside exhibits explaining the unusual cavalry fight that took place in and around the borough; there are historians here who know the story and can share it effectively. And now the Electric Map - a favorite bit of battlefield nostalgia for at least three generations of Civil War enthusiasts - will be able to serve to attract history aficionados to downtown Hanover.
Read the rest of the full text article at The Evening Sun, September 19, 2012
Image Source: Courier Times
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