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"Back at the Gap"
BACK AT THE GAP
Major General Frank H. Smoker,
Jr. (USAF, Retired)
Gretna became mobilization point
for troops
Seventh in a Series
Continuing with the history of the
Gap, we’ll start with the continued development of the
Mt. Gretna Military Reservation.
President McKinley and Congress
declared war against Spain on April
21,1898 in support of the Cuban revolution, and enacted
a law for the mobilization of the National Guard. Mt.
Gretna became the mobilization station when Pennsylvania
Governor Daniel Hastings called for volunteers. Among
those reporting were volunteers from Pine Grove’s
Company G, Fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania Militia,
commanded by Capt. James Umbenhauer. These local
soldiers reported to Mt. Gretna on April 27 and were
mustered into federal service on May 10.
Company G, one of the eight companies
in the Fourth Regiment, had the distinction of being the
first Pennsylvania unit to volunteer for service at Mt.
Gretna. Shortly thereafter, they received orders to
leave for Puerto Rico where they served in several
engagements. When they left the war zone, word was
immediately passed to Pine Grove that their soldiers
were coming home. Big plans were made for their
homecoming.
One of the most spectacular plans to
honor Company G involved hanging a 30 by 40 foot
handmade American flag on a cable across Swatara Gap,
above the tracks of the Lebanon and Tremont branch of
the Reading Railroad, the route to be traveled by the
unit through the Swatara Gap. Local coal miners
volunteered their horses and mules and their own
expertise to haul the steel cable up either side of the
gap.
The cable ends were fastened to bolts
embedded in concrete pads, rings were fitted through
grommets on the flag and for a few hours, Old Glory
waved magnificently over Swatara Gap. Unfortunately, the
soldiers of Company G never saw this spectacular event
because within a few hours, the strong wind filled the
flag’s massive surface like a large sail, and soon
started to tatter the lower edges. Also, the cable could
not take the strain and eventually snapped, sending the
shredded remains of the flag into the Swattie.
Notwithstanding this unfortunate event, the soldiers of
Company G received a tremendous homecoming upon their
return to Pine Grove.
I should acknowledge reporter John E.
Hower, then the Northern Bureau Chief for the Lebanon
Daily News for the foregoing information from his news
article, and Col. Francis Ditzler, a well known
historian concerning northern Lebanon County, for
bringing this interesting story to my attention.
In addition, I must give credit to
James Hunley of Mount Gretna who, in 1994, made an
comprehensive study of the Mt. Gretna Military
Reservation and has allowed me to use much of his study.
In 1901 some land was purchased by the
state and later more tracts were purchased until 25
separate and private tracts had been purchased. Before
1906, there were only about 15 buildings on the
reservation. By 1930, however, there were over 307
buildings consisting of 29 dwellings, 45 bath houses, 12
administration buildings, one canteen, one range house,
68 latrines, 85 enlisted men’s mess halls and kitchens,
nine officers mess halls and kitchens, one observation
platform, one carpenters shop, one blacksmith shop, six
storehouses, 27 animal shelters, one grain elevator, one
ice house, three target houses, one ordnance storehouse
just west of the lake, 4 pump houses, one telegraph
office (and a partridge in a pear tree).
Early in the 1920’s, with two horses
and four mules, breeding started with the presentation
of “Recount”, an imported French stallion by Colonel H.
W. Shoemaker, making it possible to eventually furnish
294 State owned horses to troops in the Guard. Over 700
sets of harness were stored here. Each had to be washed,
greased, and dressed. There were ranges for the 155 mm
Howitzer, 37 mm mortars and 50 positions of rifle, 100
200, 300 yards and four 1,000 yard positions, and two
pistol ranges. There was a large supply of parts for
trucks, wagons etc. Overhaul of these trucks was done
here for the whole state. When in 1930 pneumatic tires
were installed instead of the old solid tires of the
1917 Liberty trucks, all work was done here in Gretna.
By 1930, a complete sewer system and
disposal plant were built using 10 miles of pipe. One of
the best athletic fields in the state was built using a
natural bowl or ravine just east of what is now known as
the Timbers. A twenty foot wide cinder track was the
center with three sloping walls to seat 5,000 spectators
and 1,200 athletes for participation in the events. They
had their own lumber mill which cut and produced most of
the lumber needed each year, about 41,000 board feet. It
also provided wood for cook stoves. Lake Duffy (named
for Lt. Colonel Duffy, the first member of the National
Guard Engineers to die in the service during World War
I) supplied about 22 tons of ice, which were stored
there and used by the Guard throughout the next year.
By 1935, the final amount of buildings
was over 340. There were over 7 ˝ miles of macadam roads
on the reservation. Drinking water was supplied from
artesian wells scattered over the area and pumped into
reservoirs, with storage of over 475,000 gallons. Water
lines were run to every building needing water, using
about 14 miles of water pipe. Weimer Electric Co. of
Lebanon supplied electricity to the reservation until
1924 when Met Edison took over after purchasing Weimer
Electric. Bell Telephone provided telephone services.
The Cornwall and Lebanon Railroad had sidings which were
the property of the Reservation.
A variety of guns was used at Gretna
for training, including joint maneuvers. During the
Civil War all guns were muzzle loading except later in
the war, a few cartridge guns such a Burnside Sharps
were developed that used cartridges. In 1903, the
Springfield was adapted for use. It was used until World
War II when the Gerand was adapted. There was some use
of the Springfield in World War II as sniper rifles.
Spent bullets from all these guns, plus .38 and .45
pistol bullets have been found at Gretna.
The type of “modern” equipment issued
to a cavalry soldier in those days consisted of a
Carbine, Pistol, Saber, with Pistol Belt and Lariat;
McCleland Saddle, Saddle Blanket, Saddle Bags, Curry
Comb and Brush; Two Spare Horseshoes and Horseshoe
Nails; Ammo, Rations, Cup, and Pocket Pin; and a Coat
and Sleeping Blanket.
In my next column, I’ll discuss the
transition years and the move of training from Mt.
Gretna to Fort Indiantown Gap.
-- 30 --
Published in the Lebanon Daily News
Wednesday, 11 February 2004
© 2004 Frank H.
Smoker, Jr. All rights reserved. Reproduced by
permission of the author.
 
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