About the Main Monument
When was it dedicated? July 2, 2008
What is it made out of? Granite with bronze elements.
Who made it? Erected by the by Grand Rapids and Holland/Zeeland Civil War Round Tables.
What does it depict? Small granite monument features relief of General G.A. Custer, commander of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade.
What does it honor? Denotes fighting that took place on the so-called “North Cavalry battlefield” near the town of Hunterstown, Pennsylvania, on July 2, 1863.
How is it inscribed? Monument reads,
Three-fourths of a mile south of this site on the Hunterstown Road, newly appointed Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer led the Michigan Cavalry Brigade (1st, 5th, 6th, and 7th Regiments) in his first charge against superior forces of Confederate cavalry under General Wade Hampton and Cobb’s Legion on July 2, 1863. During the attack, Custer’s horse was shot from under him. Without a horse but uninjured, he found himself prone to the mercy of Confederate blades that bore down on him. This decisive first encounter nearly proved fatal if not for the bravery and quick thinking of Norvell Francis Churchill, Company “L” 1st Michigan Cavalry, who deflected a saber blow and pulled the “boy general” to the back of his steed, extracting him from harms way.
When was this photograph taken? February 25, 2012.
Where is it located? Intersection of Shrivers Corner Road and Hunterstown Road, Hunterstown, Pennsylvania.
Is this monument located along the NPS Auto Tour route? No.
Has this monument been moved or changed? This monument has not been changed or materially altered.
