Little Known, Yet Greatly Missed Hotel

Every once in a while I pull out my David Martin book on the First Day....not so much to read, but to look for information on a certain event or place or thing. Yesterday I did that....only I wanted information on the Eagle Hotel.


The Eagle Hotel was located at the corner of Washington and Chambersburg Streets....right where the 7-11 is today. That hotel stood until recent years (I've tried to find just what year the hotel burned but have not been able to locate a date....but I've seen pictures of the fire and want to say that it burned in either the late 50's or early 60's....but I could be wrong). And it had significant history assigned to it during the battle.


Initially on June 30-July1, 1863 it was used by General John Buford as his headquarters. There is quite a bit written about this hotel and John Buford. But the one thing that I found interesting was that before the battle actually started, Buford was seen standing outside the hotel surrounded by his staff. The person who saw him (it was a Lt. Col. who was in town looking for some shoes....always the shoes!) approached and Buford told him to get out of town. When asked why, the sounds of artillery were heard and as Buford jumped on his horse, he said, "That's why."

Then on the first day Francis Irsch and the 45th NY came through town and holed up in the Eagle Hotel. Or did they? I've read two accounts which differ greatly in their telling of this tale. The first one says that Irsch and his men holed up in the hotel and then after realizing that there was nothing they could do (and desperately fighting for their freedom) they finally gave up. I've also read where they were in the area around the hotel (most notably in the alley behind the hotel) but were surrounded and after desperate fighting, finally had to give up. Which is the right story? I'm not sure....but either way, Francis Irsch and his men fought valiantly for their freedom.

The hotel gained fame throughout the history of the town, becoming the meeting place of so many reunions and even one of the first battlefield guides worked out of the hotel. But in recent years, it has become forgotten. The main reason is because its no longer here. As I said earlier the hotel burned to the ground a few years back...but the property is still there and any students of the battle will look at that ground and know the significance of that little piece of ground. Oh I wish we could go back in time and see what this ground looked like and see how magnificent the Eagle Hotel once was.