David Mc Conaughy - Civil War

Civil War

When the Civil War started in 1861, McConaughy formed and served as captain of the "Adams Rifles," a company of civilian scouts, primarily composed of his law clients. They were active in monitoring the region for signs of Confederate activity during several threatened incursions, including during the Maryland Campaign. McConaughy's scouts and spies were particularly active in late June 1863 during the early days of the Gettysburg Campaign, when they shadowed oncoming enemy cavalry and, later, the main infantry columns. McConaughy gave this vital information to the local military commander, Maj. Granville O. Haller, who in turn relayed it to Maj. Gen. Darius N. Couch and Governor Andrew Curtin in Harrisburg. McConaughy stayed in Gettysburg during the Confederate occupation in early July, still rendering service to the Federal soldiers. Following the battle, Col. George H. Sharpe wrote a letter to McConaughy on behalf of Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, formally thanking him for the critical information on Confederate troop movements.

The year before the Battle of Gettysburg, McConaughy had envisioned a Soldiers' Cemetery as part of Evergreen Cemetery. At the time, only two Gettysburg men had been killed in combat, so there was not enough support from the community to fund the project. In the days after the battle, he ordered the wife of cemetery caretaker Peter Thorn (who was off serving in the army) to bury nearly one hundred soldiers' bodies in Evergreen Cemetery. Within six weeks, McConaughy initiated efforts to form a National Cemetery as a central resting place for the thousands of slain Union soldiers that had been buried at widely scattered graves throughout the Gettysburg region. Having already laid the groundwork for his concept by previously talking to the adjoining landowners, McConaughy acquired purchasing rights for the 17 acres (69,000 m2) of land immediately north of Evergreen Cemetery. By doing so, McConaughy foiled rival lawyer David Wills's plans to purchase the land for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He began buying lots on Cemetery Hill with his own money and asked veterans to contribute financially. The National Cemetery was dedicated November 19, 1863, in ceremonies that included Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. McConaughy soon left the presidency of the Evergreen Cemetery Association to help establish the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association, serving as its first president for ten years. He served as an Elector for Lincoln in the 1864 presidential campaign.