On June 27, 1863, a Confederate force of 15,000 led by General Richard Ewell marched from Shippensburg into Carlisle and, while foraging for supplies, camped there until June 30 before departing for Mount Holly Springs, leaving the community otherwise unscathed. On July 1, townspeople welcomed Major General William Smith's four regiments of Federal militiamen, but later that afternoon Major General J.E.B. Stuart arrived at the intersection of York and Trindle roads with 3,500 Confederate cavalrymen. After demanding the town's surrender and threatening to burn it, Stuart's artillery opened fire when Smith refused. During the shelling, rounds struck the courthouse columns, blew holes in the Presbyterian and Episcopal churches, damaged many other properties, and wounded several people near the square, including twelve militiamen. After setting fire to the U.S. Army's Carlisle Barracks, Stuart's men rode south under orders to Gettysburg, ending the threat. Though most of the damage was later repaired, scars from the shelling remain visible on the facade of the Old Court House, including a chipped pillar and bricks broken by shrapnel.
