Beyond the Run

When she was just 16, Amelia Harmon witnessed the bloody opening stages of the Battle of Gettysburg. On July 1, 1863, Amelia's home occupied a no-man's land between Union and Confederate lines. As she watched and listened, skirmishers fought over the house and property. During the second of two Confederate attacks, soldiers burned the Harmon house and barn. In an effort to recover from the destruction of his land, the elusive Emanuel Harmon introduced to the public a "medicinal" spring located on the property. The Katalysine Spring became famous, and in 1869 a hotel was built near the site to accommodate the spring's many visitors. The farm was later the site of the Gettysburg Country Club, frequented by Dwight D. Eisenhower. This book examines for the first time the fascinating events that took place on the fields of the Harmon farm before, during, and after the Battle of Gettysburg.