The "One Of Lancaster's Finest!" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Reading about a young man by the name of Henry Augustus Hambright who was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on March 24, 1819.  The majority of what I read about Colonel Hambright was from Lancaster's Daily Evening Express newspapers which were dated September 7, 9, 10 and 11 of 1861.  In those newspapers were printed accounts of presentations to Colonel Hambright of presentations of a sword, officers' accouterments (outward forms of recognition) and a horse that showed the high esteem in which Lancaster's citizens held for the leader of the Lancaster County Regiment.  There had been other Union Army leaders who called Lancaster home and had achieved greater rank and glory than Colonel Henry A. Hambright, to the average Lancasterian he was the town's military leader.  He was a hero of the Mexican War and militia leader during the 1850s as well as leading the 79th Pennsylvania Army from when he raised it until it was mustered out in 1865.  His father and uncle were also officers in the War of 1812 and the Hambright name stands out as the pre-eminent name in Lancaster's nineteenth century military tradition.  

Colonel Henry Augustus Hambright

Colonel Hambright won acclaim as a strict disciplinarian and talented drillmaster, all the while gaining respect for showing deep concern for the welfare of the men he commanded.  Henry originally worked as a public works contractor, beginning as superintendent of grading on the Germantown & Norristown Railroad.  He fought valiantly in numerous battles of the Mexican War, serving as 1st Lieutenant of Co. G, Second Pennsylvania Infantry.  One of his official reports was published in the December 18, 1847 Intelligencer newspaper.  Later he succeeded his father as Captain of the militia organization, the Jackson Rifles, when he led during the Three Months Campaign of 1861 as Co. K, 1st Pennsylvania Volunteers.  At the war's outbreak, he was superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad's operations in Lancaster.  After the war ended he remained held various posts in the U.S. Army including posts in Texas and Louisiana.  He retired from the Army in 1879.  

Colonel Hambright's burial marker in Lancaster Cemetery.

He died on February 19, 1893 and was buried in Lancaster Cemetery on East Lemon Street.  I have made numerous visits to the cemetery to document other stories I have written.  While writing this story I found photographs of of his gravesite, but what took me by surprise was the entrance to the cemetery.  

The gatehouse leading into Lancaster Cemetery at one time.

I never knew that the entrance on E. Lemon Street once had a gate house at it's entrance.  It was designed by Isaac Hobbs who also designed many victorian mansions in Lancaster.  The driveway through the center was 15 feet wide so that carriages could go through it into the cemetery.  On the ground floor of the gate house were offices and a vault to hold coffins until burial.  The entire second floor was a chapel with a huge round stained glass window.  It eventually fell into disrepair and had to be removed for safety issues.  

The entrance today.

I have included photos of what the entrance to the cemetery used to look like and what it looks like today.  I have also posted a story printed in the local newspaper that told of a wound that Col. Hambright had suffered during one of his battles.  On this Memorial Day, Lancaster remembers one of our greatest military leaders in Col. Henry Augustus Hambright.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.