On the late morning of June 30, 1863, Union General John Buford galloped into town with 3,000 cavalrymen. They established a camp in this vicinity and prepared to defend the town. On the eve of the battle, 13-year-old Lydia Ziegler climbed into the Seminary cupola and observed a number of unforgettable scenes. Below her, many of the Union soldiers solemnly penned letters to loved ones, others petitioned God "for His protecting care on the morrow." Ominously, Lydia also saw the enemy campfires on the eastern slope of South Mountain less than ten miles away.
Posted in the cupola the next morning, signal officer Lieutenant Aaron Jerome kept his chief apprised of development as the battle broke out a short distance to the west. Buford himself was in the perch when Major General John F. Reynolds arrived in advance of his 1st Corps infantrymen. According to Jerome, Reynolds inquired, "What's the matter, John?" In response, the gritty cavalry officer quipped, "The devil's to pay!"
The famous cupola used as an observation point during the battle, was rebuilt after a fire destroyed it in 1913. Tickets for special guided tours of the cupola are available in the museum lobby, allowing a few visitors at a time to experience the view that Buford saw on July 1, 1863.
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