During the Gettysburg Campaign of the Civil War, southern Lt General Richard Ewell led two divisions up the Hagerstown Valley and into the Cumberland Valley.
Part of his cavalry, a brigade led by Brig. General Albert Jenkins raided Mechanicsburg on June 28, 1863. On June 29 Jenkins briefly skirmished with the 22nd and 37th New York Infantry at Sporting Hill, just west of Camp Hill. The confederates pressed on to the outer defenses of Fort Couch, which is located on the hills of Lemoyne, overlooking Harrisburg. They exchanged fire with the outer picket line for over an hour. Then they retreated back toward Carlisle to rejoin Ewell's infantry for the march to Gettysburg. Losses were listed as 11 union and 16 from the 16th and 36th Virginia Calvary.
