Although being a small town today, Fountain Dale has a very fascinating Civil War heritage. During the Gettysburg Campaign, both Union and Confederate soldiers scouted and picketed the area of Fountain Dale to observe the movements of troops that were coming from the direction of Emmitsburg, Fairfield and Waynesboro.

During the Gettysburg Campaign Cole’s Cavalry separated and each company was to act as an independent organization. On June 27th, Lieutenant William A. Horner asked permission to take a dozen men and go through the Confederate lines to see what was going on. After a some debate Captain Albert Hunter, commanding Company C of Cole's Cavalry allowed a dozen of his troopers to go on scout. They came out at Boonsboro and traveled to Waynesboro then to Fountain Dale.

By the time that parts of Pegram's Artillery Battalion had encamped at Fayetteville they had lost several horses. Because of the concerned state the horses were in, Lieutenant John Hampden (Ham) Chamberlayne led a small detail soldiers from Purcell, Crenshaw, and Lecture’s Batteries and made their way through Franklin County toward Waynesboro. Private Thomas Goosey who traveled with Chamberlayne's small detachment noted "We pushed on and soon struck the village of Waynesboro, where United States flags were displayed in great numbers, which, of course, we greeted pleasantly."

From Waynesboro, Chamberlayne's men traveled up the mountain to Monterey traveling toward Fairfield in Adams County when they came across a small church at Fountain Dale on June 28th. This small church, built in 1857 is located on Old Waynesboro Pike. It was Sunday and church services were underway. Ham Chamberlayne saw about 20 horses tied to a post and decided that these horses were are exactly what his battery needed.

Lieutenant Chamberlayne opened the door of the church and rushed in with his pistol drawn and demanded that each person give up their horse and that they would be paid in full by means of a treaty between the Confederate States Government and the United States Government. No dispute was made and Chamberlayne then walked back outside and untied the horses.

As Chamberlayne's men started for their camp, a detachment of General Buford's Cavalry was spotted coming down Waynesboro Pike. This was a small squad of horsemen under the command of Lt. William A. Horner. Seeing rebel horsemen near the church Lt. Horner, order his squad to intercept them.

It was at this time that Ham Chamberlayne hand-selected 6 men who had revolvers to turn and make a stand with him, while the others made their escape. Chamberlayne led his men directly toward Horner’s men and charged. A clash erupted between these two forces. Private Goosey mentions the small detail fell back to it's main party. After the charge, Chamberlayne and his six men were taken prisoner. The prisoners were Lieutenant John H. (Ham) Chamberlayne, Sergeant R. H. Malloy, Sergeant Alpheus Newman, Sergeant Hugh Davis Smith, and John Alexander Estes. Lieutenant Chamberlayne was later exchanged and rejoined his unit.

After the skirmish, Horner's Keystone Rangers retired with their prisoners to Emmitsburg. The other 19 men of the detail made it safely back to Fayetteville. Sometime after the Skirmish, local residents were encouraged to take inventory of their livestock and to report any missing animals to the local sheriff.

Oliver Horner who was a Sergeant during the engagement of Fountain Dale later recalled: "The Confederate Raiders were captured and the horses were recovered". Sergeant Horner was later promoted to Lieutenant for his actions during the battle of Fountain Dale.

After the battle of Fountain Dale, while scouting near Monterey, members of the 14th Virginia spotted a Federal patrol, believing that they were militia. The Confederates tormented the New Yorker’s by attempting to lure the Federal body into a trap. However, the New Yorker’s did not pursue the Confederates. During the evening of June 28th the Federal Cavalry under General John Buford came into Fountain Dale moving toward Fairfield, investigating the rebel forces in the area.

Although being a small town today, Fountain Dale, just as many of these small towns along Waynesboro Pike, impacted the Civil War in it’s own unique way. There is still a lot to be learned about the battle of Fountain Dale. The battlefield itself still remains intact but is now in private ownership. The history of the Emmitsburg and Waynesboro vicinity is only a footnote in history. When asked about these events, visitors are surprised to see that not much information are in the town’s records about the movements of troops and the actions they fought so bravely in.

Read Part 3