A Vital Artery

A Vital Artery

In 1864, Granite Schoolhouse Lane was built to provide access to the newly constructed Granite Schoolhouse. This narrow dirt road, connecting two key routes—Taneytown Road and Baltimore Pike—became a vital transportation artery for the Union Army, moving men, artillery, horses, supplies, and ambulances to the battlefield and later evacuating the wounded. By July 3, it was a scene of absolute chaos and confusion, choked with wounded soldiers desperately in need of medical treatment. The 11th Corps Hospital, at the George Spangler farm across the road, was inundated with wounded.