CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH 35 



Catholic Church. The Rev. Alexander McGill of the 

 Second Church seems to have been his preferred minister. 



A very important element in the life at Carlisle was 

 furnished by the United States Military Post. This was 

 situated about half a mile northeast of the town but 

 within the Borough limits. 



The Barracks were built in 1777. The labor was 

 furnished by Hessian prisoners captured at Trenton. 

 They could accommodate two thousand men. About 

 1839 a school of cavalry practice was established there, 

 and the building handsomely refitted under the direction 

 of Captain E. V. Sumner, then commanding the post. A 

 military band was stationed there and on festive occasions 

 entertained the town with its music, in processions or 

 on the public square. 



In the list of town officials for 1841, the name of William 

 Ivl. Biddle occurs as one of the two street commissioners. 



Miss Baird records: 



"Carlisle in the old days had a much larger and gayer 

 society than now. Beside my great-grandmother's clan 

 (as I think I may call it) who were comparatively new- 

 comers, there were many pleasant families then residing 

 in the town or on farms near it, some of whom had settled 

 there during the early pioneer period. There were many 

 parties and social entertainments. Indeed the place 

 seemed of much greater social importance than its size 

 warranted. It was, however, not only the county town, 

 but was also a college town and a garrison town. This 

 latter factor brought many officers, frequently with their 

 families, to reside there for longer or shorter periods. 

 It was also the day of small towns, socially speaking, as 

 railways had not yet centralized society in the larger 

 towns and cities as much as is now the case." 



