Local Confederate monument marks the farthest north the army held territory

A count of Confederate memorials across the U.S. appears to have missed at least one monument in the midstate.

The Southern Poverty Law Center's list of Confederate monumentsdoes not include a 10-foot obelisk honoring Confederate troops and Gen. Albert Jenkins in Hampden Township. The Camp Curtin Historical Society placed at the monument in 2005 at the Rupp House, which now houses local businesses.

Debate about Confederate monuments has increased after white supremacist protests turned violent in Charlottesville, Virginia andleaders across the country began examining whether to remove statues in several U.S. cities. Calling it a loss of Southern history,President Donald Trump expressed sadness for removal of the monuments. The President has also blamed both sides for the violence in Charlottesville.

In 2001, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission placed a roadside marker in front of the Rupp House to note the building's role as a temporary Confederate headquarters, according to The Sentinel. There, Jenkins' brigade occupied Mechanicsburg from June 28, 1863, until June 30, 1863. The short-lived occupation ended when Jenkins took his troops to Gettysburg to participate in the historic battle. After losing the Battle of Gettysburg, the Confederate Army withdrew from Pennsylvania.

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