Paxton Riflemen Historical Marker in Harrisburg

The Harrisburg area in central Pennsylvania is packed full of history. As you drive around the area, you'll encounter at least 30 different historical markers that teach us about the forgotten past. Over the past 4 years, as we've stumbled upon these historical markers, we've been documenting them here on the blog.

We found the Paxton Riflemen Historical Marker on route 22 while traveling east towards Hershey and the Palmyra area. The marker was on the right-hand side of the road. There are some businesses nearby, so if you want to photograph the marker, pull into the parking lot and then walk to the marker. Here's what it says:

Paxton Riflemen

Under Capt. Matthew Smith and Lt. Michael Simpson, a company of riflemen from Paxton Township marched to Quebec, Canada, to serve with Montgomery in the attack on that city on December 31, 1775.

By: 1947 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Other than the marker, we couldn't find a lot of information online other than what we found on the Visit Hershey & Harrisburg website which says:

This group of skilled riflemen from Paxton Township marched to Quebec, Canada to serve there with Richard Montgomery. Montgomery and Benedict Arnold had amassed a combined fighting force of 1200 American and Canadian militia, intending to attack Quebec. Their intention was to capture Quebec, drive the British military out of the province, and garner French Canadian support for the American Revolution. The attack, however, was unsuccessful and resulted in Montgomery’s death, Arnold’s wounding, and the capture of more than 400 of their soldiers.

Note: The info above is courtesy of Visit Hershey & Harrisburg website.