Podcast: Revolutionary War General Edward Hand

Welcome to the Uncharted Lancaster Podcast, where we explore the hidden histories, forgotten places, and long-buried secrets of Lancaster County. Produced by Uncharted Lancaster and created using modern digital storytelling tools, each episode brings a new piece of local lore to life—revealing the strange, the surprising, and the stories history left behind.

This episode explores the remarkable—and complicated—life of Edward Hand, an Irish-born physician who rose to prominence during the American Revolution. Serving as a major general and adjutant general under George Washington, Hand played a critical role in the war, expertly deploying Pennsylvania riflemen in strategic delaying actions that helped shape key moments of the conflict.

After independence, Hand reinvented himself once again—this time as a Federalist politician and civic leader in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he became a central figure in the young republic’s political and social life. He spent his final years at Historic Rock Ford, a Georgian-style estate that still stands today.

The episode also confronts the more difficult aspects of Hand’s legacy. While Rock Ford is now preserved as a museum of early American decorative arts, historical records show that Hand was an enslaver and that people of African descent lived and labored within his household. By examining both his public achievements and private contradictions, this episode offers a fuller portrait of Edward Hand—and invites listeners to consider how patriotism, power, and inequality coexisted in the Early American Republic. Listen to the full episode here.

New episodes are released every Monday and Thursday, featuring documentary-style deep dives into lost landmarks, unfinished dreams, off-limits ruins, and the legends woven into Lancaster County’s landscape. If you enjoy what you hear, be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and consider leaving a rating or review. It helps more listeners discover the show. Until next time, keep exploring.

Learn More

📖 Learn about Lancaster County’s many unique places when you step off the beaten path with Uncharted Lancaster: Field Guide to the Strange, Storied, and Hidden Places of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania by Adam Zurn. This one-of-a-kind 239-page guidebook uncovers 56 fascinating sites, from the county’s very own fountain of youth to the oldest continuously operating short-line railroad in the western hemisphere.

Packed with history, local stories, and GPS locations, this book is your ticket to exploring the mysterious corners of Lancaster like never before. Whether you’re a lifelong local, a history buff, or just looking for a unique adventure, this field guide will spark your curiosity and send you exploring. Start your adventure here.

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