See The Sites
David Wills House
8 Lincoln Square Gettysburg, PA 17325 (866)486-5735 http://www.davidwillshouse.org/On November 18, 1863, the day before he would give the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln spent the night at the home of Gettysburg attorney David Wills.
The three-story David Wills House was built in 1816. In 1859 David Wills bought the property for use as his law office. On behalf of the state of Pennsylvania and other northern states, after the Battle of Gettysburg Wills purchased the lots that would become Soldiers’ National Cemetery. He also arranged for the exhumation and reburial of the dead, and made plans to have the ground consecrated. Wills engaged prominent orator Edward Everett to be the featured speaker at the cemetery dedication, and later invited President Abraham Lincoln to give “a few appropriate remarks.” On November 18, 1863 Lincoln spent the night at Wills’ house along with Everett and Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin. That evening Lincoln fine-tuned and completed his speech in his second floor room at Wills’ house. The following day Lincoln delivered his speech, which would become immortalized as “The Gettysburg Address.”
After Wills’ death in 1894, the property was bought and used as a number of different commercial establishments. From 1945 to 2004, under various owners, “The Lincoln Room Museum” was operated on the second floor of the building. In 2004 the National Park Service acquired the building from the Borough of Gettysburg. On February 12, 2009 the David Wills House was reopened to commemorate Lincoln’s 200th birthday.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.davidwillshouse.org/
http://www.nps.gov/gett/planyourvisit/david-wills-house.htm
http://www.hallowedground.org/Explore-the-Journey/Historical-Site/David-Wills-House
David Herbert Donald, Lincoln, 1995.
Bradley R. Hoch, The Lincoln Trail in Pennsylvania: A History and Guide, 2001.
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=32491&Result=1
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=32492
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=32477
Elmwood Cemetery
4849 Kearneysville Pike Shepherdstown, WV 25443 (304)876-6440 http://elmwoodcemeteryshepwv.org/Elmwood Cemetery is the final resting place of over 200 Confederate veterans, including 114 who were killed, or who later died from wounds, at the Battle of Antietam.
In 1780 Abraham Shepherd donated one acre of land to the Presbyterian Church in Shepherdstown, Virginia (now West Virginia), which was the beginning of what would become Elmwood Cemetery. In 1833 the local Methodist Church purchased a half-acre lot for a burial ground that adjoined the Presbyterian property. After the Civil War, in 1868 the Southern Soldiers’ Memorial Association purchased an adjacent lot that would become the final resting place for Confederate soldiers killed at the Battle of Antietam or of those who later died from wounds. In 1869 the Elmwood Cemetery was officially chartered. Ten additional acres were later purchased for use as a public cemetery.
A total of 114 Confederate dead from the Battle of Antietam were interred in the Confederate section of Elmwood Cemetery, many unidentified. The cemetery was officially dedicated on Confederate Memorial Day, June 5, 1869. A year later the Southern Soldiers’ Memorial Association dedicated a granite monument to the Confederate dead buried there. In the years that followed, the Henry Kyd Douglas Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans assumed responsibility for the cemetery. In 1935 the Douglas Camp and the state of West Virginia placed a monument to Confederate Soldiers in the cemetery, which included a roster of 535 Jefferson County citizens who served in the Confederate army. Approximately 125 additional Confederate veterans are buried in other sections of Elmwood Cemetery, including Henry Kyd Douglas, who grew up on the Ferry Hill Plantation outside of Sharpsburg, Maryland, and who served as a staff officer to a number of Confederate generals, including Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://elmwoodcemeteryshepwv.org/
http://www.shepherdstownvisitorscenter.com/newPage.asp?section_name=Lodging&entity_id=34§ion_id=16
http://www.civilwaralbum.com/misc8/elmwood1.htm
Clint Johnson, Touring Virginia’s and West Virginia’s Civil War Sites, 2011.
Civil War Trails marker:
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=41694
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=12067
Ferry Hill Inn
16500 Shepherdstown Pike Sharpsburg MD 21782 (301)582-0813 http://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/ferry-hill-place.htmFerry Hill was the boyhood home of Confederate officer Henry Kyd Douglas, and the property was occupied by both armies at different times during the Civil War.
In 1765 Thomas Van Swearingen bought property on both sides of the Potomac between Shepherdstown, VA, and Sharpsburg, MD, and began operating a ferry. Through marriage, in 1816 John Blackford acquired the property and the rights to operate the ferry. Between 1812 and 1820, the mansion house was built atop the heights that overlooked the river on the Maryland side, which was called Ferry Hill. The house operated as an inn and tavern, and the land was worked by slaves. With the arrival of the nearby Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in the 1830s, the plantation flourished and the small community of Bridgeport developed as a result of the commercial activity in the area.
At the beginning of the Civil War, Henry Kyd Douglas, a young lawyer not long out of college, lived at Ferry Hill with his parents, Rev. Robert and Helene Douglas. Young Douglas had enlisted in a Confederate regiment and was among those troops that burned the toll bridge across the river opposite his family’s house in June 1861. On September 19–20, 1862, during the Battle of Shepherdstown, Union artillery occupied positions on the high ground around the Douglas property and shelled Confederates who were retreating from the battlefield at Antietam. The house was occupied by Union officers and Douglas’ parents were held captive. During the Gettysburg Campaign, the nearby ford was among those used by the Confederates during the invasion of Maryland, and Maj. Gen. Edward Johnson occupied Ferry Hill en route to Pennsylvania.
The Douglas family owned Ferry Hill until 1903. In 1941 the house was converted into a restaurant. The National Park Service bought the property in 1973. From 1979 until 2001 it served as headquarters for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. In 2012 Ferry Hill reopened as a National Park Service visitors center with exhibits focusing on the historic property, Henry Kyd Douglas, the Civil War, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/ferry-hill-place.htm
http://www.nps.gov/choh/historyculture/ferryhillplantation.htm
http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/blackford/blackford.html
http://www.canaltrust.org/discoveries/pdf/FerryHill_Site_Bulletin.pdf
Henry Kyd Douglas, I Rode with Stonewall: Being Chiefly the War Experiences of the Youngest Member of Jackson’s Staff from the John Brown Raid to the hing of Mrs. Surratt, 1940; reprint, n.d
Thomas A. McGrath, Shepherdstown: Last Clash of the Antietam Campaign, September 19–20, 1862, 2007.
Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties: http://www.mdihp.net/ (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0035 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=58252
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=1971
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=1877
IOOF Hall
27 S. Main Street Boonsboro MD 21713The Boonsboro Odd Fellows Hall was used as a hospital following the battles of South Mountain and Antietam in 1862, and after the Battle of Funkstown in 1863.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a nineteenth century men’s fraternal organization, built its hall in Boonsboro in 1852. During the September 14, 1862 Battle of South Mountain and the September 17, 1862 Battle of Antietam, the building was used as a hospital. Following the July 10, 1863 Battle of Funkstown, which took place during the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg, the building was again pressed into service as a hospital. After the latter battle, thirty wounded men from the Eighth Illinois Cavalry were placed in the Odd Fellows Hall.
After the Civil War, the Odd Fellows Hall returned to his former use. By the early twentieth century, the Odd Fellows used the second floor of the building, while various businesses used the first floor and basement. During the first quarter of the century, the building was used as an opera house. In 1992 the building was renovated, and it is still in use as a retail shop.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
S. Roger Keller, Events of the Civil War in Washington County, Maryland, 1995.
Abner Hard, History of the Eighth Cavalry Regiment Illinois Volunteers, during the Great Rebellion, 1868.
Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties: http://www.mdihp.net/ (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0763 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
Civil War Trails marker:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=1872
Lee Headquarters Marker
Shepherdstown Pike (MD 34) Sharpsburg MD 21782 http://www.nps.gov/anti/historyculture/mnt-lee-hq.htmThe Lee Headquarters Marker indicates the location of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s headquarters during the Battle of Antietam.
On September 17, 1936, the West Virginia Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy placed a monument on this site to mark the location of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s headquarters from September 15 to September 18, 1862. It is from this location that Lee directed the actions of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the September 17, 1862 Battle of Antietam. The monument is located in a grove of oak trees just outside of Sharpsburg, Maryland.
The land and monument were donated to the Federal government on July 4th, 1942, and the site is presently administered by Antietam National Battlefield.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.nps.gov/anti/historyculture/mnt-lee-hq.htm
Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties: http://www.mdihp.net/ (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0503 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=5640
Jefferson County Courthouse
100 E. Washington Street Charles Town WV 25414 (304)728-3215 http://jeffersoncountyclerkwv.com/index.htmlThe Jefferson County Courthouse hosted the trial of John Brown following his failed raid on the U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry, and it was damaged during the Civil War.
The first Jefferson County courthouse was built in Charles Town, Virginia (now West Virginia) in 1803. It was a two-story structure that included a tower. In 1836 the building was torn down to make way for a bigger courthouse. The new building consisted of a first floor that served as one large courtroom and it featured a belltower. This building still stands today.
In 1859 the Jefferson County Courthouse hosted the trial of John Brown and his conspirators, which followed their failed October 16–18, 1859 raid on the U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry. Brown’s trial took place October 26–31, 1859 and resulted in his conviction for treason against Virginia, inciting a slave insurrection, and murder. Six other conspirators were subsequently tried and convicted at the same courthouse. All were hanged.
During the Civil War, Charles Town changed hands a number of times. On October 18, 1863, Confederate troops under John Imboden surrounded the courthouse, which was occupied by Union troops. The building was damaged in the short fight that followed. During the war the courthouse was also used as a stable and its metal roof was removed and used to make ammunition. By the end of the war, the county seat had been moved to Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where a new building served as county courthouse.
In 1872 the county seat was returned to Charles Town, and the courthouse was repaired and improved. The renovations included a new second floor courtroom and an enlarged belltower that housed a clock. From 1873 to 1912 the courthouse was home to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. Today the Jefferson County Courthouse still serves as a working courthouse.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://jeffersoncountyclerkwv.com/index.html
http://abc.eznettools.net/D300003/X380798/court_house.html
Millard Kessler Bushong, A History of Jefferson County, West Virginia, 1719–1940, 1941; reprint, 2007.
John Brown’s Raid, National Park Service History Series, 2009.
Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey:
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.wv0045
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=21767
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=1742
Masonic Temple
74 S. 2nd Street Chambersburg PA 17201 http://www.pagrandlodge.org/district3/143/During the July 30, 1864 burning of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, a Confederate officer reportedly posted guards to prevent the burning of the Masonic temple.
The George Washington Masonic Lodge No. 143 was formed in 1815. In 1823 the lodge entered into a contract with a fellow Mason to construct a Masonic Temple, which was built in the years that followed. Due to financial problems, the lodge’s charter was returned to the Grand Lodge in 1831, and the temple was used as a church printing house. In 1860 the temple was reacquired by George Washington Lodge No. 143.
On July 30, 1864 Confederate Brig. Gen. John McCausland crossed the Potomac River at McCoys Ford and proceeded to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, which was only lightly defended. McCausland entered the town and demanded $100,000 in gold or $500,000 in currency in retaliation for Union Maj. Gen. David Hunter’s burning of private property in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Money from the banks had already been taken away, however, and McCausland promptly ordered his men to apply the torch to the town. While soldiers were busy entering homes, breaking up furniture and settings fires throughout the town, an unidentified Confederate officer reportedly noticed the Masonic Lodge and posted guards around it and other nearby buildings to prevent its destruction, presumably because he too was a Mason.
The Masonic Temple was remodeled and enlarged in 1899 and in the 1960s, and it is still used by George Washington Lodge No. 143.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.pagrandlodge.org/district3/143/
http://www.gw143.org/?page_id=30
http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-202
Tom Huntington, Pennsylvania Civil War Trails: The Guide to Battle sites, Monuments, Museums and Towns, 2007.
Fritz Hasselberger, Confederate Retaliation: McCausland’s 1864 Raid, 2000.
John Brown’s Fort
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Harpers Ferry, WV 25425 http://www.nps.gov/hafe/historyculture/john-brown-fort.htmThe U.S. Armory’s fire engine and guard house was used by John Brown and his conspirators as a final refuge in their October 16–18, 1859 ill-fated raid on the facility.
The U.S. Armory’s fire engine and guard house was built at Harpers Ferry in 1848. During John Brown’s October 16–18, 1859 raid against the facility, which was intended in incite a slave insurrection, Brown and his followers took refuge in the brick structure to escape the gunfire of local citizens and militias. On the last day of the standoff, U.S. Marines under the command of Col. Robert E. Lee stormed the building, killing two of Brown’s party and badly wounding the mastermind. All of the raiders, including Brown and those captured later, were subsequently tried, convicted, and hanged.
During the Civil War, John Brown’s Fort, as it became known, was the only armory building that was not destroyed. It was used as a guardhouse and prison by both sides. Due to it notoriety, soldiers stationed at Harpers Ferry scavenged pieces of the building as souvenirs. In 1891 the fort was sold, dismantled and shipped to Chicago for display at the Columbian Exposition. Attracting scant visitors, the exhibit was closed and the building was dismantled again. In 1894 the fort was returned to Harpers Ferry and was rebuilt on a privately owned farm three miles from town. In 1909, on the fiftieth anniversary of the raid, Storer College bought John Brown’s Fort and moved it to Camp Hill on their campus at Harpers Ferry. In 1960 the National Park Service acquired the building, and in 1968 moved it back to the lower town, one hundred and fifty feet east of its original location, where it remains today.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.nps.gov/hafe/historyculture/john-brown-fort.htm
http://home.nps.gov/hafe/photosmultimedia/John-Brown-Fort.htm
http://www.wvculture.org/history/journal_wvh/wvh19-1.html
John Brown’s Raid, National Park Service History Series, 2009.
Tony Horwitz, Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War, 2012.
Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey:
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/wv0084/
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=2940
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=4420
Old South Mountain Inn
6132 Old National Pike (Alt. US 40) Boonsboro MD 21713 (301)432-6155 http://www.oldsouthmountaininn.com/Sitting atop the summit of South Mountain at Turner’s Gap, Confederate Brig. Gen. Daniel Harvey Hill made his headquarters in the inn during the Battle of South Mountain.
Situated at a prominent mountain pass, or “gap,” the inn was an important stop for travelers. It is possible that the first inn was in operation at this location in the mid- to late Eighteenth Century as land records indicate that an innkeeper acquired the property in 1769. Although it is likely that the present Old South Mountain Inn was built after 1800, it is possible that an earlier building existed that was later incorporated into the present structure. Among the prominent people who stayed at the inn in the early Nineteenth Century were Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, and Abraham Lincoln. One local resident reported meeting Captain John Cook, one of John Brown’s conspirators, at the inn.
During the Civil War Confederate Brig. Gen. Daniel Harvey Hill made his headquarters in the inn during the Battle of South Mountain, from which point he directed the defense of both Turner’s and Fox’s gaps. In order to capture a Union garrison of 12,000 men at Harpers Ferry, in his Special Orders No. 191, Confederate General Robert E. Lee had divided his army into a number of different pieces, which made it vulnerable. Hill’s task, although greatly outnumbered, was to hold the passes until Harpers Ferry surrendered and the Confederate army could be reunited. Although the Confederates vigorously resisted the assaults at the gaps, Union troops gained possession of both on September 14, 1862.
In 1876 the inn was bought by Madeleine V. Dahlgren, widow of Admiral John A. Dahlgren who served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during the Civil War and who invented the Dahlgren gun. She used the property as a private residence and constructed a stone chapel across the street. In 1925 the property was again used as a tavern. From 1971 to the present, under a number of different owners, the property has served as a restaurant.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.oldsouthmountaininn.com/
http://cmhl.org/Turner_s_Gap_934F.html
Ezra Carmen, The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, I: South Mountain, Thomas G. Clemens, ed., 2010.
Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties: http://www.mdihp.net/ (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0001 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=1600
Blackford’s Ford (Boteler’s Ford)
Miller’s Saw Mill Road Sharpsburg, MD 21782The ford near Shepherdstown, West Virginia, was a major crossing point on the Potomac River during the Civil War, and was the scene of the 1862 Battle of Shepherdstown.
The ford near Shepherdstown, West Virginia—call Blackford’s, Boteler’s, Packhorse or Shepherdstown Ford—was originally used by Native Americans. It played an important role in colonial America as a crossing point for early settlers, particularly in the Eighteenth Century. Swearingen’s Ferry, which was established in the mid-Eighteenth Century and which was acquired by John Blackford in the early Nineteenth Century, helped diminish the importance of the ford. The construction of a nearby covered turnpike bridge in 1849 put the ferry out of business.
With the arrival of the Civil War, turnpike bridges were destroyed and most ferries went out of operation for the duration of the war, which brought fords back into prominence. Botelor’s Ford was one of only four fords on the Potomac that could accommodate infantry, cavalry, artillery, and wagon trains. It was heavily used by the Confederates during their invasions of, and retreats from, Maryland. The Confederates retreated from Maryland at this ford following the Battle of Antietam in September 1862, and invaded Maryland at this point during the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign (in addition to crossing at Williamsport) and the 1864 Monocacy Campaign. From September 19–20, 1862 the Battle of Shepherdstown, or Boteler’s Ford, was fought at this location. To end Union pursuit of its retreating columns, the Confederates sent a division back toward the Potomac, which swept Federal infantry across the ford and nearby mill dam to Maryland, which ended the battle. See “Battle of Shepherdstown” for details about this engagement.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.battleofshepherdstown.org/
Thomas A. McGrath, Shepherdstown: Last Clash of the Antietam Campaign, September 19–20, 1862, 2007.
Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties: http://www.mdihp.net/ (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0034 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
Civil War Sites Advisory Commission’ Battle Summary:
http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/wv016.htm
Civil War Trust:
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/shepherdstown.html
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=1953
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1954
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6983
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1950
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1959
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1951
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1952
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1960
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1961
Battle of Shepherdstown
Shepherdstown, WV 25443The Battle of Shepherdstown occurred in September 1862 when Union forces crossed the Potomac to attack the rear of the Confederate Army as it retreated from the Antietam battlefield.
The Battle of Shepherdstown began in the afternoon of September 19, 1862 when an artillery exchange began across Boteler’s Ford. The number of Union guns nearly doubled those on the Confederate side and, supported by infantry who were protected by the embankment of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, they disabled four southern field pieces. In the evening Union infantry crossed the river, causing the Confederates to withdraw much of their remaining artillery and its infantry support. The Union infantry was withdrawn after dark.
Early on September 20 Union infantry was again pushed across the river, some of whom retrieved the four disabled Confederate guns and brought them to the Maryland side. Ultimately, three Union brigades crossed the river and established positions on the heights overlooking the Potomac River in Virginia. Learning of the threat to the rear of his retreating army, Confederate General Robert E. Lee ordered Corps commander Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson to send three divisions back toward the ford. A. P. Hill’s Light Division led the way and confronted the Union forces in the late morning. Outnumbered 2 to 1, the Union forces began to retreat back across the ford and over the top of the nearby mill dam, which spanned the river just above the ford. The 118th Pennsylvania Infantry, known as the Corn Exchange Regiment because of its sponsorship by the Philadelphia Corn Exchange, and which was seeing its first combat, experienced a delay retreating from the bluffs because the order was not received through proper channels. The last to cross the river, it experienced heavy casualties that amounted to 40% of its strength.
The battle involved about 8,000 to 9,000 men and it lasted about four hours. Casualties on both sides amounted to almost 700 men. The Battle of Shepherdstown convinced both opposing generals that a further large-scale engagement was a risky endeavor. General Lee reconsidered plans he had made to re-cross the river at Williamsport, while Union General George B. McClellan broke off his pursuit and began to prepare for a lengthy campaign in Virginia.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.battleofshepherdstown.org/
Thomas A. McGrath, Shepherdstown: Last Clash of the Antietam Campaign, September 19–20, 1862, 2007.
Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties: http://www.mdihp.net/ (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0034 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
Civil War Sites Advisory Commission’ Battle Summary:
http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/wv016.htm
Civil War Trust:
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/shepherdstown.html
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=1953
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1954
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6983
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1950
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1959
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1951
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1952
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1960
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1961
Memorial Fountain and Statue
Memorial Square (Intersection Rte. 11 & 30) Chambersburg PA 17201 (717) 264-7101 http://www.borough.chambersburg.pa.us/index.phpIn 1878 Franklin County, Pennsylvania citizens erected the Memorial Fountain and Statue to honor the more than 5,000 county citizens who served in the Civil War.
In 1876 Franklin County, Pennsylvania residents proposed commemorating local soldiers who had served in the Civil War. Disagreements about the type of structure that would be erected delayed the project. A women’s committee in the Ladies and Soldiers Monumental Association favored a fountain, whereas a committee of veterans favored statuary. In 1878 a compromise was reached in which both a six-tiered memorial fountain and a life-sized soldiers’ statue would be built. The Memorial Fountain and Statue was dedicated on July 17, 1878 in the “Diamond Square” of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Financed by donations from citizens of the county, 15,000 people attended the ceremony. The statue of a Union soldier faces south, symbolizing the vigilant sentinel defending the town from the return of Confederate troops. Chambersburg was occupied by southern forces in 1862, 1863, and 1864, and in the latter year Confederate cavalry burned the town when it was unable to supply a ransom. Ironically, in spite of what the soldiers’ statue implies, on each occasion the Confederates occupied the town with little or no opposition.
A series of markers around the fountain honors local residents who served in the other wars as well. Another commemorates the meeting of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and A. P. Hill at this location prior to the Battle of Gettysburg. The fountain and statue were restored and rededicated on October 5, 1979.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.borough.chambersburg.pa.us/index.php
http://vshadow.vcdh.virginia.edu/memory/franklinmemory_p3b.html
http://www.chambersburg.biz/page.asp?id=4
http://www.visitpa.com/memorial-fountain-and-statue
Franklin County Heritage, Beyond the Years: The Fountain in the Square, 1878–1978, 1978.
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=8095
Burnside Bridge
Burnside Bridge Road Keedysville, MD 21756 http://www.nps.gov/resources/place.htm?id=59During the Battle of Antietam the Confederates prevented a Union corps from crossing Burnside Bridge for three hours, which allowed time for reinforcements to arrive.
Burnside Bridge was originally known as Rohrbach’s Bridge or the Lower Bridge. It was built in 1836 by John Weaver for $3,200 and is located about a mile south of Sharpsburg, Maryland. The three-arch limestone bridge takes travelers over Antietam Creek.
At the September 17, 1862 Battle of Antietam, Burnside Bridge was the scene of a spirited contest between about 500 Confederate riflemen positioned on the west side of the creek on a bluff overlooking the bridge and the Union Ninth Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside. Burnside’s objective was to cross the creek and attack the vulnerable right flank of the Confederate army. Although Union forces greatly outnumbered the Confederates, favorable terrain and strong defensive positions established by the southerners prevented Burnside from carrying the bridge for three hours. About 500 Union soldiers died or were wounded in a series of attacks. After its capture, Burnside took another two hours to cross his corps and prepare it for an attack. These delays allowed time for Confederate General A.P. Hill’s Light Division to arrive in the late afternoon from Harpers Ferry. His subsequent attack checked Burnside’s advance.
As a result of Burnside’s determined attempts to cross the bridge, after the battle the structure was called Burnside Bridge. It continued to carry vehicular traffic until 1966 when a road and new bridge were built to divert traffic from Burnside Bridge. Today the site is administered by Antietam National Battlefield and is used as a footbridge.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.nps.gov/resources/place.htm?id=59
http://www.sha.maryland.gov/Index.aspx?PageId=259
http://www.nps.gov/anti/historyculture/upload/Battle%20history.pdf
James V. Murfin, The Gleam of Bayonets: The Battle of Antietam and Robert E. Lee’s Maryland Campaign, September 1862, 1965; reprint, 1982.
Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey:
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.md1081
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.md1748
Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties: http://www.mdihp.net/ (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0132 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6449
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6825
Piper House
E. Main Street (MD 34) Sharpsburg, MD 21782During the Battle of Antietam, the Piper House served as headquarters for two Confederate generals and was damaged during the fight at nearby Bloody Lane.
The Piper House is located at the southeast corner of Main and Church Streets in Sharpsburg, Maryland. The original portion of the house was built prior to 1820. At the time of the Civil War, the property was owned by Henry Piper who farmed the land with the help of his slaves.
During the Battle of Antietam, the Piper house served as headquarters for Confederate Generals James Longstreet and Daniel H. Hill. At the urging of the generals, the Piper family left the house before the battle, staying with Henry’s brother who lived near the Potomac River. The Piper House was located at the center of the Confederate line near the Sunken Road. After the southerners were driven from the farm lane, which afterward was known as Bloody Lane, they streamed through the Piper property. The house’s masonry was damaged by shelling and its wooden doors peppered with bullets. After the battle, the Piper House and barn were used as field hospitals and the property was occupied by Union troops for several weeks. During this time much of Piper’s remaining livestock, forage and foodstuffs were confiscated by the Union army. The Piper farm was so devastated during the battle that afterwards the Piper family moved into a second house in Sharpsburg.
Upon Piper’s death in 1891, the house passed into hands of his descendants where it remained until the mid-twentieth century.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.civilwarnews.com/archive/articles/07/piperlanerestore.htm
http://www.pathsofthecivilwar.com/PiperHouse/
James V. Murfin, The Gleam of Bayonets: The Battle of Antietam and Robert E. Lee’s Maryland Campaign, September 1862, 1965; reprint, 1982.
Kathleen A. Ernst, Too Afraid to Cry: Maryland Civilians in the Antietam Campaign, 1999; paperback edition, 2007.
Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey:
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/md1099/
Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties: http://www.mdihp.net/ (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0703 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=5486
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=5496
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=5542
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=7057
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=20744
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6962
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=5539
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6322
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=5468
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6023
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=5578
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=5631
Site of John Brown Hanging
Gibson-Todd House 515 S. Samuel Street Charles Town, WV 25414The Gibson-Todd House was the site where John Brown was hanged for his failed raid against the U.S. Arsenal at Harpers Ferry.
The Gibson-Todd House in Charles Town, West Virginia, was the location where John Brown was hanged on December 2, 1859 for his failed raid against the U.S. Arsenal in Harpers Ferry. Brown’s six fellow conspirators were also hanged at the same place, four on December 16, 1859 and the last two on March 16, 1860. At the time of the raid, Col. John T. Gibson commanded the Jefferson Guards, which was the first Virginia militia company to arrive at Harpers Ferry. At the hanging, Gibson commanded about 800 troops who were on duty to keep order and prevent any attempt to rescue Brown. The site was then part of a farm owned by Rebecca Hunter.
During the Civil War Gibson served as an officer in the Confederate army. After the war, he returned to Jefferson County and in 1892 built the Gibson-Todd House. The gallows stood just north of the house.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.historiccharlestownwv.com/landmarks.htm
Millard K. Bushong, Historic Jefferson County, 1973.
National Register of Historic Places summary:
http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/jefferson/83003238.pdf
Civil War Trails marker:
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=41650
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=12603
Storer College
Fillmore Street Harpers Ferry WV 25425 http://www.nps.gov/hafe/historyculture/storer-college.htmStorer College was founded after the Civil War when a philanthropist donated $10,000 for the establishment of a school without regard to a student’s race, sex, or religion.
In 1865 Rev. Nathan Cook Brackett founded the Freewill Baptist School at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The School was located in the Lockwood House, formerly the U.S. Armory Paymaster’s home on Camp Hill. Brackett’s efforts inspired philanthropist John Storer, who lived in Sanford, Maine, to donate $10,000 for the establishment of a school in the South without regard to a student’s race, sex, or religion. Additionally, the donation had to be matched within a year and the school had to become a degree-granting college. The money was raised, and on October 2, 1867, Storer Normal School was opened at Harpers Ferry. Two years later the U.S. government transferred the Lockwood House and three other buildings on Camp Hill to the school. Frederick Douglass was an early trustee of the College.
Many local residents opposed the school, however, and over the years teachers and students were occasionally taunted or assaulted. The college primarily trained students to become teachers, but courses in higher education and industrial training were eventually added. In 1906 the campus was the location of the second conference of W.E.B. DuBois’s Niagara Movement, the predecessor of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In 1954 legal segregation ended with the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision, Brown v. Board of Education. The decision also ended federal and state funding for the school, however, and it closed in 1955. In 1960 the campus of Storer College was incorporated into Harpers Ferry National Monument. Today the National Park Service owns the former Storer College property and uses Anthony Hall as the Stephen T. Mather Training Center.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.nps.gov/hafe/historyculture/storer-college.htm
http://www.nps.gov/hafe/historyculture/upload/Storer%20College.pdf
Dawne Raines Burke, An American Phoenix: A History of Storer College from Slavery to Desegregation, 1865–1955, 2006.
National Register of Historic Places summary:
http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/jefferson/01000781.pdf
Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey:
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.wv0367
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.wv0368
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.wv0369
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.wv0370
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.wv0371
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.wv0372
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.wv0403
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.wv0162
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=2937
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=10180
Lockwood House
Fillmore Street Harpers Ferry WV 25425 http://www.nps.gov/resources/place.htm?id=101During the Civil War the Lockwood House served as headquarters for Union generals, and after the war it was the site of a school for African Americans and became part of Storer College.
Located on Camp Hill in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, the Lockwood House was built in 1847 as the residence for the U.S. Armory paymaster. During the Civil War, Union generals Henry H. Lockwood and Philip H. Sheridan used the building as headquarters. In November 1863 Union forces held a Thanksgiving ball in the house, and at other times the building was used as a hospital and a prison.
After the war, in 1865 Rev. Nathan Cook Brackett, of the Freewill Baptist Home Mission Society in New England, established a Freewill Baptist primary school for African Americans, many freed slaves, in the building. The school taught reading, writing, and arithmetic to its students, using missionary teachers. By 1867 sixteen teachers were responsible for teaching over two thousand students. To increase the number of teachers, Brackett determined that he needed to train African Americans to become teachers.
Inspired by Brackett’s efforts, Maine philanthropist John Storer offered the Freewill Baptists $10,000 for a school if it would admit students without regard to race, sex or religion; if it would eventually became a degree-granting institution; and if it would match the grant within a year. After the money was raised, on October 2, 1867, Storer Normal School opened its doors. In December 1869 the U.S. government formerly conveyed the Lockwood House and three other buildings on Camp Hill to the school. The school became Storer College and served thousands of African American students until it closed in 1955. In 1960 the Lockwood House, along with the rest of the Storer College campus, was incorporated in the Harpers Ferry National Historical Monument. The house has been restored to its Civil War-era appearance, with two rooms furnished from the early period when the building was used as a school.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.nps.gov/resources/place.htm?id=101
http://www.nps.gov/hafe/historyculture/storer-college.htm
http://www.nps.gov/hafe/historyculture/upload/Storer%20College.pdf
Dawne Raines Burke, An American Phoenix: A History of Storer College from Slavery to Desegregation, 1865–1955, 2006.
National Register of Historic Places summary:
http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/jefferson/01000781.pdf
Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey:
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/wv0161/
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=10180
Mumma Farmstead
Smoketown Road Sharpsburg MD 21782 http://www.nps.gov/resources/place.htm?id=64During the Battle of Antietam the Mumma Farmstead was the only civilian property that was intentionally damaged.
On September 15, 1862, as the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia moved into the Sharpsburg area, Samuel and Elizabeth Mumma took their thirteen children and evacuated their home. They spent several days in a church a few miles north of the battlefield.
About two hours into the Battle of Antietam, Confederate soldiers received orders to burn the buildings on the Mumma property to prevent their use by Union sharpshooters. The house, barn and most outbuildings were subsequently burned. This was the only intentional destruction of civilian property during the battle. A stone springhouse was the only original structure to survive the battle, although the wooden upper story was destroyed.
With the loss of their home, the Mummas spent the winter at the Sherrick farm located near Burnside Bridge. In 1863 they rebuilt their home. After the war the U.S. government compensated local residents for damages committed by Union soldiers, but the Mummas received no compensation since their property had been destroyed by the Confederates. In 1906 a former member of the Third North Carolina Infantry wrote to the postmaster of Sharpsburg, seeking information about how to contact the family whose house members of his regiment had burned. The postmaster was Samuel Mumma, Jr., who replied that although his family had lost everything in the battle, they understood that the soldiers were only obeying orders when they burned the house.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.nps.gov/resources/place.htm?id=64
http://www.nps.gov/anti/forteachers/upload/Mumma%20and%20Roulette%20Farms%20Trail%20Guide.pdf
http://www.nps.gov/anti/forteachers/upload/Contradictions-and-Divided-Loyalties.pdf
James V. Murfin, The Gleam of Bayonets: The Battle of Antietam and Robert E. Lee’s Maryland Campaign, September 1862, 1965; reprint, 1982.
Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey:
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/item/md1112/
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.md1654
Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties: http://www.mdihp.net/ (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0350 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6981
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=20715
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6184
Otto Farm
Burnside Bridge Road Sharpsburg, MD 21782During the Battle of Antietam, the Otto farm was occupied by both armies at different times, and after the battle it was used as a Union hospital.
On September 16, 1862 Confederate Brig. Gen. Robert Toombs’ division, which consisted of less than 500 Georgian riflemen, camped on the Otto property near the Lower or Rohrbach Bridge. The next day at the Battle of Antietam, after a three hour assault, Union Maj. Gen Ambrose Burnside succeeded in carrying the bridge that now bears his name. When Burnside advanced against the Confederate right flank, he was met by Confederate Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill’s Light Division, which had just arrived from Harpers Ferry. Hill checked Burnside’s advance. Union Brig Gen. Isaac Rodman’s division retreated to the Otto property after the repulse. Following the battle, the house and barn were used as Union hospitals.
The Otto Farm is also significant because of Hilleary Watson, a slave on the farm until 1864. Many years after the Battle of Antietam, Watson recounted to a writer the events leading up to the battle, including his encounter with a Confederate soldier trying to loot the house. Later, Watson was drafted to serve in the Union Army, but his owner, John Otto, paid a fee to keep Watson out of the service. Watson also became one of the trustees of the local African American church built after the war, Tolson’s Chapel.
The Otto farm remained in the family until the twentieth century. It was eventually acquired by the National Park Service and is now a part of Antietam National Battlefield.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.nps.gov/anti/forteachers/upload/Contradictions-and-Divided-Loyalties.pdf
http://www.hscl.cr.nps.gov/insidenps/report.asp?STATE=&PARK=&STRUCTURE=&SORT=&RECORDNO=466
Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey:
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.md1094
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/md1269/
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6444
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6445
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6408 (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0350 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6981
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=20715
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6184
Kretzer Homestead
128 E. Main Street (MD 34) Sharpsburg MD 21782During the Battle of Antietam the cellar of the Kretzer Homestead house served as a place of refuge for local residents who remained in Sharpsburg.
In 1842 John Kretzer purchased the stone house and surrounding property that was located on Main Street in Sharpsburg. The house dates to the late-eighteenth century.
During the Battle of Antietam, many Sharpsburg residents who did not leave town prior to the conflict sought shelter in the basement of the Kretzer house. The basement was fed by a spring, was subdivided into three rooms and its thick stone walls offered protection from shelling. A woodcut engraving, which originally appeared in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, depicts an exploding shell shattering a basement window while terrified citizens cower below. Later on the day of the battle, six Confederates soldiers entered the house and joined the citizens in the basement, explaining that they were tired of fighting.
John Kretzer died in 1901, and in 1939 his executor sold the house. Currently the house is a private residence that is again owned by a descendant of the Kretzer family.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://sharpsburgmd.com/history/
Kathleen A. Ernst, Too Afraid to Cry: Maryland Civilians in the Antietam Campaign, 1999; paperback edition, 2007.
Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties: http://www.mdihp.net/ (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0550 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6444
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6445
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6408 (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0350 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6981
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=20715
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=6184
Grove-DeLauney House
100 W. Main Street (MD 34) Sharpsburg MD 21782Following the Battle of Antietam, Confederate General Robert E. Lee met with subordinate generals at the Grove-DeLauney House in Sharpsburg, Maryland.
The Grove-DeLauney House was built from 1820 to 1830 in Sharpsburg, Maryland. At the time of the Civil War it was owned by Jacob Grove. During the September 17, 1862 Battle of Antietam, several shells and bullets hit the house. On the night following the battle, Confederate General Robert E. Lee met with his subordinate generals, including General James Longstreet, at the Grove-DeLauney House.
The Grove family lost possession of the property in 1870, but were able to regain it in 1873. In 1893 it was sold to the De-Launey family who retained it until at least 1965, operating it as a hotel for part of that period.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
Kathleen A. Ernst, Too Afraid to Cry: Maryland Civilians in the Antietam Campaign, 1999; paperback edition, 2007.
Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties: http://www.mdihp.net/ (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0541 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
Other markers:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=7574
Kathleen A. Ernst, Too Afraid to Cry: Maryland Civilians in the Antietam Campaign, 1999; paperback edition, 2007.
Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties: http://www.mdihp.net/ (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0550 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
Antietam Aqueduct
Canal Road, confluence of Potomac River & Antietam Creek Sharpsburg, MD 21782 C&O Canal National Historical Park: (301) 739-4200Confederate troops inflicted heavy damage to the Antietam Aqueduct during the Monocacy Campaign in July 1864.
The fourth of eleven stone aqueducts on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, the Antietam Aqueduct was completed in 1835 to carry the canal over Antietam Creek. In July 1864, during the Monocacy Campaign, the Confederates inflicted serious damage to the Antietam Aqueduct. In an effort to disrupt a Union supply line, soldiers tore out much of the masonry on both sides of the structure and removed some of the stonework from two of the arches. By the end of September, however, the company had completed enough repairs to the aqueduct to resume navigation.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/choh/unrau_hrs.pdf
Timothy R. Snyder, Trembling in the Balance: The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal During the Civil War (Boston: Blue Mustang Press, 2011), 199, 200–201, 212–213.
National Register of Historic Places: http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/66000036.pdf
Historic American Buildings Survey / Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) documentation: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.md0616
Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties: http://www.mdihp.net/ (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-II-0124 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
Conococheague Aqueduct
Confluence of Conococheague Creek and the Potomac River Williamsport, MD 21975 C&O Canal National Historical Park: (301) 739-4200The Conococheague Aqueduct was damaged by Union troops during the Antietam Campaign and by the Confederates in the Gettysburg and Monocacy campaigns.
The fifth of eleven stone aqueducts, the Conococheague Aqueduct was completed in late 1835 to carry the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal over Conococheague Creek. While the Battle of Antietam was raging, Union General George B. McClellan ordered Capt. Charles Russell of the 1st Maryland Cavalry and some Pennsylvania militia units to Williamsport to destroy the means by which the Confederates might cross the Potomac River or canal. An unsuccessful attempt was made to destroy the Conococheauge Aqueduct, but only minor damage was inflicted.
In the Gettysburg Campaign the Confederates committed extensive damage to the Conococheauge Aqueduct. Work parties tore out the masonry on each of the four corners of the structure down to the bottom of the canal. A large hole was also made in one of the aqueduct’s arches nearly the width of the canal and ranging from six to ten feet in length. During the Monocacy Campaign and subsequent screening operations in July–August 1864, the Confederates again damaged the Conococheague Aqueduct, although much less extensively than they had in 1863.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/choh/unrau_hrs.pdf
Timothy R. Snyder, Trembling in the Balance: The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal During the Civil War (Boston: Blue Mustang Press, 2011), 130, 160, 171, 200, 204.
National Register of Historic Places: http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/66000036.pdf
Historic American Buildings Survey / Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) documentation: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/item/md1492/ and http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/item/md0627/
Civil War Trails Marker: http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1118
Dam Number 4
Dam No. 4 Road C&O Canal Washington County, MD C&O Canal National Historical Park: (301) 739-4200The Confederates attempted to damage Dam Number 4 on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in June and December 1861.
Dam Number 4, located fifteen miles below Williamsport, was the fourth of seven dams built in the Potomac River to impound and divert water from the river into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Construction of the dam commenced September 1832 and was completed in June 1835. The dam was initially built of cribs, which were hollow cages built of heavy timbers that were anchored to the riverbed, filled with rock and sheeted with planks. A series of floods in 1857 seriously damaged Dam Number 4. Temporary repairs were made and in 1861, a contractor replaced the crib dam with a masonry structure.
Before evacuating Harpers Ferry, Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston sent work parties to the Potomac to breech Dam Number 4, hoping to disable the canal prior to his evacuation of Harpers Ferry. On June 10, 1861, the Confederates made their first attempt, but were unable to harm the new masonry structure. On June 13 the Confederates were observed drilling holes in the solid rock abutment of the dam for a black powder charge, but they were driven away by the Sharpsburg Rifles and another company from Boonsboro
On December 11 Confederate Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson sent a small force, led by Turner Ashby, to disable Dam Number 4. In the mid-morning the Confederates fired artillery rounds at the Twelfth Indiana Volunteers who protected the dam on the Maryland side. A raiding party with boats approached the river opposite the guard lock about a mile above the dam, while another party approached the river at a gristmill below the dam. Heavy infantry fire from the Union side compelled Ashby to withdrawn his men. Later a small number of Indiana soldiers crossed to Virginia to determine if the Confederates had left and were taken prisoner. No damage was done to the dam.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/choh/unrau_hrs.pdf
Timothy R. Snyder, Trembling in the Balance: The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal During the Civil War (Boston: Blue Mustang Press, 2011), 20–21, 22, 28, 44, 45, 80, 83.
National Register of Historic Places: http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/66000036.pdf
Dam Number 5
Dam No. 5 Rd. C&O Canal Washington County, MD C&O Canal National Historical Park: (301) 739-4200The Confederates attempted to damage Dam Number 5 on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in June 1861, and three more times between December 1861 and early January 1862.
Dam Number 5, located seven miles above Williamsport, was the fifth of seven dams built in the Potomac River to impound and divert water from the river into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The dam was built of cribs, which were hollow cages built of heavy timbers that were anchored to the riverbed, filled with rock and sheeted with planks. Construction of the dam commenced March 1833 and was completed in December 1834. A series of floods in 1857 seriously damaged Dam Number 5, at one point washing out 500 feet of the structure. Temporary repairs were made, but financial difficulties prevented the canal company from undertaking permanent restoration of the dam prior to the Civil War.
Before evacuating Harpers Ferry in June 1861, Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston sent work parties to the Potomac to breech Dam Number 5, hoping to disable the canal prior to his evacuation of Harpers Ferry. On June 8 the Confederates set off a powder charge in the dam and over the next two days skirmished with the Clear Spring and Williamsport home guards. No significant damage was done to the dam.
In December 1861 and early 1862 troops from Confederate Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s command made a series of attempts to disable Dam Number 5. From December 6–8 a force led by Turner Ashby attempted to cut the cribs and to dig a trench to divert water around the southern abutment of the dam. Strong defensive positions and heavy fire from Union infantry forced Ashby to abandon the undertaking. From December 17–20 Jackson accompanied his brigade to the Potomac for another attempt to damage the dam. Demonstrations were made against Falling Waters and Williamsport and a work detail attempted to cut the cribs after dark. All attempts to inflict damage to the dam were unsuccessful until the last night when Jackson sent a sizable portion of his force upriver with boats. The Union defenders followed, which gave Jackson’s men an evening to work without detection. When the work party heard timber cracking, they assumed they had made a significant breech. Jackson left the river, but soon learned that canal navigation had resumed. On January 1 a small force under Ashby arrived at the dam again, where they spend two more nights widening the breach. The damage to the dam was not significant enough to halt navigation on the waterway, although a serious winter flood in late January accomplished the task for Jackson.
See these sources and websites for additional information:
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/choh/unrau_hrs.pdf
Timothy R. Snyder, Trembling in the Balance: The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal During the Civil War (Boston: Blue Mustang Press, 2011), 20–21, 76, 79–80, 83–85, 99.
National Register of Historic Places: http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/66000036.pdf
Historic American Buildings Survey / Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) documentation: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/md0593/
Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties: http://www.mdihp.net/ (Select “Search by Property” tab, and enter WA-V-085 in search box to right of “Site No.”)
