Emmitsburg: The Pivotal Crossroad
of the Civil War
John
Allen Miller
Emmitsburg is a
small community and it holds the same charm and appearance as it
did in our town's past. Emmitsburg history tells us stories of
Patriots joining General Washington's army to Francis Scott Key's
house not far from town where he was born. We also have stories of
the Civil War and how Emmitsburg served as a crossroad for the
soldiers on both sides. Emmitsburg has raised some of our
country's best military units ready to defend our country. Even
though our history books forgot to mention Emmitsburg, we all can
relate to the important role Emmitsburg has played for over two
hundred years.
William Emmit founded the town of Emmitsburg in 1785
and through the years Emmitsburg grew to become recognized as a
symbol of religion due to its many churches such as
Saint Joseph College,
and Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary School. After researching many
aspects of the Civil War in the greater Emmitsburg area, I soon
realized that the Emmitsburg area played a major role in the Civil
War, more than what has been given credit. But why was Emmitsburg
so important during the Civil War? Emmitsburg became a pivotal
crossroad of the Civil War.
During the outbreak of the Civil War, many town residents mustered
into the military fighting on both sides. As the Civil War
progressed, Emmitsburg had split loyalties for the Union. Some men
were faced with the harsh decision of state rights that included
the issue of slavery. Those men who fought for the Southern Cause
would become an outcast in their town's society as no records of
any post war gathering took place. These men were viewed as
traitors fighting for the inhuman traits of slavery. Most of these
men that fought for the south would have been members of a
Maryland Regiment in the Army of Northern Virginia. One of Francis
Scott Key’s relatives by the name of John Franklin Key fought with
Stuart’s Horse Artillery.
Cole’s Cavalry Company C
a federal unit is remembered the most in our town’s Civil War
history. They were known as Horner’s Company, being named after
it’s commander Captain John C. Horner. During the summer of 1862,
Captain Horner retired from service and Captain Albert Hunter
became the new commander. Most of the men in Horner’s Company of
Cole's Cavalry were from Western Maryland and Southern
Pennsylvania thus included the Emmitsburg area, the Taneytown
area, and the Gettysburg area. Most of the men were farmers,
planters, young, unmarried, accustomed in the use of firearms and
had knowledge of riding. This was a talent that most cavalry
companies were missing during the first two years of the war. Many
of the recruits in Horner’s Company even brought their own horses.
Their extensive knowledge of Western Maryland, and the topography
of the Shenandoah Valley that runs through Pennsylvania deep into
southern Virginia, served as a great asset to the Union cause.
The Chambersburg Raid of 1862
The Civil War first affected Emmitsburg during the 1862 Raid on
Chambersburg. This was the first time Emmitsburg saw Confederate
troops since the outbreak of war. Upon leaving Chambersburg on
October 11,1862, the Federal cavalry, led by Colonel Rush, was
pursuing the Confederate cavalry of General JEB Stuart. Colonel
Rush had split his command leaving several units in Frederick,
Maryland, which included Company C of Cole’s Cavalry under the
command of Captain Albert Hunter, while his 6th Pennsylvania
cavalry was scouting in the Emmitsburg area.
General Alfred Pleasonton who was also tracking for the
Confederate Cavalry received false intelligence of General
Stuart’s whereabouts. He thought that General Stuart was retracing
his footsteps back toward the Potomac River in the direction in
which he came. General Pleasanton started to pursue the
Confederate cavalry at Knoxville, Maryland on October 10-11 in the
direction that intelligence report stated. Soon afterwards, he was
ordered to proceed toward Emmitsburg and Mechanicstown.
General Pleasonton lost two hours of valuable time that allowed
General Stuart and his Confederate cavalry to slip by and head
directly into Emmitsburg. Since leaving Chambersburg, General
Stuart had already ridden over 31 miles and was approximately 45
miles from the Potomac River. At the same time, General George
McClellan order General Stoneman, who was at Poolesville, Maryland
to be on the lookout for General Pleasanton and try to intercept
General Stuart at Emmitsburg or Mechanicstown.
On the evening, of October 11th, General Stuart made his way into
Cashtown passing the taverns such as the Harding House Inn and the
Cashtown Inn. At this time, General Stuart was about seven miles
away from Gettysburg. Before he started to pull back toward
Hagerstown, the Confederate cavalry realized that the Federal
cavalry was pursuing them. General Stuart then took the old
Fairfield Road and near sunset the five-mile long column reached
the town of Emmitsburg. There, General JEB Stuart ordered his men
to rest, and also feed and water their horses.
Just one hour before the Confederate arrival in Emmitsburg, 140
men of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry known as Colonel Rush’s
Lancers had passed through Emmitsburg and headed toward
Gettysburg. Members of General Stuart’s advance guard charged the
through Emmitsburg chasing after the stragglers of the four
companies of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry.
The town of Emmitsburg hailed the Confederate troopers as the
townsmen opened their arms to the Confederate cavalry. Many people
of Emmitsburg applauded very loudly as the Confederate Cavalry
entered the town. There they received fresh bread, buttermilk, and
meat and the town itself was being very supportive to those
dressed in gray. Never before had townsfolk actually seen a
Confederate and they were curious to hear the tales they had to
tell. The Confederates were observed as being very polite to the
residents of Emmitsburg. Major Henry B. McClellan observed General
Stuart enjoying the hospitality among the local citizens of
Emmitsburg. Friendly citizens also greeted members of Stuart’s
Horse Artillery, as they paused long enough to feed and water
their horses.
At this time, General Stuart ordered pickets to set up along the
roads leading into Emmitsburg. A courier was captured as Federal
cavalry was catching up to the rear of the Confederate cavalry.
General Stuart then learned that Colonel Rush, and also General
Alfred Pleasonton and some 800 members of his cavalry were
pursuing him and were riding from Hagerstown toward Mechanicstown.
The courier was then blind folded and released to fool Colonel
Rush. General JEB Stuart attended to his horse and stood up
against a tree for about a half an hour before moving out. Then
the order was given to mount up. Fearing that General George B.
McClellan knew his location, General Stuart left Emmitsburg
shortly after sun down headed for Virginia. Only a few stragglers
stayed behind in Emmitsburg. Some reports state that Colonel Rush
caught a few of these stragglers.
On the road toward Frederick, General Stuart accompanied Southhall,
who commanded the advance guard, before leaving him, General
Stuart ordered him to keep up the fast gait and ride over any
opposing parties. Soon after, another courier was captured
carrying dispatches from Frederick to Colonel Rush’s Lancers. From
this information General Stuart learned that even though the enemy
was trying to intercept him, they still had no idea of his
location or movements. He also learned that Colonel Rush had
enough men in Frederick to protect the city, even though four
companies of his Lancers were headed for Gettysburg.
The
dispatches also stated that 800 men under the command of General Pleasonton was hurrying to Mechanicstown, just four miles from
Stuart’s position and also that the railroad crossing of the
Monocacy was occupied by two brigades of infantry, ready at a
moments notice to steam the railcar engines and deploy them in
either direction.
With this new found information, General Stuart ordered the column
to turn east at Rocky Ridge, Maryland and travel toward the
Woodsboro Road two miles away. At around 9 P.M., the advance guard
reached Rocky Ridge; they met a scouting party of General
Pleasonton’s Federal Cavalry, which turned immediately toward
Mechanicstown. A half past 10 P.M. a company of the 6th
Pennsylvania Cavalry observed the march of General Stuart’s column
through Woodsboro. This information of General Stuart’s location
was dispatched to Colonel Rush and to General Pleasonton only few
miles away at Mechanicstown. Even though this information only had
to go from Rocky Ridge to Mechanicstown, a mere four miles away it
took more than three hours to relay. In the meantime General
Stuart continued his march toward the Potomac River.
By daylight of October 12, General Stuart’s advance guard entered
Hyattstown, over 33 miles from Emmitsburg. General Stuart along
with his men and artillery had traveled an amazing 65 miles within
20 hours. By this time members of Cole's cavalry caught up with
the rear of Confederate cavalry. A skirmish developed and seven
Confederate troopers were captured.
The Federal cavalry had been given several opportunities to attack
General Stuart’s cavalry at Emmitsburg and Rocky Ridge. With false
intelligence, missed opportunities, and the slowness of the
Federal couriers that carried these dispatches they had
unintentionally allowed General Stuart more time to get further
away.
The Gettysburg Campaign
During the Gettysburg Campaign of 1863, Emmitsburg witnessed
several cavalry engagements. Skirmishes developed in and outside
of Emmitsburg at Fountain Dale, Monterey Pass, Fairfield, the
Emmitsburg Road, Emmitsburg Station (south of Emmitsburg), and
also at the Farmer’s Inn (west of Emmitsburg). As part of the Pipe
Creek Defensive Line, the Western Wing of the Army of the Potomac
came into Emmitsburg on June 29th and stayed through July 2nd.
Several military regiments encamped in Emmitsburg and stationed
their supplies there during the battle of Gettysburg.
As the Confederate Army retreated, Emmitsburg became a detour on
July 5th, for General Stuart as he made his way back to General
Lee's army. On July 7th, General Meade traveled through Emmitsburg
on his way to Frederick and was hailed by the town residents. More
than half of the Army of the Potomac traveled through Emmitsburg
on their way to and from the battlefields of Gettysburg.
The effects of the Gettysburg Campaign started on June 15 around
eleven o' clock on a Monday night, when a major fire had started
in the town of Emmitsburg at the loft of the Beam and Guthrie
Stable. The fire had spread eastward up along Main Street,
involving the northeast, northwest and southeast blocks around the
old water hole More than fifty homes and businesses were damaged
or destroyed. Some speculation and rumors stated that it was set
on fire by parts of the Confederate Army or by some southern
sympathizers. Civilians in Gettysburg were looking southward and
saw the orange glow in the sky. Fearing the worst was coming their
way; this was surely a sign of what was to come.
On June 22nd a skirmish erupted along a mountain pass called
Monterey near present day Blue Ridge Summit, seven miles north of
Emmitsburg. A detachment of Confederates under General Albert
Jenkins ran into an armed civilian militia. After several minutes
of fighting, the civilians were forced to retire. Later that day
General Jenkins withdrew toward Hagerstown and joined General
Richard S. Ewell, who was advancing on the soil of Pennsylvania in
force.
On Saturday June 27th, two brigades of Michigan cavalry from
General Kilpatrick’s division encamped just south of Emmitsburg on
the old tollgate, before heading toward Hanover on the following
Monday. A young, dashing general came riding into Emmitsburg,
dressed in black velvet with a red scarf around his neck. This
young man was General George Armstrong Custer. He was only 24 when
he was promoted to Brigadier General in Frederick only a few days
prior. A local resident by the name of Jim McCullough guided this
force around the area.
As the Confederate troops marched toward Gettysburg,
skirmishes
developed on June 28 near Emmitsburg in a little Pennsylvania town
called Fountain Dale. A portion of Cole’s Maryland Cavalry
was under the command of Lt. William A. Horner and Sgt. 0liver A.
Horner of Co. C. The small squad came upon a scouting detail under
Lt. Chamberlayne of Crenshaw's Battery
with 20 stolen horses in their possession. 6 of the 25
Confederates were captured. Sergeant Oliver Horner was
later promoted to Lieutenant and then to Brevet Major.
After the skirmish, Cole's cavalry retired toward the direction of
Emmitsburg. While scouting near Monterey, members of the 14th
Virginia spotted a Federal patrol, believing they were a militia.
The Confederates tormented the New Yorker’s by luring the Federal
body into a trap. To the Confederate disappointment, the New
Yorker’s did not pursue them.
On June 29th, after the skirmish at Fountain Dale, the Federal
cavalry under John Buford moved toward Fairfield, Pennsylvania
investigating the Confederate forces in the area. As General John
Buford stood at the opening of Monterey Pass through South
Mountain, overlooking the Cumberland Valley, he saw the dust in
the background toward the mountains in the Greencastle area. At
this time it was evident to General Buford that a major battle
would soon erupt in south-central Pennsylvania.
As Emmitsburg started to see skirmishes on June 28th at
Fountaindale and on June 29th at Fairfield, General Meade received
dispatches from General Buford telling him that the Confederates
were in Chambersburg, Cashtown, and also Fairfield heading
south-southeast. After receiving this information General Reynolds
was ordered to move the First Corp to Emmitsburg, followed by the
XI Corp under the command of General Howard. As the western wing
expanded further westward, General Meade relocated his
headquarters to the Shunk Farm outside of Taneytown. The Shunk
Farm, sits along Route 194 north of Taneytown, he stayed there
from June 30th until the evening of July 1st.
As General Lee was maneuvering his forces, the
Emmitsburg-Taneytown area found themselves between the two armies.
When Lee’s main force reached Chambersburg, he retained one corps
there, and sent two others eastward through Gettysburg toward York
and then onto Harrisburg. Later, when he learned of the approach
of the Union Army from the south, General Lee concentrated them
from the north, making Gettysburg a geographical contest. In this
description of the battle of Gettysburg, the Emmitsburg vicinity
is roughly clarified as being boundaried on the north by
Greenmount, or Marsh Creek; on the east by Bridgeport; on the west
by Zora and Fountain Dale, and on the south by Mechanicstown as the
Union Army was preparing for a clash.
On June 30th, seven miles north of Emmitsburg, the Confederates
skirmished with parts of Buford's Union cavalry at Fairfield. This
skirmish did not last long, as the patrols broke off the
engagement with the Confederates and General Buford retreated not
wanting a major contest to begin. From there General Buford
entered Emmitsburg around nine o'clock in the morning.
The Union forces, tired from a day's march from Frederick and
Middletown, Maryland, set camp in Emmitsburg. The soldiers'
campsite covered the grounds of the present day National Fire
Academy and reached almost to what is now the Post Office. The
town’s residents welcomed the men in blue. After seeing the damage
done by the fire on June 15th, the men in blue thought that the
rebel army had torched the town. They soon found out that it was
actually a stable fire that caused three sections of the town's
square to burn down. The rebels were finally cleared of this false
accusation.
It was at this time that Emmitsburg became the supply base for the
Union Army. Major General John Reynolds, commander of the left
wing of the Union Army consisting of the First, Third, and the
Eleventh Corp, was moving toward Emmitsburg. Parts of the First
and Eleventh Corps came through Emmitsburg during the day. The
First Corp came into Emmitsburg to obtain supplies that the army
needed, such as fresh milk, bread, pies, and cakes. There, the
First Corp set camp at the present day Post Office and mustered to
receive their pay. A small disturbance broke out when soldiers of
the 76th New York were told to wait until the next day to receive
their pay.
At the Southern end of town, toward Mount Saint Mary's College,
the Eleventh Corp, under the command of General Oliver O' Howard,
made their way into Emmitsburg. General Howard made his
headquarters at Mount Saint Mary's Seminary. During the early
evening hours General Reynolds decided to break camp and move the
First Corp to Marsh Creek, which is located about five miles north
of Emmitsburg. Just across the Mason Dixon line, General Reynolds
made his headquarters at the Moritz Tavern and positioned the
first corps at Marsh Creek on the evening of June 30. A battery of
artillery was held in Emmitsburg as reserves on the heights toward
Mechanicstown.
A soldier and later historian of the
Twelfth Massachusetts Volunteers recorded a story about a young
boy from Emmitsburg, Maryland. Later in life he wrote: “An
instance of the bravery of a 15 year old Emmitsburg lad named J.
W. (C.F.) Wheatley, as Baxter’s brigade was marching through
Emmetsburg it was followed by the village boys, one of whom
continued to the camp at Marsh Creek, where he offered to enlist.
His offer, however, was ridiculed, and he was sent away. On the
morning of the 1st of July he reappeared, and so earnestly
entreated the colonel of the Twelfth Massachusetts to be allowed
to join his regiment, that a captain of one of the companies
(Company A) was instructed to take him on trial for a day or two.
When the regiment halted near the seminary, the boy was hastily
dressed in a suit of blue. Afterwards, during the action, he
fought bravely until a bullet striking his musket split it in two
pieces, one of which lodged in his left hand and the other in his
left thigh. The boy was taken to the brick church in the town to
be cared for, but nothing was afterwards seen or heard of him
until July 4th. I saw him for the last time bitterly crying for
his mother and sundry of other relatives. He was never muster into
the service, and therefore fought as a civilian."
As soon as
General Reynolds set up
his headquarters, he received a message from General Buford
stating that the rebel forces were now at Cashtown, advancing
towards Gettysburg. General Reynolds forwarded the message to
General Howard as well as to General Meade, whose headquarters
were at Taneytown, just east of Emmitsburg. General Howard was
instructed to position his men to Reynolds' left in case the
Confederates happened to come from the direction of Fairfield. By
this time it seemed that the Confederates were moving towards
Emmitsburg.
During the evening, General Howard rode out to see General
Reynolds at the Moritz Tavern. There they ate dinner and looked
over maps. General Reynolds wrote a dispatch to General Meade
telling him about the movements of the Confederate army. With that
dispatch, General Reynolds also sent a message to General Meade
that in case of a Confederate break-through, a defensive plan was
required. General Reynolds wrote that a position north of
Emmitsburg was a good place to make a stand. If they were to fight
a defensive battle in this vicinity, north of Emmitsburg, the
Confederate force would undoubtedly turn the western wing by way
of Fairfield. After sending out the message to General Meade, the
commander made his way to bed. On the ride back to Mount Saint
Mary's, General Howard thought that General Reynolds seemed
distracted. Perhaps the General was thinking about his love,
Catherine Hewitt, or maybe he somehow knew the coming of day would
be his last on earth.
General Reynolds met
Katherine
Hewitt in California in 1860. There they fell in love with
one another. General Reynolds was then transferred to West Point.
Miss Hewitt traveled back east with General Reynolds, while there
she attended school in Pennsylvania at Sacred Heart Academy near
Torresdale. General Reynolds and 'Kate,' as he called her
secretly, planned to marry, however the marriage was postponed by
the start of the war. They decided instead to get married after
the war had ended, as so many others planned to do. Katherine
Hewitt tried to keep their love affair private until the end of
the war. When she asked to view the General's body, she told the
members of his family that they met in California. A grieving
Katherine Hewitt entered a convent in Emmitsburg, and kept in
touch with the family of General John Reynolds. Ms. Hewitt stayed
in Emmitsburg until 1868 when she vanished.
On July 1st General Sickles Third Corps marched from Bridgeport,
Maryland through Emmitsburg heading to Gettysburg between two and
three o'clock that afternoon. Emmitsburg was now holding troops in
reserve for the western wing of the Army of the Potomac. The town
of Emmitsburg was crucial to the war efforts. General Meade sent a
dispatch to General Sickles and told him to hold Emmitsburg in
case of a break through which would have Emmitsburg acting as a
roadblock. General Sickles was subsequently ordered to leave
Emmitsburg to rejoin the Army of the Potomac that was already
heavily engaged at Gettysburg. One reason that General Meade
ordered Sickles to leave Emmitsburg was due to so many Union
troops being engaged at Gettysburg and it would be too risky to
hold Emmitsburg as part of a plan that didn't involve a retreat.
When another order came from General Meade to confirm the original
order to stay at Emmitsburg, General Sickles disregarded it and
moved on toward Gettysburg.
On July 2nd, more Federal soldiers came into Emmitsburg. These
soldiers were the Army of the Potomac's U.S. Cavalry under the
command of General Wesley Merrit. After being ordered to guard the
mountain passes at South Mountain, General Merrit and his
regulators were ordered to Mechanicstown, Maryland on June 29th.
This left the U.S. Cavalry to guard and to protect the roadways
and communication lines in the vicinity of Mechanicstown. A
dispatch came on July 2nd to move forward with the wagon train
toward Emmitsburg, Maryland. With these orders General Merrit came
into Emmitsburg and set up camp. Then the orders came for, General
Merrit to report to the battlefield on July 3rd. At a half hour
past midnight, the 6th U.S. Cavalry under Major Samuel Starr moved
out of Emmitsburg and headed toward Gettysburg. Their mission was
to attack the Confederate's right flank.
The Emmitsburg Chronicle printed an article in 1951 that gives
sharp description of Emmitsburg as seen by Union troops; “Small
flags waved and dipped from the tower of the old Lutheran Church,
used as a signal station by the army. Bearers of dispatches and
squads of cavalry dashed madly through the town. The long roll of
drums and the blood-stirring bugle calls filled the air; the
fields were alive with soldiers. To the untrained eye it looked
like a great mob, but it was not a mob in any sense, for in a very
short time the men fell into orderly lines and in full marching
swing, pressed forward across the fields toward Gettysburg,
towards victory and also many of them-toward death. When the army
began to arrive in town, the first thing the soldiers asked for
was fresh bread. Nearly every house in the town was turned into a
bakery and every woman who could bake was busy day and night,
kneading bread while the soldiers needed more. The old-fashioned
loaf was about three times bigger than the present baker's loaf.
It was interesting to see a soldier, with a loaf under each arm,
meet a squad of comrades. He would at once break the bread and
hand it around. It would vanish quicker than the morning dew. No
doubt it tasted to the poor fellows like the bread mother used to
bake at home. The mother and the home that many a brave boy never
saw again. The soldiers were well-disciplined and consequently
well-behaved men and there was very little trouble between them
and the people of town or country. From here there were three
brothers, one in the Union and two in Confederate Armies. But the
dreadful fraternal strife has passed away and peace, like a river,
flows through the land, may it flow forever.”
After the battle of Gettysburg both Union and Confederate troops
came through Emmitsburg, confiscating what little it had left. The
roads were being torn apart by wagons, horse drawn artillery, and
soldiers who marched through the town during a rainstorm. Roads
around and in town were flooded with Federals pursuing the Rebels
as they marched home to Virginia. The Confederates that came into
Emmitsburg had no way of paying for the personal supplies that
they received from the town. This was due to the fact that
Confederate money did not hold the value of green backs or gold.
The citizens of Emmitsburg couldn’t make a profit no matter how
hard they had tried just like other small towns that had been
ransacked by the war. As the Army of Northern Virginia retreated
some of its companies came through Emmitsburg and settled in for
the night by Tom’s Creek near the present day U.S. Post Office.
On Sunday, July 4th, Confederate cavalry under the command of
General Albert Jenkins came into Emmitsburg. General Jenkins was
patrolling around the wagon train that was in Fairfield at the
time when he came into Emmitsburg. In his
History of Emmitsburg,
James Helman mentioned a
story about the Confederate Cavalry under General Jenkins when he
came into Emmitsburg; “While watering their horses, residents who
were curious of the outcome of the battle of Gettysburg asked the
troopers who won, their reply was that the Confederates had won.
The Confederate riders also became paranoid by some of this
hamlet’s residents. On one occasion some rebels detected two
gentlemen watching every move they had made, when suddenly the
rebels raised their pistols. These rebels thought that the
gentlemen were Union spies or were part of the signal corp. Once
the two gentlemen explained that they were villagers of the town
and were curious as to what all the bedlam was about, the rebels
placed their guns back into their holsters.”
A lady in Emmitsburg who was born in 1920’s told me stories about
her family life in Emmitsburg during the Civil War as told by her
grandmother. “Farms in the area were also being raided for their
horses. On one occasion, Confederate soldiers halted by a local
mill and were in the process of taking the mill horses when the
miller became aware of what was happening and ran outside and
yelled "You can’t take my horses, I need them for my work." The
soldiers told the miller that they needed them badly to get back
home, and if they could use them to get to Hagerstown and across
the Potomac the miller could have them back. So the miller went
with the troopers and brought the horses back to his mill several
days later.” Soon the rebel cavalry left Emmitsburg to rejoin
General Jones up at Jack’s Mountain. Many stories such as these
exist and after checking many official reports, they may be true.
On that same day General Kilpatrick’s men came riding into
Emmitsburg at a full charge, hoping to find the parts of the
Confederate cavalry in town. They were soon disappointed, for
there were no rebels to be found. When General Kilpatrick arrived
in town the Union cavalry proceeded to rest for a bit and get
something to eat. The town had given away all the tobacco and most
of the bread. Most of the medical supplies that the town had were
being used to treat men who were wounded. Once General Kilpatrick
learned of the movement of the Confederate cavalry only five miles
away at Monterey Pass, the Union cavalry left Emmitsburg around
twelve in the morning began to pursue the Confederate wagon train.
On July 5th, General Stuart came through the town of Emmitsburg
during the dawn hours; here he learned that a large Union cavalry
under the command of General Kilpatrick had just left the town
only hours before his arrival. The Union cavalry was headed toward
the rebel wagon train on Jack’s Mountain. General Stuart reported
his movements:
"In the order of
march (retrograde) one corps (Hill's) preceded everything through
the mountain; the baggage and prisoners of war were escorted by
another corps. Longstreet occupied the center, and the 3rd (Ewell's)
brought up the rear. The cavalry was disposed as follows: two
brigades on the Cashtown road, under General Fitz Lee; and the
remainder, Jenkins' and Chambliss', under my immediate command,
was directed to proceed by way of Emmitsburg, Md., so as to guard
the other flank.
I dispatched Captain W. W. Blackford, of the engineer corps, to
General Robertson, to inform him of my movement and direct his
cooperation, as Emmitsburg was in his immediate front and was
probably occupied by the enemy's cavalry. It was dark before I had
passed the extreme right of our line, and having to pass through
very dense woods, taking by-roads, it soon became so dark that it
was impossible to proceed. We were in danger of losing the command
as well as the road. It was raining, also. We halted several
hours, when, having received a good guide, and it becoming
lighter, the march was resumed, and just at dawn we entered
Emmitsburg.
We there (Emmitsburg) learned that a large body of the enemy's
cavalry had passed through that point the afternoon previous,
going toward Monterey, one of the passes designated in my
instructions to Brigadier General Robertson. I halted for a short
time to procure some rations, and, examining my map, I saw that
this force would either attempt to force one of the gaps, or,
foiled in that (as I supposed they would be), it would either turn
to the right and bear off toward Fairfield, where it would meet
with a like repulse from Hill's or Longstreet's corps, or, turning
to the left before reaching Monterey, would strike across by
Oeiler's Gap toward Hagerstown, and thus seriously threaten that
portion of our trains which, under Imboden, would be passing down
the Greencastle pike the next day, and interpose itself between
the main body and its baggage.
In and around Emmitsburg we captured 60 or 70 prisoners of' war,
and some valuable hospital stores en route from Frederick to the
army. I was told by a citizen that the party I had just attacked
was the cavalry of Kilpatrick, who had claimed to have captured
several thousand prisoners and four or five hundred wagons from
our forces near Monterey; but I was further informed that not more
than forty wagons accompanied them, and other facts I heard led me
to believe the success was far overrated. About this time Captain
Emack, of the Maryland Cavalry, with his arm in a sling, came to
us and reported that he had been in the fight of the night before,
and partially confirmed the statement of the citizen, and informed
me, to my surprise, that a large portion of Ewell's corps trains
had preceded the army through the mountains."
Another report of
this action comes from Brig. General R. L. T. Beale of the 9th
Virginia Cavalry. He later wrote in his book:
“On the morning of
July 4th we moved to the right of our army, passing along in front
of the infantry line, who appeared defiant and undaunted. Nothing
betokened that we had suffered any reverse until we reached
Pickett's division. Here we learned the extent of our loss on the
day previous, and the certainty was disclosed of a disagreeable
and fatiguing retreat before us. We next came to a great camp of
prisoners of war, and barely cleared the infantry lines by dark.
The night set in rainy and very dark. After halting in the road
some time, we moved slowly, and arrived at Emmitsburg about light
next morning (July 5). A few prisoners, ambulances, and sutlers'
stores fell into our hands. We left the main 'pike leading from
Emmitsburg before noon, and, filing off to the right, followed a
narrow road which penetrated the Catoctin mountains along a
ravine, having on either side precipitous bluffs and spurs.”
General Stuart also
learned that the route he wanted to take to get back to General
Lee was in the same direction that the battle of Monterey Pass had
occurred when General Kilpatrick left Emmitsburg. Another detour
was needed. While in Emmitsburg, General Stuart managed to get the
medical supplies that the rebels needed from the convents in
Emmitsburg. Once General Stuart got the required supplies needed,
they left traveling down Old Frederick Road toward Mechanicstown.
This led him and his men to the town of Cooperstown, (Creagarstown
as its known today). Shortly before traveling into Cooperstown,
the Confederate Cavalry divided the column and some came into the
town of Graceham. They eventually met up in Mechanicstown. Once in
Mechanicstown, Stuart learned that General Merrit’s U.S. cavalry
occupied Harman’s Pass. The Confederate cavalry left Mechanicstown,
and started for Emmitsburg.
As General Stuart came back toward Emmitsburg on the afternoon of
July 5th, skirmishes developed when he tried to get over the
Catoctin Mountain (present day College Mountain.) General Stuart
did however manage to check his counter parts and force them back
into Emmitsburg. In a report by General Custer’s he stated: “The
1st and 6th Ohio Cavalry also fought next to the Michigan boys at
the battle of Monterey Gap, until they were ordered to Emmitsburg
on the morning of July 5, where they skirmished with General
Stuarts Cavalry in the afternoon.”
Around this time three photographers named, Alexander Gardner,
Timothy O'Sullivan, and James Gibson passed through Emmitsburg and
were the first to witness the carnage of what was the aftermath of
Gettysburg. Gardner stayed at the Farmers Inn and Motel at
Emmitsburg before his voyage to Gettysburg on July 4-5th. As
General Stuart came into Emmitsburg on the dawn hours of July 5th,
Gardner was captured and detained at the Farmers Inn and was not
released until General Stuart was ready to move out.
On July 7th, Gardner and his crew
came back into Emmitsburg on their way to Washington. While in
Emmitsburg, the photography crew produced seven negatives of
different scenes in Emmitsburg. One is a picture of the Farmers
Inn and another is the town itself that shows the damage done by
the fire that occurred on June 15. Their work on the Gettysburg
battlefield and also those taken in Emmitsburg would become some
of the most famous photographs that future generations would
marvel upon.
Another forgotten
aspect of the Gettysburg Campaign in Emmitsburg is about the
signal corps operations that took place at Indian Lookout. A
letter printed on March 25, 1976 in the
Emmitsburg Chronicle by a gentlemen only known as A.J.B.
wrote about the Battle of Gettysburg as seen from Indian Lookout
directly behind Emmitsburg. A.J.B. wrote:
“I should
spare some of that talk for describing the battle of Gettysburg as
seen by us from Indian Lookout. Occasionally we see a few troopers
pass by, but this no longer attracts any attention, except on one
occasion when Stuart’s Confederate Cavalry passed. Truly we are at
that place (Indian Lookout) almost the whole time during the three
days battle. We had plenty of glasses viz telescopes, spy, and
opera glasses. We had a clear view of the field and could see so
as to make the men in their lines, attending cannon, the cannon
themselves, making charges, officers riding along about their
lines, and in a word the whole scene was spread out to our view.
We could distinctly observe the changes in the position of the
armies: sometimes one army would slowly give way, but seeming to
dispute every inch of ground with as much energy and determination
as if the fate of the Nation depended on its holding or yielding
its position again rallying and driving the foe headlong before it
for some distance. When the retreating body either reinforced some
fresh troops or perhaps reinforced with courage, the battle would
become terrific.”
In a report to General Solcum a signal corps officer wrote:
“During the late movements of the army,
3 signal officers and 6 flagmen were captured by the enemy. The
only reported injuries were those of 2 flagmen slightly wounded at
the battle of Gettysburg. The capture of Captain B. F. Fisher,
chief acting signal officer, has been previously mentioned.
Captain C. S. Kendall and Lieutenant L. R. Fortescue, acting
signal officers, were taken at Emmitsburg, where they had been on
station, by Stuart's cavalry upon their retreat from Gettysburg,
July 5.
Emmitsburg saw Union troops for the several
days. The I, VI, and the XI Corps marched through Emmitsburg on
July 6th. Members of the I Corp found other members of the VI Corp
resting after their march from Fairfield. Emmitsburg was now
hosting the Union troops and opened their stores to them. A
drummer boy named Bardeen purchased a fair amount of green peas at
a price of ten cents at Emmitsburg’s General Store that is located
across the street from the Farmers Inn (present day Emmit House).
Emmitsburg became a landmark for those in blue since other roads
in poor condition could not handle the huge army. Poor conditions
and detours caused the armies to split up their columns in pursuit
of General Lee. On July 7th, General Meade himself came to
Emmitsburg and was received with much enthusiasm. Many of the
townspeople thanked the General for all he did in protecting the
town from the Confederates. Members of the Fifth Corps came
through Emmitsburg on their way to Utica, as they were last of the
Federal soldiers who were passing through Emmitsburg.
Emmitsburg was able to reassemble the homes and businesses that
were destroyed by the Great Fire of 1863, however the shortages of
livestock and produce made it even harder for the town folks to
get through the winter. The military left Emmitsburg to account
for itself from the severity of the Gettysburg Campaign. By spring
the pastures were being cultivated with produce and the imprints
that were left by the armies were utilized and leveled. As for the
towns people their lives would manage to get back to normal by
harvest time. Those recollections left of the carnage of battle,
would still hold its terror in the hearts of those who experienced
the reality of the struggle of Emmitsburg during the Gettysburg
Campaign.
General Early’s Raid of 1864
For a year Emmitsburg’s community was quiet and the effects of the
Gettysburg Campaign had gone. The families of Emmitsburg's
surrounding area had resumed in leading a normal life, and by 1864
the Civil War was at the gates of Richmond and no threat of the
war was in sight until summer. The summer Campaign of 1864 was
known as Early’s Raid, and caused a lot of commotion in Northern
Frederick County where Emmitsburg is located.
To relieve the pressure off of General Lee’s thin stretched line,
he requested that General Early take 18,000 men north to liberate
Lynchburg, clear the Federals from the Shenandoah Valley, cross
the Potomac River, and split his force into two columns. The first
column would create havoc near Washington’s defenseless chain of
forts, while the second column tried to free the prisoners of
Confederates held at Point Lookout, Maryland. Unfortunately the
plan was not carried out as successful as General Lee had hoped.
Confederate General Jubal Early traveled up the Shenandoah Valley
and entered Maryland at Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Splitting
the Confederate Army into two columns the cavalry proceeded to
Hagerstown with the demands of $20,000 ransom. If the demands were
not met, the officer in charge had orders to torch Hagerstown. The
town officials came up with $20,000 dollars worth of medical
supplies, food, and clothing so the town was spared. While the
cavalry was at Hagerstown, Early’s Confederate Army sidestepped
the Federal garrison at Harpers Ferry and crossed the Potomac
River at near Shepherdstown into Maryland on July 5-6.
Communities all over Frederick County, Maryland were eager to hear
about the news of the Confederates. Not knowing the reason why the
Confederates were in Frederick County, troops of the of the Union
army were sent to Emmitsburg in case the Confederate Army
advancing in force to Baltimore by way of Pennsylvania. Once the
Confederates engaged at Monocacy on July 9th, it was clear that
Washington was their target. The citizens of Emmitsburg could now
rest easy thinking that the threat of Confederates entering the
town was over.
By late July, General Early again ordered his Army North,
splitting it into two columns. The first column under the command
of General John McCausland was sent forth to Chambersburg, PA,
while the second column under Early himself set forth to
Moorefield West Virgina. Emmitsburg saw more Union troops
entering the town as operations continued. The citizens must have
wondered what was going on. Not realizing another threat was
inevitable in Pennsylvania, the towns’ people pondered at the
Union Cavalry. The terror of war was approaching and nobody knew
what the targets or the reason why a Confederate force under the
command of General McCausland was approaching in the direction of
Chambersburg. As General Early’s operations against the B&O
Railroad continued, Chambersburg was invaded by Confederate troops
in late July.
On July 28, an unusual order arrived for General McCausland.
General Early had enough of the new Federal policy of destruction.
Later McCausland wrote:
"My men had just dismounted and were making
camp and getting ready to eat what rations they could find. I was
sitting there on my horse talking to Nick Fitzhugh, my adjutant,
when a courier handed me a dispatch from Early. I opened it up and
when I read those first lines I nearly fell out of the saddle. He
ordered me in a very few words to make a retaliatory raid and give
the Yankees a taste of their own medicine."
During the Chambersburg raid, the small
contingent of Union Cavalry guarding the area around Emmitsburg
was driven into Emmitsburg by superior numbers of Confederate
forces and was, for a time, in danger of being cut off. Emmitsburg
saw no more soldiers in combat until after the burning of
Chambersburg in l864, a side effect of Early’s invasion.
Confederate troopers skirmished with Federal Troops on July 30th
west of Emmitsburg. However, the Union Cavalry held about a mile
from the town and Emmitsburg was spared the destruction of war
This is a report of Major General Darius N. Couch, U. S. Army who
was commanding the Department of the Susquehanna in Harrisburg,
Pa., August 8, 1864. He writes:
“HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE SUSQUEHANNA,
GENERAL: I have the honor to report that on the 27th ultimo,
Brigadier-General Averell, of the Department of West Virginia,
with his force lay at Hagerstown, Md., covering the several fords
of the Potomac in that Vicinity. At his request I sent him my
mounted men, consisting of two companies of 100-days' men,
retaining under my orders and within the department Lieut. H. T.
McLean's party of forty cavalry from Carlisle Barracks, that
covered the roads leading toward Mercersburg, and Capt. R. M.
Evans' company of Independent Philadelphia Scouts, an unpaid force
that watched in the vicinity of Emmitsburg. At Chambersburg there
was part of an infantry company, under Capt. T. S. McGowan, and a
piece of field artillery.”
During this raid, Capt. R. M. Evans,
commanding Pennsylvania cavalry, wrote:
"My pickets were driven in at Emmitsburg this
afternoon July 30 about one mile from the town by about 200
rebels. I was in danger of being cut off with my command, as there
are a great many by-roads running down from the mountains.”
After burning Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, on
July 30, Generals Johnson and McCausland’s cavalry rode toward
Cumberland, Maryland, to disrupt the B&O Railroad. The
Confederates destroyed the vital bridges along the B&O Railroad at
Flocks Mill near Cumberland. General Benjamin Kelly organized a
small force of soldiers and citizens to meet the Confederate
advance. On August 1, Kelly ambushed the Rebel cavalrymen near
Cumberland at Flock’s Mill, and skirmishing continued for several
hours. Eventually the Confederates withdrew and the last major
battle of the Civil War in the state of Maryland was finally over.
Confederates troops also engaged Union troops at Flintstone Creek
on August 1.
While Emmitsburg's luck held out, there were still many families
in the valley who lost fathers, sons, brothers, and husbands.
Samuel Maxell, a staunch abolitionist and owner of the mill
located just upstream of Four Points Bridge, lost his son on July
5, 1864 during the battle at Piedmont. Samuel was a passionate
advocate of the Union and was very influential in changing the
sentiments of the local population with regard to slavery.
In 1862, Samuel sons Samuel Jr. and Thaddeus joined Cole's Cavalry
Company C. Cole's Cavalry was like most units of that time,
consisting of brothers and friends who had enlisted together to
fight. Following the battle of Gettysburg, Cole's Cavalry joined
in the Union attack down the Shenandoah Valley, often fighting the
Confederate forces of Colonel John S. Mosby. During their advanced
to Piedmont, Virginia, they collided with a Confederate Army under
the command of Jubal Early.
While charging a breastwork, Thaddeus Maxell was fatally shot by a
Confederate sharpshooter. Samuel Jr. accompanied his brother's
body home where Emmitsburg witnessed his burial at the Lutheran
church where his father served as both a deacon and an elder.
Following his brother's funeral, Samuel returned to his unit and
played a key role in the Battle of the Monocacy.
The Maxwell brothers represented just one of the Emmitsburg
families who contributed and fought valiantly in the Civil War.
The history of Emmitsburg and our community is rich with stories
of everyday sacrifice and valor.
Cole's Cavalry was mustered out of service on June 28, 1865 at
Harper's Ferry. The cavalry command then rode to Baltimore to be
formally discharged. The operations of Cole’s Cavalry were amongst
the most heroic and impressive of any organization in the Eastern
Theater of the Civil War. It is estimated that the command rode
over 7000 miles during its four years of military service. The men
themselves stuck together as a fraternity long after the war. As
late as 1892 they were holding reunions at the local Grand Army of
the Republic headquarters, banqueting at the old Western Maryland
Hotel, and holding "campfires" where they relived their old days
in the field and camp.
Read
other articles on Emmitsburg in the Civil War by John Miller
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