You're invited to take a journey through the Maryland's Heart of the Civil War.
The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area (HCWHA) is an area rich in history, covering portions of Carroll, Frederick and Washington Counties. It is located just below the Mason-Dixon Line, generally viewed as the dividing line between North and South, and above the Potomac River. With one foot in the north, and one foot in the south, the story of the Civil War can be told nowhere better than in this part of Maryland.
No state experienced the Civil War quite like Maryland. Residents of this border state contributed significant resources to both sides of the war effort. Although large portions of the state’s economy relied upon slavery, Maryland lawmakers did not vote to secede from the Union at the outset of the war—though many did not have the opportunity to vote, as they were detained by the federal government because of suspected Confederate sympathies.
Between 1861 and 1865, the Civil War impacted nearly every Maryland resident. Some families faced financial ruin after troops ravaged their land. Thousands of fathers, sons and brothers became casualties of war. For enslaved Marylanders, the conflict ultimately brought about freedom as the new state constitution of November 1864 abolished the practice.
Marylanders witnessed three major military movements during the Civil War: the Maryland (also known as Antietam) Campaign in the fall of 1862, the Gettysburg Campaign in the summer of 1863, and the march to Washington led by Jubal Early in the summer of 1864. Geocachers can visit significant sites from each of these three operations on the Heart of the Civil War GeoTrail.
The mission of the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area is to promote the stewardship of our historic, cultural, and natural Civil War resources; encourage superior visitor experiences; and stimulate tourism, economic prosperity, and educational development, thereby improving the quality of life in our community for the benefit of both residents and visitors.
The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area Geotrail launched October 1st, 2016 with 15 geocaches within Maryland's Carroll, Frederick, and Washington Counties. A trackable geocoin will be awarded to the first 200 geocachers, (while supplies last), who find the locations of at least 13 HCWHA caches. To be eligible for the coin, geocachers must download a passport from the Heart of the Civil War website, and record the code word from at least 13 HCWHA geocaches. Geocachers may have their passports validated in person at the Newcomer House at Antietam National Battlefield or at the Visitor Centers in Westminster, Frederick, or Hagerstown. Please refer to the passport for Visitor Center hours and complete validation instructions.
Please note following change. A free prize will still be given to a geocacher who goes to at least 13 HCWHA geocaches and records the code in each of the geocaches on their passport. In addition, geocachers may purchase a trackable Geocoin for $10 at one of the following locations: Frederick Visitor Center, Hagerstown-Washington County Visitor Welcome Center, or Antietam Museum Store. Each of these locations will verify passports by mail and send a coin for a modest handling fee. Call for more information.
Participating in the HCWHA geotrail is fun and we hope that many people join in. However, it is not a requirement for logging your find on this cache once you find the container.
The Battle of Monocacy fought on July 9, 1864 is remembered today as the "Battle that Saved Washington." A National Battlefield since 1934, this park, less than two miles from downtown Frederick, includes 1,647 acres of well-preserved landscapes.
This property's historical significance dates back to prehistoric times. American Indians lived in the vicinity of Monocacy National Battlefield long before Europeans settled the area. The agricultural field adjacent to the Middle Ford Ferry Loop trail contains two prehistoric sites which were likely occupied as seasonal hunting camps, perhaps as early as 8000 B.C. A total of 12 prehistoric American Indian sites have been recorded at Monocacy National Battlefield.
In the decades before the Civil War, when the area now known as the Best Farm was the site of a plantation-style farm called L'Hermitage. After being established by the de la Vincendiere family in the 1790s, the agricultural and industrial operation on L’Hermitage swelled to 108 residents, about 90 of which were enslaved, by 1800. Magnan de la Vincendiere moved from the family’s slave plantation in Saint Domingue (now Haiti) to France for her youngest children’s education. While in France, civil unrest caused by the French Revolution forced the mother and children to flee to Baltimore, Maryland. Later, a slave uprising in Saint Domingue also forced Magnan’s husband, Etienne de la Vincendiere, to flee to America, though he settled in Charlestown, South Carolina and appears to have no contact with his family in Maryland.
This property at the intersection of the Monocacy River and Georgetown Turnpike was a prime location for their 748-acre farm. Recent archaeological research has uncovered many artifacts from this era, now part of the park’s collection.
The Battle of Monocacy was part of the third and final attempt by Confederates to invade the North. In the summer of 1864, Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal Early and his troops had ransomed the Maryland communities of Hagerstown, Middletown, and Frederick as a desperate measure to finance the war—as Confederate money was nearly worthless by that point. As they marched closer to Washington, General Ulysses S. Grant dispatched Union reinforcements to ensure the capitol city’s safety during an election year. Early's men clashed with Union forces led by Major General Lew Wallace around Monocacy Junction. 6,600 Union soldiers held off 15,000 Confederates for eight hours. The Battle ended with a Confederate victory, however, it bought enough time for Union reinforcements to man the fortifications surrounding Washington, D.C.
A six-year-old boy named Glenn Worthington witnessed the battle from the cellar of his family's farm house along the Monocacy River. As an adult, he became one of the strongest advocates for preserving this area as a National Military Park. He formed the Monocacy Battlefield Association and penned "Fighting for Time," which combined his childhood memories with research about the battle. Congress established the park just before Worthington's death in 1934, although it wasn't until the 1980s that the National Park Service was able to acquire land. The park’s first Visitor Center located in Gambrill Mill opened its doors to the public on July 9, 1991. A ribbon was cut on the new Visitor Center building in 2007.
The Monocacy National Battlefield Visitor Center is open daily from 8am–5pm except on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. The park’s driving tour and hiking trails are open daily from 7am until 20 minutes past sunset. There are no fees to enter Monocacy National Battlefield.
Thanks to the following members of the Maryland Geocaching Society in placing the hides for this Geotrail: deepdish23, GeoAPPs, lpyankeefan, Phos4s, and ZombieHNTR.
The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area extends its thanks to the National Park Service for participating in this Geotrail and for allowing us to partake in its centennial celebrations.Geocaches may only be placed on National Park Property at the direction of National Park Service staff.
NOTE: 8-1-18 - Due to recent flooding, the boardwalk to the geocache has been closed down. There is a detour that you can take to the geocache, but it is a longer route, and is not wheel chair accessible.