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 first major Civil War conflict in on northern soil took place in three gaps along South Mountain on September 14, 1862.
After his victory at Second Manassas, Confederate General Robert E. Lee led his Army of Northern Virginia into Maryland—a border state whose citizens harbored both Northern and Southern sympathies but had not seceded as part of the Confederacy—in early September 1862. The soldiers camped in and around Frederick. If his troops succeeded in this Maryland Campaign, in the second year of the Civil War, he hoped the win would secure support for Southern independence from Great Britain and France. After occupying Frederick, Lee’s army began to move west towards Hagerstown under directions to split off in western Maryland and capture the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. Union General George B. McClellan led his Army of the Potomac from their fortifications around the nation’s capital in pursuit.
Unfortunately for Lee, a note outlining his strategy fell into the hands of passing Union soldiers. Men from the 27th Indiana found a copy of Lee’s Special Orders No. 191 in an envelope with two cigars near the Best Farm, now part of Monocacy National Battlefield just outside of Frederick.
The two armies clashed first at Fox’s and Turner’s gaps, where D.H. Hill commanded a small number of Confederates. A collection of small family farms, many of which had stone walls to mark property lines, dotted this steep mountainside. Hill made his headquarters in the stone Mountain House Inn, now known as the Old South Mountain Inn. The Union Ninth Corps met this small but well-entrenched line, but could not drive the Confederates further at Fox’s Gap. The fighting at South Mountain was so intense, the soldiers at some points engaged in hand-to-hand combat. One man later recalled, “All the demons of hell were let loose that day.”
Commanders from both sides of the conflict lost their lives at South Mountain: Union General Jesse L. Reno and Confederate Brigadier General Samuel Garland, Jr. The bloody day bought time for the divided portions of Lee’s army to reconvene before the two sides met again at Antietam on September 17.
The landscape surrounding South Mountain State Battlefield remains largely unchanged, remaining predominately agricultural and wooded. Visitors can observe the battlefield and other historic structures from the Appalachian National Scenic Trail as it hugs South Mountain. To learn more about the battle and its effects on local communities, visit the South Mountain Heritage Society in Burkittsville or the museum exhibits in South Mountain State Battlefield.
Thanks to the following members of the Maryland Geocaching Society in placing the hides for this Geotrail: deepdish23, GeoAPPs, lpyankeefan, Phos4s, and ZombieHNTR.