HCWHA US 250th GeoTour
Shafer Farm
Party like it’s 1776 with the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area’s 250th GeoTour! Designed for beginner and veteran geocachers, participants will travel through time, solving puzzles and following clues to learn more about mid-Maryland’s rich history. In honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States, our 250th GeoTour will take you throughout Carroll, Frederick, and Washington Counties to sites of historical significance, including battlefields, houses of worship, museums, parks, and more!
Our tour is an opportunity to learn more about the people, places, and events that laid the foundation for our country. While supplies last, those who collect 15 or more will earn this Geotour’s limited edition geocoin commemorating the 250th. Happy hunting!
Courtesy of Acroterion
The Hamilton Willard Shafer Farm served as the headquarters for Union Major General William B. Franklin and the 6th Corps during the Battle of South Mountain on Sept. 14, 1862.
From here, General Franklin and the 6th Corps strategized how best to advance through Crampton’s Gap, occupied by Confederate forces, and march to Harpers Ferry, which was besieged by the Confederates. Franklin would have had a view directly up the mountain towards the gap from this location.
Having arrived at the Shafer Farm close to midday on September 14, Franklin waited, allowing his command to catch up and his men to eat. Finally, at 3 PM his men marched on Crampton’s Gap where the 6th Corps outnumbered Confederate troops 6 to 1, driving Confederates up the east face of South Mountain and down the western slope into Pleasant Valley. The Union victory here, and in the other gaps of South Mountain, halted Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s campaign north, forcing him to withdraw back towards the Potomac River. Franklin however would be too late to support Union troops at Harpers Ferry, which surrendered on the morning of September 15. The fighting at South Mountain and the fall of Harpers Ferry had dramatic reprecussions for the Maryland Campaign, leading to both Union and Confederate forces converging on the town of Sharpsburg.
On September 17, the Battle of Antietam would be fought, resulting in the bloodiest single day battle in American history. The costly Union victory became a major turning point in the Civil War, resulting in the release of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, refocusing Federal war aims not only on the preservation of the Union, but also the destruction of slavery in the United States.
Today, the Shafer Farm’s circa-1820 farmhouse and buildings are being restored by the Burkittsville Preservation Association.
“South Mountain - Crampton’s Gap - September 14, 1862 - 5:30pm to 6pm.” American Battlefield Trust. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/south-mountain-cramptons-gap-september-14-1862-530pm-6pm.
“Adaptive Reuse of the Hamilton Willard Shafer Farm.” Preservation Maryland. https://preservationmaryland.org/project/adaptive-reuse-of-the-hamilton-willard-shafer-farm/.
Reese, Timothy. “Crampton’s Gap.” Antietam on the Web. (2000). https://antietam.aotw.org/exhibit.php?exhibit_id=421.
Wynn, Jake. “On Tour: The Battle of South Mountain, Crampton’s Gap.” National Museum of Civil War Medicine. Youtube. (Sept. 2021). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM6XaSGmt5Q.
“Prelude to Antietam: The Battle of Crampton’s Gap.” The History Underground. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci_em4R0fNA.
“William Buel Franklin.” American Battlefield Trust. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/william-buel-franklin.
Thanks to the following members of the Maryland Geocaching Society in placing the hides for this GeoTour: deepdish23, hunterKat, GR8Caches, Snurt, Phos4s, JediTrashPanda and AL's Guide.
Once you locate the cache you will need to remove the breast plate by lifting it just a little. You will then turn it over and begin your quest to discover the 4 digit lock code. If you are struggling to discover the information needed, look at the cache page or the sign right next to the cache. PLEASE be sure to return the lock and breast plate just the way you found it. LOCK TIP: once you enter the combination you will need to compress (push) the lock against the shackle to open. You will need to do the same when locking it. Compress it and change the numbers to lock it.
Please be respectful of other events at the Shafer Farm when going for this cache. Parking is available right at the geocache with parking available behind the house on the grass if the front is roped off. Please only go for this cache during daylight hours.