A Trip to Gettysburg with the Kids

As the followers of this blog's feeds on Facebook and Twitter know, I often take my twin sons to Civil War sites in and around Northern Virginia. I am a big believer in exposing them to history at an early age. They may not really "get it," but I am sure that deep down, an understanding, or better yet, an interest, is taking root.

Truth be told, I started reconnecting with the war just as the boys were born. In those early days, I spent what little down time I had writing posts and researching, much to my wife's chagrin! As the boys grew, I grew too, as a writer, blogger, and amateur historian. I suppose it was fitting that for their fifth birthday I would take them to the granddaddy of all Civil War battlefields -- Gettysburg. I also planned to make the vacation their first camping trip. My own parents could hardly believe that their son, a fan of the luxury hotel, was voluntarily returning to a campground after all these years. We opted on a Kamp Kabin at the Gettysburg/Battlefield KOA -- not exactly roughing it, but try spending a few days with little boys and no access to a private restroom.

The twins are no strangers to battlefields. After all, they first visited Manassas National Battlefield Park when they were almost three. Since then, they've returned to Henry Hill on numerous occasions. (We are only twenty-five minutes away. How wonderful it is to have a major Civil War battlefield at your doorstep.) They've also crossed Burnside Bridge at Antietam and walked through the historic streets of Harpers Ferry. But I would be lying if I didn't admit a bit of trepidation about spending a few days at Gettysburg with them. Manassas is one thing, but Gettysburg is quite another.

Even before driving up US-15, I started by kindling some enthusiasm for the story of the battle. I showed the boys some edited scenes from the film, Gettysburg. Jack would continually ask me, "Who won, the blue guys or the gray guys?" every time he saw a scene from the battle. I had nightmares that he'd do the same once out on the field. Drawing from their recognition of a few key Civil War personalities, I also told them about Lee leading the Confederates, and how President Lincoln gave a speech there.

Excited to be camping....

Gettysburg is a family-friendly place, which makes visiting with little ones easier than at some destination like California wine country. However, I was determined to keep the kids away from the tourist traps and show them the proper way to visit a Civil War site. It is never too early to teach kids how to engage in respectable and respectful tourism.

We started at the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center. Unfortunately, and perhaps surprisingly, our first run-in with a Ranger was a little disappointing. He brushed us off when I asked for those Civil War NPS collectors cards and advised that we should come back tomorrow to get them instead. He never explained why. The Park Service redeemed itself the next day when a new Ranger handed each of my very happy boys a complete set of Gettysburg cards.

The film at the VC may have been a bit much for the boys' little brains -- try teaching concepts of slavery and emancipation to rising kindergartners -- but the Cyclorama had them in awe. They marveled at what they were seeing and couldn't believe that it was only a painting. We also walked through the museum. The boys each spent time looking at various artifacts from the battle and watching the informational videos. Jack was a bit more engaged; Cam moved at breakneck pace so that we would leave to check-in at the campground sooner.

Of course, battlefield stomping took top billing for us. We visited some key sites on Thursday evening. The first time Jack looked out over the field where Pickett's men advanced, he exclaimed to me, "That was a long way to march!" Pretty insightful for a new preschool graduate. We also made our way to the Father William Corby Monument, where I produced a copy of the statue in green plastic from their toy soldier set and told them what the good padre was doing there. We eventually reached the Angle and the Copse of Trees. Jack stood mesmerized by the stone wall. He remembered seeing scenes of all those "blue guys" waiting there to receive the Confederate charge.

Jack looks at the Union position around the Angle.

We rose early on Friday and headed back to the battlefield to beat the crowds and the heat. Best idea ever. The boys and I had most of the stops to ourselves, including Little Round Top. Jack could only shout "Wow!" when he looked out over the field from up there. The boys particularly loved climbing to the top of the 44th New York Monument, or "the castle" as they called it. I also walked with the twins to the scene of the 20th Maine's fight, and reminded them of the scene in the film where the men in blue fixed bayonets and rushed the Confederate attackers. After Little Round Top, we stopped at Devil's Den, but the boys surprisingly took a pass on checking out the huge boulders. Seeing the Pennsylvania Monument, Jack and Cam were eager to meet the challenge of going all the way to the top. Only later did I realize that Cam was confronting his own fear of heights. No wonder he rushed to get back down!

Native sons checking out the Virginia Monument.

Jack gestures towards the staging area for Pickett's division. As friend Harry Smeltzer of Bull Runnings put it, Jack already has a good point and a certain future with the NPS!

Before heading back to the campground, we stopped at the Seminary Ridge Museum. Although I knew that the boys were a bit too young, I really wanted to check out this relatively recent addition to the Gettysburg scene. Just like everything else, the admissions fee is waived for little ones under six, so I didn't lose too much money in doing so! The boys were moved by the lifelike wax tableaux of hospital scenes at the Seminary. They had a lot of questions about the care of the wounded, and I used the visit as a way of teaching them that war is a "bad thing that hurts people."

From the top of the Pennsylvania Monument.

Studying a hospital scene at the Seminary Ridge Museum.

We spent Friday afternoon shopping for souvenirs on Steinwehr Avenue. Jack and Cam both bought a few Civil War-themed items, including the requisite bag of plastic soldiers. After eating an ice cream and waiting out a torrential downpour while visiting Oak Hill, we headed back to our cabin. As I watched the boys play outside with toy sword and miniature flags, I knew that something had sunk in when I saw them charge, shouting "Irish Brigade forward!"

"Dad, can I get this?"

On Saturday I took the twins to Steam Into History in New Freedom, Pennsylvania, about an hour east of Gettysburg. If your kids like trains as much as mine do, and like their father does, this is a must-see attraction. We did the hour long excursion to Glen Echo. The train is pulled by a replica of the 4-4-0 locomotive that took Lincoln to Gettysburg. Passengers sit in recreated 19th century passenger cars. Jack and Cam were thrilled to hear the steam whistle as the train chugged along past small towns and farms. As an added bonus, the day we rode an entertainer dressed in Union blue told local stories about the Civil War and sang songs from the era. Overall, a family won't go wrong paying a visit to Steam Into History.

What a fine example of Industrial Age beauty!

Returning to Ashburn, I considered the trip a success. The boys seemed impressed with the battlefield, and I am sure they learned a thing or two. Meltdowns were kept to a minimum. I suppose flexibility on my part was key -- the schedule can't be too fixed or rigid with little ones in tow. And you got to make room for a swim in that campground pool. Jack and Cam may not remember every little detail about what they did, but I am pretty sure they will always remember their first trip to Gettysburg. We all do!

Railroad History in Ellicott City, Maryland

Railroads seem to dominate life in the Baumgarten household these days. My twin boys love trains, and Santa just got them a wooden train table for Christmas. I'll also admit to being a train aficionado, ever since the days of HO model railroading in my parents' basement. (In a former life, I was even a railroad lawyer representing Union Pacific!) It should come as no surprise that we've had some train-related family outings, including the requisite stops at local model railroad displays. But no visit so far can match the Sunday we spent at the B&O Railroad Museum in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Ellicott City, known as Ellicott's Mills in the nineteenth century, was the terminus of the nation's first thirteen miles of commercial rail. The Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad built the station in 1830-31 out of local granite. Now part of the B&O Railroad Museum system, it is considered "the oldest surviving railroad station in America." (B&O Railroad Museum, Ellicott City Station website.) The railroad first used the station for handling freight, but made changes in 1856-57 to accommodate passenger traffic.

Streetside view of the  Ellicott City Station, part of the B&O Railroad Museum. A Civil War Trails marker sits in the foreground. For more information, see the Historical Marker Database.

During the Civil War, the B&O Railroad played a pivotal role in moving men and materiel for the Union military. Various Federal units were assigned to protect the rails at Ellicott's Mills. The homegrown Patapsco Guards, organized in September 1861, stood watch over the railroad until the spring of the following year. The 12th New Jersey was encamped at Ellicott's Mills from September-December 1862. Pennsylvania and Maine troops also performed guard duty in the town. Confederate prisoners of war captured at Antietam and Gettysburg were kept at the Ellicott's Mills Station while awaiting parole or transportation to prison camps. After the Battle of Monocacy in July 1864, the defeated Federals retreated through Ellicott's Mills as they made their way to Baltimore by train and on foot.

Trackside view of the station looking towards the north (away from Baltimore). The Patapsco River sits at the bottom of an embankment located just beyond the fence and elevated tracks to the right. The doors to the car house are visible in the middle of the building. By the 1840s, trains were no longer pulled into the station. A replica of the first horse-drawn passenger rail car, Pioneer, sits on tracks outside the station.

A close-up view of the horse-drawn passenger car Pioneer. The first trains on the B&O Railroad were drawn by horses. More powerful steam locomotives soon replaced them.

View of the station's administrative office, which later served as the ladies' waiting room. The museum has added a few Civil War-era touches (Union great coat, national colors of the Patapsco Guards, and portrait of President Lincoln), even if not technically correct to the period when the room was used as an administrative office (1831-56).

The station's telegraph room and ticket office, which was added during the 1856-57 conversion for passenger service. Men purchased their tickets through the window on the right; women and children bought theirs from a window on the opposite wall.

View past the Pioneer to the 1885 freight house and 1927 "I-5" caboose. The freight building now houses a 40-foot HO-gauge model of the B&O line between Baltimore and Ellicott's Mills. In honor of the Sesquicentennial, the museum has chosen to depict the thirteen mile stretch as it appeared during the Civil War.

Detail of model railroad display in freight house showing Union artillery emplacement, Camp Relay, and the Thomas Viaduct.

View of Main Street in Ellicott City. A walk through the historic town, whose streets are lined with many shops and restaurants, is well worth the time following a visit to the train station. During the Civil War, mill workers and merchants in Ellicott City and surrounding Howard County were largely Unionist, although pockets of Confederate sympathizers also existed. 

My son Jack standing in front of the last remaining arch of the Oliver Viaduct over the Tiber River. The railroad station sits to the right of the viaduct. Originally composed of three arches, the Oliver Viaduct was completed in 1830 and carried trains across the Baltimore & Frederick Turnpike, or National Road (today's Main Street/MD 144).

The railroad Bridge across Main Street welcomes visitors to Ellicott City. The bridge connects with the remaining arch of the Oliver Viaduct to the left.

View of the Patapsco River on a beautiful fall day. The railroad station sits above the river to the right.

The B&O Railroad Museum in Ellicott City made the Civil War Trust's "Essential To-Do List" for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. After my trip to the museum in October, I understood why. The station transports visitors back to a day when the B&O Railroad was essential to the Union war effort. A stroll through the old town past nineteenth century buildings further enhances the time travel effect. Whether you are a Civil War enthusiast, a railroad fan, or simply curious about history, I'd recommend a visit to Ellicott City and the B&O Railroad Museum.

More Information

For additional information about visiting the B&O Railroad Museum's Ellicott City Station, see here. The museum's main complex is located in Baltimore.

"The War Came By Train" is the B&O Railroad Museum's special commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War. The museum is sponsoring a variety of Civil War-related events and exhibits now through December 2015. The day I visited the Ellicott City Station, for instance, the museum was featuring an interpretative panel on the role of the Patapsco Guards during the Gettysburg Campaign. For more information on the 150th commemoration, including events in Ellicott City, see the museum's website.

EllicottCity.net provides extensive information on visiting the town, including attractions, restaurants, and shopping.

A list of historical markers in Ellicott City, including Civil War Trails stops, can be found here.

Sources

Aside from the links provided in the above text, the following sources were useful in compiling this post:

B&O Railroad Museum, "Image 2: The Oliver Viaduct"; Lisa Kawata, "Union soldiers' letters offer insight about Civil War camp in Ellicott City," Baltimore Sun, Feb. 1, 2011; Janet P. Kusterer & Victoria Goeller, Remembering Ellicott City: Stories from the Patapsco River Valley (2009); Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources, "The Thomas Viaduct -- A Vital Link"; Maryland Historical Trust, "Inventory Form for State Historic Sites Survey: Oliver Viaduct"; Maryland Historical Trust, "National Register Listings: Howard County: Ellicott City Station, B&O Railway"; John F. Stover, History of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (1987).

A New Year's Day Retrospect of 1863

Watch television at the end of December or start of January and you are bound to come across a special program or two on the "year in review." Many of us like to look back at the previous twelve months and remember the people, places, and events that made the year unique. Perhaps we are motivated by nostalgia or even a deep-seated sense of history. But whatever the reason, twenty-first century Americans are not alone in reflecting on the past year as they ring in a new one.

"New Year's Day," Harper's Weekly, Jan. 2, 1864 (courtesy of sonofthesouth.net)

On January 1, 1864, the Washington Daily National Republican published "A Retrospect." The paper offered readers a review of Union military gains during 1863:

In taking a retrospect of the past year we find a record of the most brilliant successes yet achieved during the war. If we include Mufreesboro, which commenced by skirmishing on December 29, 1862, and lasted until January 4, 1863, we have among our principal victories Mufreesboro, Vicksburg, Morris Island, Gettysburg, Port Hudson, Chattanooga, Knoxville. History does not furnish a year's victories by the armies of any country in any war that will excel these.

[Braxton] Bragg was completely whipped at Mufreesboro after a week's hard fighting.

At Vicksburg General [Ulysses S.] Grant, by military manoeuvres that have no parallel, captured the rebel stronghold of the Mississippi Valley.

At Port Hudson, the last remaining post on the Mississippi, the navigation of the "Father of Waters" was opened entirely by General [Nathaniel P.] Banks.

At Morris Island General [Quincy] Gillmore astonished the world by his gunnery, captured forts the rebels deemed impregnable, put Charleston under fire, and converted the original city of the rebellion into a purgatory for traitors, where they must live in mortal fear until the town is finally wrapped in ashes.

At Gettysburg the rebels were brought to a stop in their contemplated raid, which was to destroy at one fell swoop Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington. The question of a Northern invasion was settled by this battle, and the future safety of the North secured.

At Chattanooga the invincibility of our armies when rightly handled was established, and the rebels cut off from their most fruitful source of supplies, East Tennessee, the fighting at Knoxville putting a clincher upon this part of the business, and deciding the fate of this most valuable region.

And then may look with satisfaction to the splendid advantages gained by General Banks in Texas; to the demonstrations made by our cavalry, showing that in this arm of the service the rebels no longer excel us.

If we turn to the operations of the navy we behold an equally pleasing record. The blockade has finally been made so nearly perfect that the rebels can no longer depend upon receiving supplies from foreign speculators, and our captures of rebel craft have been very heavy.

Our victories during the year have cost us dearly in the blood of our patriotic countrymen, but this has sanctified our cause and rendered more determined our people in the work of putting down the insurrection. Never will we yield our birthright to traitors, when so many of our kindred have died so nobly in defending it.

The paper closed the retrospect with an excerpt from "To-Day and To-Morrow" by English poet Gerald Massey:

High hopes that burned like stars sublime
 Go down the heaven of Freedom
And true hearts perish in the time
 We bitterliest need them
For never sit we down and say
 There's nothing left but sorrow
We walk the wilderness to-day
 The Promised Land to-morrow

Build up heroic lives, and all
 Be like a sheathen sabre
Ready to flash out at God's call, 
 O chivalry of labor 
Triumph and toil are twins: and aye,
 Joy s[uns] the cloud of sorrow
And 'tis the martyrdom of to-day
 Brings victory to-morrow (emphasis in original editorial).

The Daily National Republican's focus on the military successes of 1863 is not surprising. After all, when compared to a year ago and the disaster at Fredericksburg, the war was going much better for the Union, and people across the country had every reason to look back with pride. Echoing President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, the newspaper called for a total defeat of the rebellion so that those who died preserving the Union had not died in vain. Within a few months, the pages of the Daily National Republican would carry news of Union advances and high casualties. The war would lead to even more death and destruction during 1864, but "victory to-morrow" would be within reach as the year drew to a close.

**

I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and thanks for reading in 2013! This past year has been a busy one for the blog and my other Civil War-related pursuits, and 2014 promises to be even busier. The pipeline of posts keeps growing. I also have a couple of speaking engagements later this winter and plan to work with Fairfax County on developing a new Civil War Trails marker. And then there are the multitude of Sesquicentennial activities that will be attracting everyone's attention this year. As always, see you here, and hopefully see you on the battlefield!

Sources

Gerald Massey, The Poetical Works of Gerald Massey (1861); Washington Daily National Republican, Jan. 1, 1864;

Some Odds and Ends, June 2013

I wanted to let readers know that I will be away from the blog for a couple of weeks. I am not headed to the Gettysburg 150th events -- for better or for worse -- but I do plan to fit in a day of Civil War-related sightseeing with the Colonel (my father-in-law to the uninitiated). I also will stay active on Facebook and Twitter as much as I can, particularly as we head into the Gettysburg Sesquicentennial. In the meantime, here are a few odds and ends:

*As you probably know by now, Google will be discontinuing its popular Google Reader service on July 1. I always thought Reader was the best way to keep track of the multitude of Civil War blogs that interest me. There are several alternatives to Reader, but let me make a plug for Feedly. I switched to this service a couple of months ago. It reminds me a lot of Reader, only Feedly looks a lot prettier. The migration of my subscriptions from Google Reader to Feedly was relatively seamless. The only real downside is that Feedly does not work on Internet Explorer, so users will need to install Chrome, Safari, or Firefox to view feeds on a desktop or laptop. (I use Chrome.) A mobile version (iOS and Android) is also available, meaning that I can read Feedly subscriptions anywhere, anytime on my iPhone.

*The Loudoun County Civil War Roundtable is sponsoring some worthwhile and interesting events this upcoming week in connection with the 150th of the Gettysburg Campaign. On Wednesday, June 26 at 7 p.m., a new Civil War Trails marker will be dedicated to the Edwards Ferry crossing of the Army of the Potomac. My pal and fellow blogger Craig Swain will lead a guided tour of the pontoon bridge sites and related features on Saturday, June 29, starting at 9 a.m. I enjoy Sesquicentennial events that highlight less famous episodes related to the big battles. Everyone's heard of Pickett's Charge, but how many know much about the Army of the Potomac's march across the Potomac at the end of June 1863? I regret that I can't make these events. Hopefully you'll be able to attend. For more information, check out the Loudoun County Civil War Roundtable's web page on the events.

Gen. John Buford awaits the onslaught of tourists for the Sesquicentennial commemoration at Gettysburg.

*According to a recent press release, C-SPAN3's American History TV will be offering extensive coverage of Gettysburg 150-related events in the coming days, both live and pre-recorded. Programming information is available on the C-SPAN3 website. Since I can't attend the Sesqui commemoration, I hope to fit in some time watching the various events during my vacation. At least the Colonel likes the Civil War and probably won't mind if I tune in unless a Red Sox game is on!

*Of course, part of me will surely miss not being on the ground in Gettysburg for the actual 150th. The National Park Service alone has tons of interesting events planned. Then I remember the predicted crowds and gridlock as noted in this article, and I am sort of glad that my Dad and I beat the rush and visited back in May when things were a bit more quiet. (I will have more to say on that trip in a future post.)

*Last, but not least, have a great Fourth of July! And whatever you do, pause to remember the sacrifices at Gettysburg and Vicksburg that helped to pave the way for a stronger Union and freedom for millions.

The Pennsylvania Reserves in Northern Virginia: The Path to Gettysburg

This past spring I wrote a four-part series on the return of the Pennsylvania Reserves to Northern Virginia at the start of 1863. This storied division had experienced heavy losses during the previous year's fighting, and after political intervention by top-ranking generals and Pennsylvania's own governor, the Reserves were sent to the defenses of Washington to rest and recruit. As June 1863 began, the division was scattered across Northern Virginia and Washington City. The month would end with two-thirds of the division on the march north to join the Army of the Potomac in pursuit of Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederates.

A New Commander and a Return to the Old Dominion

On June 1, 1863, Gen. Samuel P. Heintzelman, commander of the Department of Washington, named Gen. Samuel W. Crawford to replace Col. Horatio G. Sickel at the head of the First and Third Brigades of the Pennsylvania Reserves. (OR, 1:51:1, 1043.) The Second Brigade was to remain attached to the Military District of Alexandria. Heintzelman ordered Crawford to make his headquarters at Fairfax Station, where the First Brigade was encamped. The Third Brigade, which was performing provost duty in Washington City, was directed to cross the Potomac and proceed to Upton's Hill, not far from Falls Church.*

Brig. Gen. Samuel W. Crawford (courtesy of Library of Congress). Crawford was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania in 1829. He was the surgeon in charge at Ft. Sumter during the bombardment in April 1861. Crawford joined the Union infantry and rose to brigade command by spring of 1862. He briefly led a Twelfth Corps division at Antietam until being wounded in the thigh. Following his recovery, Crawford was given command of the Pennsylvania Reserves.

On the evening of June 1, the men of the Third Brigade under Col. Joseph W. Fisher marched out of the city "to the sounds of martial music." (Columbia Spy, June 6, 1863.) The soldiers "were in fine spirits," and "cheered as they passed through [the] streets, glad again to be in the field." (Phila. Press, June 2, 1863.) Spectators along the sidewalk and in hotel windows echoed the soldiers' hurrahs for Ulysses S. Grant, Joseph Hooker, George B. McClellan, William Rosecrans, and other generals. (Columbia Spy, June 6, 1863.)

Rallying to the Defense of the Keystone State

Events soon took an alarming turn. As talk of a Confederate invasion of Pennsylvania spread, the Reserves grew anxious to leave Northern Virginia and defend their native soil against Lee's army. According to one regimental history, the thought of remaining behind in the defenses of Washington "was rather mortifying." (Woodward, Our Campaigns, 259.) Officers made entreaties to Washington and Harrisburg to have the Reserves return to the field along with the Army of the Potomac. In one instance, the commander of the 2nd Pennsylvania Reserves and his fellow officers petitioned Col. William McCandless, head of the First Brigade:

We, the undersigned. . . having learned that our mother State has been invaded by a Confederate force, respectfully ask, that you will, if it be in your power, have us ordered within the borders of our State, for her defence. 

. . . we have more than once met and fought the enemy, when he was at home. We now wish to meet him again where he threatens our homes, our families and our firesides. 

Could our wish in this behalf be realized, we feel confident that we could do some service to the State that sent us to the field, and not diminish, if we could not increase, the lustre that already attaches to our name. (Woodward, Our Campaigns, 260.)

McCandless received the petition on June 17 and "forwarded it through the proper channel to Washington." (Woodward, Our Campaigns, 259.) Meanwhile, Gens. John F. Reynolds and George G. Meade, who had both led the Reserves through the bloody trials of 1862, requested that the War Department transfer the division to their respective army corps. (See, e.g., Sypher 448; Thomson & Rauch 260; Woodward, The Third Reserve, 226.)

Col. William McCandless (courtesy of PRVC Historical Society).

At Last! -- Rejoining the Army of the Potomac

The fate of the Reserves became part of the larger question of reinforcing Hooker as he chased down Lee's army. General-in-Chief Henry W. Halleck, worried about keeping the nation's capital safe from a possible Confederate advance, maintained a tight grip on the soldiers belonging to the defenses of Washington. (Coddington 96.) In the end, Halleck relented and agreed to send Hooker around 8,400 infantry reinforcements, including two brigades of the Pennsylvania Reserves. (Sears 220.)**

Late on June 23, Hooker directed Crawford "to hold [his] command in readiness to move at very short notice," with ten days' subsistence. (OR, 1:27:3, 273.) Pickets were to remain posted "until further orders." (OR, 1:27:3, 273.) Less than two days later, Hooker put the Reserves in motion to catch up with the rest of the army, which was already in pursuit of Lee. At 9:30 in the morning on June 25, Crawford was directed to "march with your command to-day, via the Leesburg turnpike, to Edwards Ferry, and, if possible . . . cross the river at that point, should you reach the Ferry in season." (OR, 1:27:3, 309.)

Not long afterwards, Hooker was shocked to learn from Crawford that John P. Slough, military governor of Alexandria, had detained the Second Brigade of Pennsylvania Reserves. He fired off a note to Halleck, demanding that "General Slough be arrested at once" and promising that "charges will be forwarded as soon as I have time to prepare them." (OR, 1:27:1, 56.) Hooker sharply warned Halleck, "You will find, I fear, when it is too late, that the effort to preserve department lines will be fatal to the cause of the country." (OR, 1:27:1, 56.) The General-in-Chief wasted no time in brushing aside Hooker's request:

The Second Brigade, to which you refer in your telegram, forms no part of General Crawford's command, which was placed at your orders. No other troops can be withdrawn from the Defenses of Washington. (OR, 1:27:1, 57.)  

That same day, the First and Third Brigades struck camp and began their march from Fairfax Station and Upton's Hill.*** The soldiers proceeded as far as the area around Vienna, where they bivouacked for the night. (OR, 1:27:1, 143; Woodward, Our Campaigns, 261). Early the next morning the Reserves resumed their march. The Pennsylvanians moved up the Leesburg-Alexandria Turnpike, past Dranesville, where many of them had first experienced battle.**** A "violent and constant" rainfall turned the roads into "almost knee-deep" mud. (Woodward, Our Campaigns, 261.) Despite such miserable conditions, the division reached Goose Creek that night. (OR, 1:27:1, 143.) At daylight on June 27, the Reserves headed a short distance to the Potomac and crossed the river at Edwards Ferry via pontoon bridge. (OR, 1:27:3, 353.) The division pushed through Maryland and arrived that night at the mouth of the Monocacy River, "in spite of the heavy roads." (Woodward, Our Campaigns, 261; see also OR, 1:27:1, 143.) Finally, on June 28, the Reserves crossed the Monocacy and marched to Ballinger's Creek near Frederick, where they joined the Fifth Corps. (OR, 1:27:1, 144; Hardin 141.)***** By the time the Reserves caught up with the Fifth Corps, Meade had taken command of the Army of the Potomac, and Gen. George Sykes had replaced him at the head of the corps.

Detail of Edwards Ferry, Goose Creek, and vicinity from 1862 Union Army map of Northeastern Virginia (courtesy of Library of Congress).  The Leesburg Turnpike, also visible here, served as the Pennsylvania Reserves main route of march to the crossing at Edwards Ferry.

The Pennsylvania Reserves continued their movement northward through Maryland and into Pennsylvania. The division arrived at Gettysburg on July 2 during the second day of the battle. That evening, the First Brigade drove into the Plum Run Valley and beat back an assault by troops from James Longstreet's corps on the Union left near Little Round Top. Crawford himself seized the colors and led the charge. The division's overall losses at Gettysburg stood at 26 killed, 181 wounded, and 3 missing. (OR, 1:27:1, 180.) The Reserves had proven their mettle once again and made a contribution to the Confederate defeat. Before long, the Pennsylvanians would return with the rest of the army to the familiar soil of the Old Dominion. In this war, there was no staying away.

Notes

*The 11th Pennsylvania Reserves of the Third Brigade were still stationed in Northern Virginia in June, most likely in the vicinity of Vienna or Fairfax Station. (Gibbs 214-15.)

**The other units sent to Hooker from the Department of Washington included a brigade of New Yorkers under Gen. Alexander Hays and the Second Vermont Brigade under Gen. George Stannard. Both brigades would go on to distinguish themselves at Gettysburg. Halleck also agreed to furnish a division of cavalry under Gen. Julius Stahel, as well as artillery units, including the 9th Massachusetts Battery.

***The drive to replenish the ranks of the Reserves while in the defenses of Washington met with little success. (Gibbs 213; Thomson & Rauch 256-57.) The two brigades that set out on June 25 totaled just 3,817 officers and men. (Coddington 98.)

****The Battle of Dranesville took place on December 20, 1861, and pitted a brigade of the Reserves against J.E.B. Stuart's Confederates.

*****The Pennsylvania Reserves officially became the Third Division of the Fifth Corps.

Sources

Aside from the Official Records, the following sources were useful in compiling this post:

Civil War in the East (on-line database); Edwin B. Coddington, The Gettysburg Campaign: A Study in Command (1979 ed.); Columbia Spy, June 6, 1863; Joseph Gibbs, Three Years in the Bloody Eleventh: The Campaigns of a Pennsylvania Reserves Regiment (2002); Martin D. Hardin, History of the Twelfth Regiment Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps (1890); Harrisburg Daily Patriot and Union, June 27, 1863; Philadelphia Press, June 2, 1863; Stephen W. Sears, Gettysburg (2003); Jeffrey F. Sherry, "The Terrible Impetuosity: The Pennsylvania Reserves at Gettysburg," Gettysburg Magazine, Issue No. 16, Jan. 1, 1997 (courtesy of P.R.V.C. Hist. Soc.); J.R. Sypher, History of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps (1865); O.R. Howard Thomson & William H. Rauch, History of the "Bucktails" (1906); Evan M. Woodward, History of the Third Pennsylvania Reserve (1883); Evan M. Woodward, Our Campaigns (1865).

Additional Reading

An excellent and detailed account of the Pennsylvania Reserves' march from Upton's Hill/Fairfax Station to Edwards Ferry, including maps, can be found here, at Craig Swain's Civil War blog, To the Sound of the Guns. Also be sure to check out Craig's on-going series of posts on the march of the Union army through Loudoun County in the days prior to Gettysburg.

For the full story of the Pennsylvania Reserves at Gettysburg, see "The Terrible Impetuosity: The Pennsylvania Reserves at Gettysburg," by James Sherry in Gettysburg Magazine, Issue No. 16, Jan. 1, 1997.

The Pennsylvania Reserves Remember Dranesville -- at Gettysburg!

As many readers may know, I spent last weekend in Gettysburg. I hadn't been to the battlefield in many years, and the visit left me with a lot of impressions and emotions. (More on that in a future post!) As part of my tour, I focused on sites associated with the Pennsylvania Reserves. Two brigades from the division participated in the fighting at Gettysburg. I am fascinated by the Reserves and have written many posts about their time in Northern Virginia. Imagine my surprise when I discovered "Dranesville" inscribed on the 10th Pennsylvania Reserves Monument along with the names of other battles in which the regiment participated. The same goes for the Bucktails (13th Pennsylvania Reserves) Monument. Although I didn't get to all of the monuments for the Pennsylvania Reserves this time around, I searched the Historical Marker Database and noticed that the other regiments who fought at Dranesville (the 6th, 9th, and 12th Pennsylvania Reserves) also listed this small-scale engagement on their monuments. I've written quite a bit about the battle, including an article for the Civil War Trust. Even after experiencing all the carnage at Gettysburg (not to mention other places like Antietam), the former members of these five regiments made sure to commemorate their clash in and around a small Virginia hamlet during the first year of the war. Dranesville rarely appears in most modern accounts of the Civil War, but the hardened veterans of the Pennsylvania Reserves could never forget the sacrifices they made in one of their early and limited battles against the Confederate infantry.

Here are a few pictures that I snapped of the monuments:

Soldier atop the 10th Pennsylvania Reserves Monument at Big Round Top. The 10th Pennsylvania Reserves belonged to the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division (Pennsylvania Reserves), Fifth Corps, Army of the Potomac. The Maltese Cross on the monument represents the Fifth Corps.

A list of engagements of the 10th Pennsylvania Reserves, starting with Dranesville.

I couldn't help but take this close-up of Dranesville on the 10th Pennsylvania Reserves Monument.

The 13th Pennsylvania Reserves Monument near the Wheatfield. The 13th Pennsylvania Reserves were better known as the "Bucktails." The regiment belonged to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division (Pennsylvania Reserves), Fifth Corps, Army of the Potomac. The soldier atop the monument is appropriately wearing a bucktail attached to his cap!

List of engagements in which the Bucktails participated, starting with Dranesville.

Gettysburg and the Sound of Slots

Today marks the 147th anniversary of the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg.  I am sure that many readers have already heard about the proposed plan to build a casino next to Gettysburg National Military Park.  Preservation groups, including the Civil War Preservation Trust, have been fighting the developers of the casino.  Recently, 275 historians wrote to the Chairman of the Pennsylvanian Gaming Control Board and urged a vote against this unwarranted threat to the sacred ground around the Gettysburg.  I urge readers to get involved in the fight to halt the construction of the casino at Gettysburg, which represents yet another attempt to elevate profits above heritage.  As the historians so eloquently put it in their letter,  "there are many places in Pennsylvania to build a casino, but there’s only one Gettysburg."  Donate to the cause or write to state leaders and members of the Gaming Control Board.  It only takes a few minutes using the Civil War Preservation Trust site.  Hopefully this casino plan will go the way of the previous one.