The American Civil War - Chronologically

October 7, 1863 Skirmish at White House Farm Summit Point, WV, Jefferson County Col. Benjamin L. Simpson (9th MD Infantry) > Capt. George Dent Summers (2nd MD Potomac Home Brigade Infantry) vs. Gilmore's Raiders (7th VA Cavalry at this point) * It's one thing to run across an unexpected historical marker while driving to another one. However, not only was this surprise marker about the Civil War, it also featured my arch-nemesis, Harry Gilmor, being a bastard as usual. What a find!  * Gilmore's already been arrested once in Baltimore at this point, spent 5 months in jail, and will be captured and released again before really making trouble in Maryland in 1864. Later still, he gets caught yet again and is held in Boston until after Appomattox, but after the war continues to hassle the good people of Baltimore as their police chief, including famously firing upon some railroad union protesters.  * Someone said the oldest surviving barn in WV is here but IDK https://www.hmd...

August 26 and 27, 1863 Battle of White Sulphur Springs (AKA the Battle of White Sulphur, the Battle of Rocky Gap, the Battle of Dry Creek, or Howard's Creek) Greenbrier County, West Virginia Brigadier General Benjamin Franklin Kelley >  Brigadier General William W.  Averell :  2nd, 3rd, and 8th West Virginia mounted infantry regiments, also included the 14th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment, Gibson's Cavalry Battalion (consisting of six companies), and the six guns of Ewing's Battery vs. Confederate Major General Sam  Jones  > Brigadier General John Echols commanded a brigade >   Colonel George S. Patton:  22nd Virginia Infantry Regiment, the 26th Virginia Infantry Battalion, the 45th Virginia Infantry Regiment, and Chapman's Artillery * WV was divided: "Many of the fighters on both sides were West Virginians, and some were from the counties close to the site of the battle." * Patton's Confederate force stopped Averell's Union brigade n...

July 12, 1863 Second Battle of Hagerstown Hagerstown, MD XI Corps commander Gen. Oliver O. Howard:  Gen. George Armstrong Custer and his Michigan cavalry brigade * almost nowhere does this battle get its own designation, but it does get a faded Civil War Trails marker in downtown Hagerstown, so that's good enough for me. This second urban battle seems distinct from what's going on at Williamsport or Falling Waters. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=6534 Second Battle of Hagerstown Custer Captures the Town — Gettysburg Campaign — Six days had passed since the Federals had failed in their first attempt to seize Hagerstown as they pursued Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate army retreating to Virginia after the Battle of Gettysburg . On Sunday morning, July 12, 1863, a decisive event occurred - the Union army determined to secure its northern flank. The mission to capture Hagerstown was assigned to Gen. George Armstrong Custer and his Michigan cavalry brigade. Custer's Wolveri...

July 10, 1863 Battle of Funkstown (AKA the Second Battle of Funkstown) Funkstown, MD John Buford's Cavalry Division and one infantry brigade (Col. Thomas C. Devin’s dismounted Union cavalry brigade, then Col. Lewis A. Grant’s First Vermont Brigade of infantry) VS. JEB Stuart's cavalry and his one infantry brigade too ( Preston Chew’s  horse artillery  and the 34th Virginia Battalion’s dismounted cavalry;  Gen. George T. Anderson’s Confederate brigade ) * The "first" Battle of Funkstown was a much smaller engagement on July 7th. * The Feds trying to catch up with the Rebels' retreating rear-guard; blocked by Stuart's occupation of the town.  * Allegedly the first time opposing infantries faced each other since the Battle of Gettysburg . OK.  * Also, "Stuart's first defensive battle since reentering Maryland." OK. (I like "firsts," but these are getting ridiculous!) * Ends with a Union withdrawal; Stuart buys Lee more time to escape. But ...

July 8, 1863 The Battle of Boonsboro North of Boonsboro, along the National Road in Washington County, MD  (first resistance at Beaver Creek Bridge, 4.5 miles North of town) US Alfred Pleasonton: Kilpatrick and Buford's cavalry ordered to protect the South Mountain passes for Meade, similar to the Rebel position before Antietam .   VS. J.E.B. Stuart (with 5 cavalry brigades advancing towards the ford at Williamsport) * Stuart aggressively trying to protect Lee's retreat from Gettysburg  * Biggest and Most Sustained Cavalry Battle in MD during the campaign  * Too muddy for horses so they had to "dismount and slug it out like infantry" * Stuart withdraws when the Union infantry arrives, and fights another delaying battle at Funkstown two days later * "The Battle of Boonsboro" is definitively its own thing as part of the Gettysburg retreat, but there was also action here as part of the Antietam campaign, though that business is often thrown in with the ramblin...