Field Dispatch: Oldtown, MD

Last time, we took a look at the role of ironclad railroad cars in the war along the Potomac, with a special focus on two actions involving Captain Petrie of the 2nd PHB Infantry. Both of those actions took place near Oldtown, Maryland - a small village along the upper Potomac in Allegany County. This …

Raiders, Railroads, and Captain Petrie’s “Land Monitors”

The regiments of the Potomac Home Brigade were raised with the primary goal of protecting the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from maurauding rebel raiders. This was an essential mission given the importance of the B&O to the Union war effort. It was a vital artery for carrying men and materiel between the east coast and the …

“Owing to the very bitter feeling…between the officers and men”

Today we'll return to Cumberland to take a quick look at an incident involving the 2nd PHB Infantry early in 1863. During this time the entire 8th Army Corps - the Middle Department that defended Maryland and parts of West Virginia - was undergoing a reorganization. The defenses along the Upper Potomac were under the command of …

“Altogether filthy in the extreme”

Civil War hospitals tend to conjure up a particularly hellish image in the minds of most people. Piles of amputated limbs, screaming men, blood everywhere. A perfect charnel house. There is, of course, some truth to this mental image. Military hospitals have been scenes of unimaginable suffering since the dawn of warfare and the Civil …

Field Dispatch: Leesburg, Virginia

A sunny day made for a quick visit to Leesburg, Virginia. The historic core of the town dates to the latter half of the 18th century, so history is easy to come by as you walk the narrow streets. Brick and stone townhomes from the turn of the nineteenth century mingle with stately Victorians and …

Bushwacked at Grassy Lick

For much of their existence the Home Brigade fought on the periphery of what we know as the Eastern Theater of the Civil War. With a few notable exceptions they didn't get caught up much in the large, set piece campaigns that dominated the region. They weren't at Manassas or Chancellorsville or the Peninsula. They …

On the (Geo)Trail of History

I'm sure this will come as no surprise, but I'm a man of many nerdy hobbies. I love board games. I paint miniature soldiers. I even do 18th century living history. Since 2005 I have also been involved in the game of Geocaching. For the uninitiated out there let me give you a quick rundown. …

Blood on the Snow- Cole vs Mosby on Loudoun Heights

In the wake of their defeat at Five Points the survivors of Cole's Cavalry returned to their winter encampment on Loudoun Heights to lick their wounds. The first few days were tense. One trooper later recalled how "For a time the men were cautions and never undressed at night. Then arms were kept always within …

Captain Hunter’s New Year’s Ordeal

Last time around we looked at the terrible New Year's surprise that John Mosby and his men unleashed on the Union troopers under Captain Albert Hunter. Of the approximately 60 men of Cole's Cavalry that set out from Harper's Ferry on December 30 more than half were now prisoners of war. Hunter himself was captured …

A New Year’s Day Disaster

Confession time. I really don't like New Year's as a holiday.  I've always been more comfortable looking back in time than looking forward to the future. Maybe it's the post-holiday hangover, or some sort of fear of the unknown, or knowing that I'm one year older. I'm never in the mood to celebrate the passage of time. …