Monocacy Aqueduct

Monocacy Aqueduct (HM18BU)

Location: Dickerson, MD 20842 Montgomery County
Buy Maryland State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 39° 13.369', W 77° 27.063'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 757 views
Inscription

Too Tough To Crack

— Antietam Campaign 1862 —

Confederate Gen. D. H. Hill's division crossed the Potomac at Point of Rocks on September 4, 1862, and marched south to clear Union forces from the area. His men breached and drained the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal at several places, burned canal boats, and damaged the Spinks Ferry Lock (Lock 27) south of here. They also breached the Little Monocacy Culvert but did not have enough tools or spare gunpowder to damage the vital Monocacy Aqueduct.

On September 9, Confederate Gen. John G. Walker's division spent several hours attempting to destroy the aqueduct, but were stymied by its "extreme solidity and massiveness." They camped near Licksville the next day and set off for Point of Rocks in the evening, after being surprised by the advance of Union forces under Gen. Darius N. Couch. The Federals deployed artillery near here to defend the aqueduct and Cheeks Ford.

(sidebar) Spinks Ferry lockkeeper Thomas Walter had been employed by the canal company since 1839. When Hill's division arrived, he pleaded with Gen. D.H. Hill not to destroy the aqueduct or lock, arguing that the Confederates could more effectively disable the canal by breaching earthen banks rather than masonry structures. Witnesses reported Walter became so heated they feared his arrest. These actions likely saved the canal company thousands of dollars, diverting destruction to more readily repairable areas. Walter was removed from his job for "collaborating with the enemy," but a petition from Walter's neighbors led to his reinstatement and recognition for protecting key canal structures.
Details
HM NumberHM18BU
Series This marker is part of the Maryland Civil War Trails series
Tags
,
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Thursday, October 23rd, 2014 at 5:01am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 288413 N 4344366
Decimal Degrees39.22281667, -77.45105000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 13.369', W 77° 27.063'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 13' 22.14" N, 77° 27' 3.78" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)301
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 15 Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, Dickerson MD 20842, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. Does the marker have a number?
  7. What year was the marker erected?
  8. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?
© 2024  Historical Marker Project.  All Rights Reserved.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
HMP is owned and operated by 3RiverDev (Fort Wayne, Indiana).
Terms and Conditions   |   Privacy Policy   |   Disclaimers   |   About   |   Contact Us