Inscription
Gettysburg Campaign
It was a miserable night, and an even more miserable journey. As 3 a.m. neared on July 5, 1863, the van of the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg arrived here at Leitersburg. The men had marched nonstop for nearly twelve hours, but heavy rain and thickening mud had slowed their race to Williamsport and the Potomac River - and safety.
Suddenly, the 1st Vermont Cavalry dashed onto the Leitersburg Pike and captured more than 100 men, as well as horses, mules, cattle, and wagons. The Federals then sped toward Hagerstown and Boonsboro in search of more Confederates, but they failed to strike the column again. Meanwhile the Leitersburg train, after its initial shock, continued unmolested toward the Potomac.
"Never had the men and horses been so jaded, and stove up. One of our men who dropped at the foot of a tree in a sort of hollow, went to sleep, and continued sleeping until the waster rose to his waist. ...Battery horses would drop down dead. So important was our movement that no halt for bivouac, though we marched scarcely two miles an hour, was made during the route from Gettysburg to Williamsport - a march of over 40 miles. ...The men and officers on horseback would go to sleep without knowing it, and at one time there was a halt occasioned by all the drivers ... being asleep in their saddles. In fact the whole of the army was dozing while marching and moved as if under enchantment or a spell - were asleep and at the same time walking."
Details
| HM Number | HM2L3 |
|---|---|
| Series | This marker is part of the Maryland Civil War Trails series |
| Tags | |
| Historical Period | Civil War |
| Historical Place | Battlefield |
| Marker Type | Other |
| Marker Class | Historical Marker |
| Marker Style | Interpretative Marker / Sign |
| Placed By | Maryland Civil War Trails |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014 at 10:37am PDT -07:00 |
Pictures
Locationbig map
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 18S E 275863 N 4397335 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 39.69623400, -77.61477700 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 39° 41.774', W 77° 36.8866' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 39° 41' 46.4424" N, 77° 36' 53.1972" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 301, 240 |
| Can be seen from road? | Yes |
| Is marker in the median? | No |
| Which side of the road? | Marker is on the right when traveling South |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 21547 Ringgold St, Hagerstown MD 21742, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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Show me all markers in: Hagerstown, MD | Washington County | 21742 | Maryland | United States of America
Maintenance Issues
- This marker could use another picture or two.
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