Monocacy National Battlefield ⓘ

The landscape that encompasses Monocacy National Battlefield has been shaped by both natural processes and people. From the pre-historic migration of Native peoples through the twentieth century, moving people and supplies has been the impetus for creating and changing transportation systems through the landscape as well as manipulating the land to provide food and commodities. Monocacy Junction’s geographic location, combined with the natural and cultural landscape, set the stage for a day-long battle that saved the nation’s capital. But, what do we know about the people who shaped this landscape? Did their method of labor contribute to the growing cultural and political divisions that were manifest in a Civil War? How did the Civil War affect their lives? Here, we explore the history of the people of Monocacy Junction. For some we know a great deal, for others, particularly those who were enslaved and Native Americans, their paper trail is scarce or non-existent. Ongoing research will hopefully enrich our work further, however, we invite anyone with oral histories or family research concerning people who lived on this landscape to please contact the park .

Maryland has always been a border state in the sense that it lies geographically between what is considered north (Pennsylvania) and south (Virginia) with very different economies and culture. Maryland represented the dichotomy United States in microcosm, holding African Americans in bondage until November 1, 1864, while also having a significant free-black population.

Maryland was founded as a British colony in 1634. By 1640, there were 600 European colonists and 20 Africans for a ratio of 30:1. Within 20 years that figure jumped to 11:1 and laws were deemed “necessary” to control the enslaved and indentured servant populations. Laws codified “white privilege” to separate indentured European servants from the enslaved Africans in order prevent them from conspiring to cause insurrection. The institutionalization of African chattel slavery in Maryland and other English colonies was propelled by the passage of laws created to control the laboring population.

In the 1720s and ‘30s Frederick County in Mid-Maryland was predominately populated by English/Scottish settlers arriving from eastern Maryland and Germans from Pennsylvania with an agricultural economy based largely on grain production and processing. While the type of agriculture in this part of the state was seasonal, and not as labor intensive as tobacco and cotton, there was a steady increase in enslaved labor in the county. Renting out slaves was not uncommon, and many also worked in the Catoctin mines, or were skilled craftsmen. In 1850, 11 years prior to the Civil War, there were 33,314 whites, 3,760 free blacks, and 3,913 enslaved persons in Frederick County. To give that some perspective, that is an increase of 23.7% of white people, 1,665% increase of free blacks, and 7.5% increase of enslaved persons from the 1790 census; the second highest increase of enslaved people during that time in the state. During the Civil War, Maryland officially remained with the Union; however, many of its citizens sided with the Confederacy. As a Border State, Maryland was not directly affected by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, as it only freed slaves in states disloyal to the Union. When the need for soldiers finally pushed the U.S. government to authorize the formation of the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT), it specified that only free blacks could enlist. The law did allow, however, for enslavers to receive a signing bonus if they allowed an enslaved man to join the USCT. A recruiting station for USCT opened at Monocacy Junction in 1863. Slavery remained legal in Maryland until November 1, 1864, when Maryland passed a new state constitution. It was the only Border State to abolish slavery before the 13th Amendment in 1865. While the abolishment of slavery brought legal freedom, it did not bring equality nor erase the harm. The Maryland 1864 constitution allowed black children to be "apprenticed" by whites until their 18th birthday. It is estimated that between 3,000 and 4,000 black childeren were almost immediately forced into "apprenticeships" following emancipation. The 13th Amendment contained language that allowed for "involuntary servitude" as a punishment for crime.

Who were these individuals and what was their story? As they were considered “property,” their history was not recorded except for tax lists, sale of property, wills and such. As historians we struggle to put together the puzzle of their lives and hope for some record, letter, diary, or family history to surface. We scour through newspapers and courthouse records for some trace of lives lived that worked the land on this battlefield, used their skills as carpenters, musicians, and blacksmiths to better the lives of those who held them in bondage. Slowly we are beginning to learn more about the people whose history has till now been elusive, ignored, and even actively erased. We will continue to edit this page and add information as we discover and reclaim the stories of the people who helped shape this landscape.

1793 slave registration : Janvier - 24 years old Francois Arajou - 20 years old Jean or Jane - 16 years old Veronique - 16 years old Maurice - 15 years old Marianne - 40 years old Cecile - 18 years old Souris - 15 years old Pierre Louis - 35 years old Lambert - 5 years old Fillele - 8 years old Saint-Louis - 14 years old Manuel – 25 years old Listed in 1797 court documents: Shadrach Harry Jerry - 27 years old Abraham Stephen Poll George - 21 years old Jenny Sold on November 19th, 1822: Emmos – approx. 20 years old John - 17 years old Ramond - 15 years old Sold in 1824: Daniel 26-45 years old Sold on June 13, 1825: Louisa - 14 years old Kitty - 12 years old Sucky - 10 years old Ben - 8 years old Fillille - 35 year old Mary - 6 years old Jane - 9 years old Nicholas - 3 years old John - 1 year old Magdalene - 14 years old Polly - 42 years old Manuel - 50 years old Molly - 45 years old Marceline - 1 year old Anthony - 15 years old Priscilla - 9 years old Felix - 15 years old Frederick County Assessment Record 1825: John Murdock Joseph Murdock Caroline Ridgely Cornelius Ridgely Augustus Ridgely Cornelia Ridgely Justine Brown 1830 Manumitted former laborers: Matilda Murdock Robert Murdock 1842 and 1846 Loan Documents Diana Combash Charity Combash Nelson Combash Eliza Ann (or Ann Eliza) Combash Elias Washington Combash 1850 Advertisement in the Republican Citizen Lewis Owens 1850 Frederick County Slave Schedule: 56 year old male, black 25 year old male, black 17 year old male, black 14 year old female, mulatto 11 year old male, black 9 year old female, black 6 year old male, black 1860 Sale John N. Combash 1860 Frederick County Slave Schedule: 20 year old male, mulatto 18 year old male, mulatto 19 year old female, mulatto 15 year old male, mulatto 15 year old female, mulatto 4 year old male, mulatto

Seized in August 1781: Moll 1790 Census: Four enslaved persons, names and ages unknown Listed in 1801 Court Case: Harriet, daughter of Esther Charlotte, daughter of Esther 1803 Will Lists: Jane Miller, emancipated in 1803 Maria - 7 years old, daughter of Jane Miller Ned, son of Jane Miller Joe Rachel Jack, son of Rachel Esther - 23 years old Israel - 9 years old, son of Esther 1803 Inventory: Lannom (Lanham) 30 years old Moses - 36 years old Glasgow - 33 years old Jerry - 42 years old Sookey, old negro woman “Blind mullato woman” 1820 census: Male under 14 years old Male under 14 years old Male 26-44 years old Female under 14 years old Female 14-25 years old Female 14-25 years old Female over 45 years old Present in 1852: Griffin Taylor Purchased in 1860: Daniel Ely 15 years old “Old woman”

1860 Frederick County Slave Schedule: 30 year-old female 32 year-old male 19 year-old male 19 year-old male 15 year-old female 13 year-old male 13 year-old male Named in Fighting for Time John Ephraim Tyler Butler Thomas Palm

1850 Census 51-year-old man 1860 Census 18-year-old female 40-year-old female 1856 Savilla Williams Henry Williams 1862 Martha, 12 years old

Further research needed, but initial reviews do not reveal that the Gambrills directly owned any slaves. However, regardless of whether the Gambrills owned slaves, they would have benefitted from the work of enslaved laborers. Most grains processed in their mill would have been grown and harvested with the use of enslaved laborers.

Baker Farm is located in the southwest quadrant of the park and is entirely within the Wett Work tract that was acquired by James Marshall in 1759. Baker Valley Road bounds the farm to the southeast and takes its name from the Baker family, who owned the narrow valley within which the farm is situated.

Only three families have owned the farm over the course of its 250-year history. In its earliest history, the farm was owned by James Marshall, who bequeathed it to his daughter Eleanor and her husband John L Harding in his will. The Hardings sold the 512-acre farm to Griffin Taylor in 1841, who also owned the adjacent Araby (Thomas) Farm . Taylor retained the property for only one month before selling 380 acres of it to Daniel and Edward Baker on October 25, 1841. In 1849, the brothers divided the property, with Daniel receiving the 214 acres that are known today as the Baker Farm.

During the Battle of Monocacy, on July 9, 1864, the Baker farm was within sight of fierce fighting on the Thomas Farm, adjacent to the northeast. During the latter stages of the Battle, Confederate forces crossed the northern end of Brooks Hill, which defines the Baker Farm's northwestern boundary, to attack the Federals.

On March 30, 1914, the Baker family sold the farm to Charles Geisbert. The property remained in the hands of the Geisbert family until it was acquired by the National Park Service in 1989. The Geisberts continue to farm the land and occupy the house and agricultural buildings under a life estate agreement.

The house on the Baker Farm was built around 1914 when the Geisberts took possession of the farm. It is a frame, two-story, American Foursquare-style dwelling. The current structure replaced an earlier dwelling house, which may have been constructed in the early or mid-nineteenth century. In addition to the house, a smokehouse, several barns, milk house, and free stalls complete the landscape.

The historic Best Farm is open to the public. Interpretive waysides located near the Best Farm parking area provide an overview of the Battle as it unfolded on the Farm. There is also information concerning enslavement on the Best Farm prior to the Civil War. For in-depth information about the long and fraught history of the Farm, please look for our full-color Best Farm booklet available at the Visitor Center.

Because of its proximity to the Georgetown Pike and Monocacy Junction, portions of both the Union and Confederate armies camped at the Best Farm throughout the Civil War. On September 13, 1862, during the Maryland Campaign, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's lost order No. 191 (which outlined his army's movements) was found on the Best Farm by soldiers from the 27th Indiana. Passed up through the chain of command, the captured order gave Union General George B. McClellan advance notice of his enemy's movements. Holding the paper, McClellan exclaimed, "Here is a paper with which, if I cannot whip Bobby Lee, I will be willing to go home."

In 1864, John T. Best took over operation of the farm from his father David. The first year of farming on his own looked promising, but soon proved disastrous. During the Battle of Monocacy on July 9, 1864, Confederate artillery set up on his farm and sharpshooters took positions in the barn. They fired at Union troops guarding the covered bridge over the Monocacy River on the Georgetown Pike. The Union returned fire, however, setting the Best's barn ablaze and destroying the grain, hay, tools, and farming implements kept there. Confederate infantry, using the farm as a staging area, soon destroyed any crops left standing in the fields.

Undaunted by this disastrous first year, John Best continued to successfully operate the farm for many years following the Civil War. The National Park Service acquired the Best Farm in 1993.

Thomas Farm, with its historic brick mansion, has long been a landmark in Frederick County. The prominent home south of Frederick is thought to have been constructed ca. 1780 by a Scottish merchant named James Marshall . In 1831, the farm came to be known as Araby , and an 1856 advertisement called the property:

THAT BEAUTIFUL AND PRODUCTIVE FARM called "Araby," CONTAINING 261 acres of Land, more or less. ... The improvements are of the best order, consisting of a large TWO-STORY BRICK MANSION HOUSE, with Back Building, suitable for a large family ...

In 1860, Araby was purchased by Christian Keefer Thomas, a retired Baltimore dry goods merchant. C. K. Thomas relocated to Frederick County to avoid Baltimore's pre-war strife; unfortunately, both Union and Confederate troops were actively engaged on Araby throughout the period of conflict.

The Thomas family spent the winter of 1862-63 getting to know members of the 14th New Jersey Regiment , whose duty it was to guard the nearby Monocacy Junction. In June of 1863, Major General Winfield Scott Hancock established his headquarters at the Thomas home for three days while the Union army marched north toward Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

During the Battle of Monocacy, on July 9, 1864, the Thomas Farm was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the day. Caught between Union and Confederate lines, the house and outbuildings were captured and recaptured by both armies several times. Confederate artillery posted at the nearby Worthington Farm caused severe damage to the house while attempting to dislodge Union sharpshooters. C. K. Thomas and his family took refuge in the cellar of the house during the battle. Among those hiding in the cellar was Alice Thomas' friend Mamie Tyler Gatchell, who recalled:

Pieces of shell were flying too near to be pleasant ... Minié balls slashed the shubbery, while the larger missiles of War's fearful instruments twisted huge limbs from the trees, leveled down chimneys, & tore out an angle of the house.

In August of 1864, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant stayed with the Thomas family and used their home to hold a "council of war." During that meeting, Grant confirmed with General Phil Sheridan a plan to secure and destroy Confederate resistance in the Shenandoah; a plan that Sheridan carried out in the fall of 1864.

After the Civil War ended, the Thomas Farm returned to its previous prosperity; in fact, by 1868 the farm had sufficiently recovered to serve as the setting for 21-year-old Alice Thomas' wedding. C. K. Thomas died in 1889; his obituary described him as a "gentleman of pleasant manners" and remarked that "his beautiful home was noted for its hospitality and delightful social entertainments." The farm remained in the Thomas family until 1910. It was acquired by the National Park Service in 2001, and today the Thomas House is home to the park headquarters.

Constructed ca. 1851 by Griffin Taylor, a wealthy Frederick County agriculturist, the Worthington House is typical of the farmhouses favored by substantial farmers in Frederick County. Originally known as "Clifton Farm," the house and surrounding 300 acres adjacent to the Monocacy River were sold to John T. Worthington in 1862. Renaming his new property "Riverside Drive and Farm," John Worthington enjoyed success in farming until his death in 1905. The farm remained in the Worthington family until 1953.

During the Battle of Monocacy on July 9, 1864, Confederate troops crossed the Monocacy River onto the Worthington Farm. From the farm fields, the Confederates initiated three advances toward the Union line positioned at the neighboring Thomas Farm.

These actions resulted in heavy casualties and the Worthington House and yard were subsequently used as a field hospital. A Confederate artillery piece unlimbered in the front yard during the battle provided an amusing aside to the horrific fighting: every time the gun fired, the Worthington's rooster would crow!

As the battle raged throughout the day, John Worthington and his family took refuge in the cellar of the house. Although the cellar windows had been boarded up prior to the battle, six-year-old Glenn Worthington was able to observe the action. Impressed with a scene that was forever etched in his memory, Glenn Worthington grew up to write a history of the battle called Fighting for Time . Published in 1932, the book remains an excellent eye-witness account of "the Battle that Saved Washington."

Today's Gambrill Mill tract was historically part of a large land holding originally owned by James Marshall . The Gambrill Mill (also known as Araby Mill) was built in 1830, and purchased by James H. Gambrill in 1855 (the mill may be seen below right in an 1893 photograph). Gambrill owned and operated the mill into the 1890s and transformed it into a successful operation despite the disruptions caused by the Battle of Monocacy and subsequent use of the mill as a field hospital.

Originally, Gambrill Mill was a three-story merchant flour mill fitted with two pairs of "burr" or flour-milling stones. The mill's inside, undershot water wheel was powered by a millrace fed by nearby Bush Creek. The creek was dammed about a mile from the mill, and a sluice gate regulated the amount of water that was allowed to flow into the millrace. Remnants of the tailrace may still be seen at the front of the building. In addition to the flour mill, the complex also included a sawmill, a chopping and plaster mill, and a one-and-one-half story miller's house, along with a variety of other support structures.

At its peak, the mill could produce up to sixty barrels of flour per day. James Gambrill employed three mill hands to manufacture the flour, along with two coopers to produce barrels for its transport. A contemporary newspaper account gave the following description:

By far, the Gambrill's mill did the most extensive business of all. The neat, well-appointed mill was up-to-the-minute...it was a pleasure to accompany the big wagon team on its slated trips to Gambrill's. The squat, neat old mill, the more than comfortable atmosphere of the place, and last, but not least, the handsome jolly miller, all combined to make one's visits a genuine pleasure.

During the Battle of Monocacy, Union forces were positioned in battle lines in the yard of the mill. The building was set up as a field hospital, although as Major General Lew Wallace declared in his autobiography, "the place appeared well selected for the purpose, its one inconvenience being that it was under fire." As the Federal forces fell back towards Baltimore, Confederate troops moved in and occupied the mill and the surrounding area.

In the 1920s, the top story of the mill was removed and the mill race partially filled in to convert the building into a dwelling house. Today, Gambrill Mill is used by the National Park Service for staff offices.

Five monuments on Monocacy National Battlefield commemorate the battle and honor those who fought here. While the Battle of Monocacy is the only Confederate victory in Union territory, no former Confederate state erected a monument on the battlefield. Between 1907 and 1915, the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont erected monuments to honor their sons who fought for the Union. In 1914, the United Daughters of the Confederacy placed a monument on the edge of the Best Farm to honor the Confederate soldiers who fought and died at Monocacy. To commemorate the centennial of the battle, the state of Maryland erected the final monument on the battlefield in 1964. Unlike the other four monuments that were dedicated to Union or Confederate soldiers, the Maryland Monument reflects a theme of reunification and is dedicated to the sons of Maryland who fought for both the Union and the Confederacy. With the exception of the Maryland Monument, all of the monuments predate the Congressional authorization of the battlefield in 1934. The monuments already formed a prominent part of the commemorative landscape when the National Park Service began acquiring land in the 1980s and 1990s for the battlefield. Today the National Park Service preserves and interprets the monuments not only for their role in remembering the July 9, 1864, battle, but also as reflections of the evolution of how we remember the Civil War.

Monocacy National Battlefield provides an excellent habitat for a wide variety of mammal species. A total of 34 different species have been known to inhabit the park. Most of the species that utilize the park’s resources are small, such as the short-tailed shrew, the woodland vole, the muskrat, the southern bog lemming, the meadow jumping mouse, and the hairy-tailed mole. Most of these small mammals are rarely seen because they live underground in small burrows.

Other small mammals such as eastern chipmunk and the gray squirrel are more commonly seen by visitors of the park. You may even be lucky enough to see the southern flying squirrel, which is the only nocturnal squirrel of its kind, and can retain flight for up to 80 yards.

There are also several medium-sized mammals found in the park, including the red fox, the raccoon, the striped skunk, and the groundhog. You may also see the mink, a semi aquatic carnivore whose tail constitutes 1/3 of its entire length and is an excellent swimmer.

The larger mammal species found in the park include black bear, white-tailed deer, and coyotes. While black bears are rarely spotted, and usually are only passing through, white-tailed deer are found in abundance. The rising population of deer has an intense affect on the herbaceous and woody plants found within the park. Several studies have been conducted on the effects of the overpopulation of deer in the park. A list of species that can be found on Monocacy National Battlefield is available below using the NPS Species Search Engine.

Regulations Park hours 7:30 am until 20 minutes after sunset For life-threatening emergencies, call 911 For all other emergencies or to report potential illegal activity, call NPS law enforcement at 866-677-6677 Keep pets on leash Pack out trash and pet waste No metal detecting, relic hunting, or removing historic objects No fires Do not enter farm fields or railroad tracks No bikes or horses on trails

Explore Monocacy's walking trails and tour historic farms where the Battle of Monocacy raged in 1864. The Junction Trail starts at the park visitor center and covers the area where Jubal Early's Confederate forces deployed to attack the bridge at the river below. The Gambrill Mill area includes an accessible boardwalk to a view of the Monocacy River where Union forces put up a desperate defense. The Worthington Farm area is where Confederate forces crossed the river to flank the Union forces, and the Thomas Farm was hotly contested ground during the battle. Each of these farms has its own story as well; Best Farm was once the home to over 100 enslaved people and one of the largest plantations in Maryland. Along the way, you can discover Maryland's native plants and animals and take in scenic landscape views. Leashed dogs are welcome. Metal detecting and relic hunting are strictly prohibited. See regulations for more.