Civil War Sesquicentennial

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1863 Gettysburg Invasion & Retreat

In June and July of 1863, Union and Confederate armies crossed Carroll, Frederick and Washington Counties in Maryland, as General Robert E. Lee invaded the North for the second time. His first invasion was the 1862 Maryland Campaign. This time he reached Pennsylvania, sending panic throughout the Northern states. In Frederick, Union General George C. Meade was given command of the Army of the Potomac. Meade’s and Lee’s armies faced off at Gettysburg in an epic three-day battle. Once again, the Confederate tide was turned back, and rebels retreated.

Many communities, historic sites and museums in Frederick County will commemorate the region’s experience in the Gettysburg Invasion and Retreat. Among them are locations in Emmitsburg, Brunswick, and Frederick.

2013 Commemorative Events in Frederick County

Commemorative events for the Gettysburg Invasion and Retreat will appear below as details are made available.

SetonShrine.jpgCharity Afire Civil War Exhibit
Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–4:30pm
National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Emmitsburg

Exhibit explores the role of Daughters of Charity sister nurses following the Battle of Gettysburg and throughout the Civil War. Website

Miracles Amid the Firestorm Tour
April – November
Fridays and Saturdays at 12 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm
National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Emmitsburg

Civil War walking tour. See where Union officers conducted a war council to prepare for the battle of Gettysburg, and learn about a religious community that cared for soldiers during the war. Website

Guided Civil War Walking Tours
In 2013, the Civil War walking tour highlights the impact of the war on the residents of Frederick County in 1863. Guided tours are offered every first and third Saturday at 11am from April-October. Tours begin at the Museum of Frederick County History, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Website

Our Buildings and Very Earth Trembled: Gettysburg Reflections from the Daughters of Charity Provincial Archives
June 29 – July 6, 2013
Daughters of Charity Provincial Archives, Emmitsburg

Original manuscripts, photographs and artifacts related to the events in St. Joseph’s Valley preceding and following the Battle of Gettysburg.  Displays will change daily. Calendar of gallery talks:

  • June 29: An introduction to the Daughters of Charity as witnesses and participants: the “voices” of Fr. Francis Burlando and Sr. Marie Louise Caulfield.
  • June 30: Custer and the Cavalry arrive: the “voices” of Sr. Marie Louise Caulfield and Sr. Camilla O’Keefe.
  • July 1: Bread: the “voices” of Sr. Camilla O’Keefe and Sr. Mary Jane Stokes.
  • July 2: Memories of St. Joseph’s: “voices” of various Sisters and Generals
  • July 3: Over the killing grounds to Gettysburg: “voice” of Sr. Camilla O’Keefe
  • July 4: Sisters nurse in Gettysburg: “voices” of Fr. Francis Burlando and Sr. Camilla O’Keefe
  • July 5: Care of wounded: “voice” of Sr. Matilda Coskery
  • July 6: Fifty years later: “voices” of Sr. Juliana Chatard and former Union drummer boy Charles T. Barnes

Website

Gettysburg’s Bloody Wheatfield
May 16, 2013, 7:30 PM
National Museum of Civil War Medicine

Jay Jorgensen, Civil War historian, author, lawyer, municipal court judge, is the guest speaker at the Frederick County Civil War Roundtable disucssion in May on the topic, "Gettysburg's Bloody Wheatfield." Website

More Information

Discover more about Frederick County's Civil War sites and stories.

tfc-hotcw-150-logo.gifFrederick County is located in Maryland's Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area. For more events and to learn more about experiences "Below the Mason Dixon Line, above the Potomac, and at the Heart of the Civil War," visit www.heartofthecivilwar.org.

Star-Spangled Event June 14-15

Star-Spangled Event June 14-15

Francis Scott Key’s original Star-Spangled Banner song lyric manuscript comes to Frederick.

Learn More Today