Catoctin Furnace in the Civil War
Ca. 1898 image of Catoctin Furnace, "Isabella" Stack No. 2, built by John B. Kunkel in 1858. (Courtesy John Kinnaird Collection)
In 1858, John Baker Kunkel, Sr. purchased Catoctin Furnace in the debtor’s equity sale of Peregrine Fitzhugh. Kunkel appointed his son John B. Kunkel, Jr. to oversee the daily operations as ironmaster. Another son, Jacob M. Kunkel, who had held a partnership with Fitzhugh in the “Catoctin Iron Works” in the 1850s, was a successful attorney and politician. John Jr. and Jacob Kunkel inherited full ownership of Catoctin Furnace following their father’s death in 1861.[1]
In 1860, John Kunkel, Sr. had two enslaved house servants, Rachel and her daughter Mary Ellen, while Jacob held seven enslaved adults and children.[2] John B. Kunkel, Jr., living in the ironmaster’s house at the furnace, listed four enslaved children in his household. Prior to 1850, large numbers of enslaved people were employed at Catoctin Furnace, but by 1860, it appears there were no longer any enslaved laborers at the works.[3]
Throughout the Civil War, the Kunkel family was known to be sympathetic to the Confederate cause. In September 1861, both Jacob and John Jr. joined the “Peace Party.” The party represented men who opposed the war, calling it “no remedy for our National troubles” and “calculated to destroy rather than promote Union.”[4]
At their first meeting on September 6, J. Baker Kunkel (Jr) served on the nominating committee that elected his brother Jacob as president of the group. A year later, in August 1862, Jacob Kunkel’s home in Frederick was searched for secessionist material, where they found a hidden parcel containing “Emblems of Treason,” including a Confederate flag and a photograph of Jefferson Davis, among other things.[5] Then, in October 1863, Jacob Kunkel was arrested by the Provost Guard “for disrespect to the Military authority.”[6]
The Frederick Examiner, October 14, 1863 (crossroadsofwar.org)
As ironmaster at Catoctin Furnace, John B. Kunkel, Jr. appears to have avoided the same troubles as his more-activist brother in Frederick. John Kunkle was perhaps too busy keeping two blast furnaces active, cranking out iron for military use.
The Civil War proved to be lucrative for the iron industry, and despite his feelings about President Lincoln’s war policies, Kunkel benefited from Union contracts for iron. It is said the two furnaces – Stack 1, built 1774-1776, and Stack 2 (known as “Isabella”), built in 1857 – ran non-stop, producing three tons of pig iron each day, which was shipped to Baltimore foundries. Henry Fraley, who worked at the furnace, later recalled it was a time of “a-working and a-scotching [drinking].”[7]
Chronic labor shortages likely occurred at Catoctin Furnace due to war-time enlistments and the Union draft. Thomas Benner, who lived in Catoctin Furnace village, and Leander Kuhn from nearby Mechanicstown (Thurmont), both enlisted in the 1st Potomac Home Brigade (Union infantry). Samuel Anders and Aaron Carver from Mechanicstown, and Cost Carmack and John Carmack from Creagerstown, joined other Union regiments. Yancy May (Lewistown), a collier at the furnace, and Peter Willard (Mechanicstown) joined the Confederate army.[8]
An August 1863 Union draft registration listed, two white men, Lewis J. Powell (Lewistown) and Samuel Grimes Pennell (Mechanicstown), and three Black men, Abraham and Henry Patterson (Mechanicstown) and Samuel Prior (Creagerstown).[9]
“U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865” (Ancestry.com)
Recruitment of free Black men to the United States Army began in January 1863 and later included, “slaves of disloyal owners, and slaves of consenting loyal owners in the border states.”[10] Both free and enslaved Black men from northern Frederick County joined the Union effort to defeat the rebellion and ensure freedom for all African Americans. Zachariah Abraham Patterson was the oldest son of Robert Patterson, whose pig farm adjoined the Catoctin Furnace Mountain Tract on what became known as “Bob’s Hill.”
Despite his African American heritage Patterson enlisted in the 1st Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Cavalry – a white regiment – in December 1863, serving until December 1865. Zachariah Patterson, listed as a “laborer” on his draft registration, likely worked at Catoctin Furnace prior to his enlistment and continued in that line of work in Pennsylvania after he mustered out from service.[11]
Photograph of Zachariah A. Patterson in his Connecticut Cavalry uniform (Courtesy Melvin Halterman and Crystal Emory)
An image of Patterson's burial record in Pennsylvania (Courtesy Melvin Halterman and Crystal Emory)
George W. Brooks was enslaved as a farm laborer in the household of William Johnson, just east of Catoctin Furnace, when he joined the USCT 19th Regiment, Co. D on December 31, 1863. He was twenty-three years old. After 1½ years of service, Brooks died on May 14, 1864, of “Congestion of the Lungs” in Fredericksburg, Virginia. William Johnson claimed his $300 bounty for Brooks’ service in May 1865, and in August of that year he recorded Brooks’ manumission (freedom) in the Frederick County circuit court, fifteen months after the young man’s death.[12]
George William Brooks enlistment record. (NARA/Fold3; FC Land Records)
George W. Brooks manumission document filed by his enslaver William Johnson 15 months after Brooks’ death. (Frederick Co. Deed Book JWLC 3, page 45)
In the state elections of 1863, war-weary Marylanders rebelled against the political domination of the state’s wealthy planter-enslavers. In November 1863, the state’s “loyal” voters – men who swore an oath of loyalty to the Union – elected a “radical” majority to the Maryland Assembly.
The new Assembly’s agenda included the abolition of slavery in Maryland. A Constitutional Convention convened in February 1864, resulting in a new Maryland constitution which abolished slavery in the state beginning November 1, 1864, a full year and ten months after the Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people in the rebellion states.
Across Maryland, 90,000 Black men, women, and children were freed from bondage. In the northern districts of Frederick County surrounding Catoctin Furnace, freedom came to as many as 83 individuals. Six months later, General Robert E. Lee would surrender at Appomattox, bringing the divisive war to an end.
[1] Frederick County Deed Book JWLC 4, page 278
[2] Mildred (Hoge) Richards, “The Kunkel Family of Frederick, Maryland” (Tucson, Arizona, 1954), 20; 1860 US Census Slave Schedule, Frederick County, Ancestry.com.
[3] 1860 US Census of Manufactures, Maryland, Frederick County, Mechanicstown District, Maryland State Archives, https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/stagserm/sm1/sm61/000200/000223/pdf/msa_sm61_000223.pdf.
[4] “County Convention of the Peace Party,” The Republican Citizen, September 6, 1861, https://crossroadsofwar.org/research/newspapers?id=426.
[5] “Emblems of Treason,” The Frederick Examiner, August 6, 1862, https://crossroadsofwar.org/research/newspapers?id=1280.
[6] “Arrested and Paroled,” The Frederick Examiner, October 14, 1863, https://crossroadsofwar.org/research/newspapers?id=3095.
[7] Henry Fraley recollection, as cited in Edmund F. Werhle, “Catoctin Mountain Park: An Historic Resource Study” (March 2000), 86.
[8] “Civil War Soldiers” database, Crossroads of War and Freedom, https://crossroadsofwar.org/research/soldiers.
[9] “U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865,” Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1666/images/32178_1220705228_0086-00233?usePUB=true&_phsrc=tij1520&_phstart=successSource&pId=336567.
[10] Barbara Jeanne Fields, Slavery and Freedom on the Middle Ground (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1985), 125.
[11] From genealogy research completed by Patterson descendant Crystal Emory.
[12] FC DB JWLC 3, page 45; “Civil War Service Records (CMSR) - Union - Colored Troops 19th Infantry,” Fold3 by Ancestry, https://www.fold3.com/title/683/civil-war-service-records-cmsr-union-colored-troops-14th-19th-infantry/browse/hbwlSKa-X7ZNLjJJ5; “Register of Claims, 1864-1867,” entry #2618, MSA-SC-4678, US Adjutant General Collection (NARA RG 94-348), Maryland Slave Claims Commission, Maryland State Archives, http://mdhistory.msa.maryland.gov/msa_sc4678/msa_scm5775/pdf/msa_sc4678_scm5775.pdf.
Today
Nestled in the heart of Frederick County, Catoctin Furnace is a beautifully preserved industrial village that brings history to life. Established in the 1770s, this remarkable site once buzzed with the sounds of iron production and the labor of skilled artisans, including enslaved and free African Americans. Today, visitors can explore the rich legacy of this community through guided and self-guided tours that weave together centuries of stories.
The Catoctin Furnace Historical Society's Museum of the Ironworker offers an engaging glimpse into the past with exhibits that include forensic facial reconstructions of early workers, showcasing their untold stories.
Stroll the African American Cemetery Trail, which honors those who labored here, or walk the Iron Trail, connecting the village to Cunningham Falls State Park’s Manor Area. For a truly immersive experience, stay at the historic Forgeman’s House, a lovingly restored overnight accommodation built in the 1820s that keeps you rooted in the history of the furnace.
Each May, the Maryland Iron Festival brings the village to life with demonstrations, music, and family-friendly activities commemorating its industrial heritage. Whether you’re hiking, learning, or simply soaking in the preserved nuances of this historic site, Catoctin Furnace offers a one-of-a-kind journey into Maryland’s past.
What's Nearby
After exploring the historic village of Catoctin Furnace, you might find yourself craving both adventure and a good meal.
Head north along US Route 15 to Thurmont and Emmitsburg, where Union soldiers once marched en route to Gettysburg in 1863. While you trace this storied path, fuel up at one of the region’s inviting restaurants - like the Carriage House Inn, renowned for its classic American fare served in a charming 19th-century building that pre-dates the Civil War. If you’re in the mood for local flavors, swing by Catoctin Mountain Orchard to pick fresh fruit or enjoy homemade pies and pastries.
Looking to sample something a bit stronger? Raise a glass at Springfield Manor, where you’ll find Maryland’s only winery, brewery, and distillery all on one scenic property. Admire the rolling countryside and this impressive estate that dates back to the 1790s. Make a stop by Catoctin Breeze Vineyards and make a stop at their Civil War Trails site while sipping wine with views of Catoctin Mountain.
For an outdoor escape, visit Cunningham Falls State Park’s William Houck Area to hike the peaceful trails or fish on Hunting Creek Reservoir. There you'll find Maryland's tallest cascading waterfall just an easy hike from the lake.
Nearby Catoctin Mountain Park beckons with its rocky overlooks and campsites, perfect for taking in Frederick County’s natural splendor and looking out over the routes of the US Army to and from Gettysburg in the summer of 1863.
Be sure to explore Frederick County’s famous covered bridges, each steeped in lore, or stop by the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg for a deeper dive into Maryland's rich Catholic heritage with deep ties to the Civil War era.
Explore more in northern Frederick County
