The socalled battle of monterey, at monterey, california, was waged on july 7, 1846, during the mexicanamerican war. Civil war battle of monterey pass jessica james award. Monterey pass battlefield monterey pass battlefield park. By the fall of 1863, it was engaged at the siege of knoxville and returned to lees army in virginia where they fought bravely during the siege of petersburg, the battle of cedar creek, and the battle of saylers creek. Moving through a narrow mountain gap called monterey pass, they were chased down by pursuing federal cavalry. The monterey pass battlefield museum displays a collection of artifacts related to the battle of monterey pass. An evening with ed bearss, register now to participate in this historic event. The battle of monterey pass was fought on the stormy night that linked july 4 and 5.
The action made the ongoing bear flag revolt superfluous. New franklin county museum details battle following gettysburg pittsburgh postgazette you can find more posts relating to the battle of monterey pass here. The battle of monterey pass american civil war forum. When i wrote about monterey pass for a book called pennsylvania civil war trails, there was almost nothing about the battle there, just a single. The main army marched to the hagerstown area via monterey pass. While lots of books, movies, and stories have focused on the importance of the threeday battle of gettysburg, little light has been shed on how the confederate army made its retreat. New museum remembering battle of monterey pass in blue.
Lees retreat from gettysburg even people with little interest in the civil war have heard of gettysburg and the great battle that happened there. As confederate troops made their retreat from gettysburg, forces fought for control of the mountain pass. It also holds the record for being the only battle fought on both sides of the mason and dixon line and it is called the most confusing battle of the war because it occurred at night during a violent thunderstorm on narrow mountain paths. Photo by seth gaines visit to grab an amazing super hero shirt now on sale. The horrific conditions soldiers faced during that long night of fighting have been depicted in detail by waynesboro artist carol smith, who recently finished painting a scene from the battle. The battle of buena vista, also known as the battle of angostura, had the united states army use artillery to repel the much larger mexican army in the mexicanamerican war. Civil war trails is also giving us a wayside exhibit that explains the general history of the battle.
The friends of monterey pass battlefield now accepting memberships. Buena vista, a village in the state of coahuila, is seven miles south of saltillo, in mexico. It was fought in the late hours of july 4 and early hours of july 5 th during a raging and blinding thunderstorm. The 50th georgia participated in chancellorsville, and gettysburg. Southern romance series little love affair siege of the heart. The battle of monterey pass is often referred to as one of the forgotten battles of the civil war. General grumble jones volunteered for the task of escorting general richard ewells wagon train as it traveled through the south mountain pass of monterey to williamsport. The retreat from gettysburg and the pursuit of lees army of northern virginia, july 4 14, 1863 nugent, michael, petruzzi, j.
The battle of monterey pass and the retreat from gettysburg the. It has both perspective on the big picture and has the battle details. The fight at monterey pass or gap was an american civil war military engagement beginning the evening of july 4, 1863, during the retreat from gettysburg. It was the site of the july 1863 fight at monterey pass during the retreat from gettysburg in. In june, prior to attending a hoods texas brigade association tour, three of us took a few hours to look over some of the locations identified in the book, specifically monterey pass. An evening with ed bearss american civil war forum.
The scenic south mountains and surrounding country is a beautiful location, but about dusk on july 4, 1863, the second largest battle in pennsylvania was about to begin. Its called the battle of monterey pass and is actually the second largest battle to take place in pennsylvania next to gettysburg, of course. Lee and his troops begin making the journey back to virginia. Three interpretive panels are located on the site and the michigan marker. Prior to the mexicanamerican war the californio forces had routed the. Moorman, commanding company d of the 14th virginia cavalry was dispatched eastward from the area between greencastle, pennsylvania, and hagerstown, maryland, to obtain horses reportedly. Judson kilpatrick attacked the retreating confederate column. There lee found the potomac river too swollen to cross. The retreat from gettysburg and the pursuit of lees army of northern virginia, july 4 14, 1863. One for kilpatricks movements with plenty of citizen accounts, the lone confederate cannon, the monterey inn and how kilpatrick tried to attack the right and left flanks of the csa army, as well as the west virginia cavalry. Blue ridge summit, bob oconnor i was a drummer boy in the american civil war, civil war enthusiasts, john m. He imagined the wagon train of defeated confederates, many already mortally wounded during battle at gettysburg, sustaining an attack by union soldiers.
Contentsshow preliminaries prior to the mexicanamerican war the. That same night union cavalry met a local 12yearold girl, hetty zeilinger, walking on the road to her home near monterey pass. Jasper wants to find his way back to the confederacy, but feels honorbound to bring horace back to his family, though the man seems reluctant. Welcome to my website for battle of gettysburg buffs, old. The monterey pass battlefield park is a historical park located in washington. Miller of the friends of the monterey pass battlefield, inc the monterey pass battlefield park is a 120 acre park that commemorates pennsylvanias second largest civil war battle, and the only battle to occur on both sides of. This is where two companies of the 5th michigan cavalry crossed the bridge and filed to the left, forming a battle line. Monterey pass, pine hill and other recreation and historical sites signage, ads, brochures, coloring books to promote tourism acquire adjacent properties for preservation develop interpretive center for battlefield and meadow develop educational programs and living history. The 50th georgia infantry impression for the maryland campaign.
Battle of monterey pass maria furnace road on january 29th, 2014 preservation pennsylvania listed the maria furnace road retreat route from gettysburg as an at risk historically significant property in the state of pennsylvania. The battle of monterrey was fought september 2124, 1846, during the mexicanamerican war 18461848 and was the first major campaign of the conflict conducted on mexican soil. Meanwhile, wounded at the battle of monterey pass but still able to escape union forces, jasper and his friend horace are lost and starving. Above is a photo of where much of the action occurred during this battle. Union victory in the west is an excellent book on this most western campaign.
This was the advance of the confederate retreat column from gettysburg. He has traveled the retreat route from the famous gettysburg battle countless times and in this account points out with maps and photos, the sites of headquarters. The resulting battle was the second largest engagement of the gettysburg campaign, and one of the few battles to take place on both sides of the masondixon line. Baldy smith at carlisle and set fire to the carlisle barracks.
Stuarts confederate cavalry briefly engaged union militia under maj. Monterey park, located along charmian road behind the monterey pass battlefield museum, is a recreational park in the heart of the monterey pass battlefield. He has traveled the retreat route from the famous gettysburg battle countless times and in this account points out with maps and photos, the sites of headquarters and camps occupied by the general on his armys tortuous journey back to his native virginia, as. Nugent, the book is, in my opinion, a must read and a classic along the lines of kent masterson browns work. For the 1842 incident at monterey, see capture of monterey. As a result of handtohand fighting by the michigan cavalry brigade, lee lost lots of supplies and over 1,300 of his men. Pennsylvanias second largest civil war battle, 2006. Monterey pass battlefield threatened visit pa dutch country. Ed bearss will be the featured keynote speaker, discussing the retreat from gettysburg. The book is about the battle of monterey pass, outside of gettysburg, pa, and discusses the retreat from gettysburg. The last of it, ewells corps, moved off on the morning of july 5 and two days later reached the hagerstown area. The battle of monterey, at monterey, california, occurred on 7 july 1846, during the mexicanamerican war. It has galleries that look at different aspects of the battle, such as the overall confederate invasion of pennsylvania and washington township at the time of the battle. Under his command, general jones had the 1st maryland cavalry, companies b, c, d, and e, and the 6th virginia cavalry, a portion of the 11th virginia cavalry, and two north carolina cavalry regiments under the command of general beverly robertson.
The battle of monterey pass took place near waynesboro, pa. The battle of monterey pass engaged 10,000 union and confederate soldiers in the retreat from gettysburg. Masondixon line at blue ridge summit, pa, near monterey pass battlefield. It is the only battle fought on both sides of the masondixon line, said john miller, director of the monterey pass battlefield museum in blue ridge summit. Smith is a member of valley art association in hagerstown. Captain alexander pennington deployed tow rifled cannon and began to shell the confederate battle line, kilpatrick also ordered the 1st west virginia cavalry, and a portion of 1st ohio cavalry to support the wolverines. The museum is open yearround for group tours and families making prior reservations. Monterey pass was the only civil war battle fought on both sides of the masondixon line. General kilpatrick stated his losses at monterey pass was 1 killed, 12 wounded, and 30 captured. The long retreat triggered nearly two dozen skirmishes and major engagements, including fighting at granite hill, monterey pass, hagerstown, williamsport, funkstown, boonsboro, and falling waters. It was the site of the july 1863 fight at monterey pass during the retreat from gettysburg in the american civil war the first military engagement at monterey pass was on june 22, 1863. Following the initial fighting in southern texas, american troops led by major general zachary taylor crossed the rio grande and pushed into northern mexico with the goal of taking monterrey.
To me, civil war artwork is a powerful tool that allows us to visualize and interpret the events that took place 150. Ewells second corps, army of northern virginia, withdrew after the battle of gettysburg. Also, there is now a specific website dealing with one of the larger military actions that occurred during the retreat and pursuit, the battle of monterey pass. Ewells second corps, army of northern virginia, withdrew after the battle of gettysburg, and union cavalry under brig.
For the battle of monterey pass, steve spent hours on the old maria furnace road that runs into the forest behind the new museum at monterey pass battlefield park. Miller is the founder of the monterey pass battlefield association and all of the proceeds from the book go to funding an interpretive marker for the battle, an admirable cause. Painting by carol smith of waynesboro shows battle of. The battle of monterey pass committee presents an evening with ed bearss a battlefield preservation symposium. President abraham lincoln was thankful for the early july battlefield victory, but disappointed that general meade was unable to surround and crush the confederates before they found safety on the far side of the potomac. John howard mcclellan is a retired surveyor and local historian who has lived at blue ridge summit, pa close to the route of lees retreat at montery pass. The battle of carlisle was an american civil war skirmish 2 in pennsylvania on the same day as the battle of gettysburg, first day. The confederate official reports state that the confederates lost more than one thousand men, captured at the battle of monterey pass along the waynesboro and emmitsburg road. During a fierce thunderstorm on the evening of july 4, 1863, a ninemilelong wagon train of supplies, livestock and wounded soldiers made its way from fairfield through monterey pass. Key areas are broken down into six stops that will help tell the story of this important but forgotten civil war battle.
Priest gettysburg, local historians and authors, monterey pass pub and eatery, rare antietam photos, steve bockmiller the ransom of hagerstown, steve recker rare photos of antietam, ted alexander the battle of antietam. General grumble jones volunteered for the task of escorting general richard ewells wagon train as it traveled through the south mountain pass of monterey to. General kilpatrick, headquartered at the monterey inn, ordered artillery to support custer, near the presentday golf course. All of the proceeds from the book go toward the installation of an. The battle of monterey pass on saturday, march 12, 2011 at the fort ritchie community center in cascade, maryland. Battlefield threatened parts of the historic site located on south mountain, where the battle of monterey took place the day after the confederate defeat at gettysburg, could be threatened by a washington township municipal authority land sale preservation pennsylvania is concerned the threat of development may increase as the economy improves. Thousands of books and articles cover nearly every aspect of the battle, but not a single volume focuses on the military aspects of the monumentally important movements of the armies to and across the potomac river. The park features a playground, a pavilon which may be reserved through washington township, and spring house. The titanic threeday battle of gettysburg left 50,000 casualties in its wake, a battered southern army far from its base of supplies, and a rich historiographic legacy. Monterey pass to falling waters the pursuit from gettysburg. The guide to battle sites, monuments, museums and towns. The battle of monterey is scheduled to be added to the civil war trails of pennsylvania in february of 2006.