After I published the recent post on the
Civil War Markers at Falling Waters, I read a little more about the 1863 battle there. Most of the action actually took place across the Potomac River in Maryland, and it involved the struggle of Lee's retreating army which needed to cross the river after their loss at Gettysburg.
The river was flooded then, probably higher than it was when we were there, although we did see it swollen from recent snow and rain. Since the
marker that we saw covered two battles, it did not give much detail about the retreat from Gettysburg. I figured there would be markers across the river with more information and found one on HMDB telling how
wagoners helped save Lee's army at Williamsport. I looked on the Maryland Civil War Trails list and found mention of a
marker on the C&O Canal which is only accessible by hiking or biking 2–3 miles from Williamsport! Fortunately someone has shared a
photo of this marker on TripAdvisor. I've transcribed most of the text although I'm not sure if I'm reading the numbers correctly as it's a small photo and the sign is not totally clear.
Falling Waters
"Just Charge it to Jeff Davis"
Gettysburg Campaign
The Potomac River trapped Gen. Robert E. Lee and his Confederate army during the retreat from Gettysburg. Flooded by torrential rains on July 4, 1863, the Potomac raged for more than a week, preventing Lee from crossing into present-day West Virginia. Complicating matters, on July 4, Union cavalry operating behind Lee's army had destroyed the pontoon bridge here, severing his umbilical card to the Confederacy.
Finally, on July 10, the Confederates completed a pontoon bridge, but it took 3 days for the ambulances and hundreds of ordinance and artillery wagons to cross. By the early morning of July 13, during another downpour, Gen. James Longstreet's infantry corps began tramping across, guided by bonfires on both shores and signal torches on the bridges. Gen. A. P. Hill's corps followed, and by mid-morning the next day 30,000 Confederates were across. Lee's army had escaped.
Another source tells us that Union General Buford's men arrived at the river a little too late. "As our troops neared the bridge," Buford recalled, "the enemy cut the Maryland side loose, and the bridge swung to the Virginia side."
Like so many places, we had odd weather in January. Last weekend blessed us with warm temperatures (over 70 degrees F.), but the days following brought a return of winter complete with snow. Then Wednesday we had high winds and heavy rain! Many roads were flooded.
I was attracted to this scene of bare trees on a hill in Rockland (near Front Royal) so I walked closer to get a photograph. The bird flew into the scene as if posing. I think he's a turkey vulture.
Falling Waters Battlefield is not the easiest historic site to tour but at least there are some markers to help you interpret it. The first one we stopped at was Stumpy's Hollow on Hammonds Mill Road, where "J.E.B. Stuart captured a Union infantry company almost single-handedly." The zig-zag rail fence was erected by the local battlefield foundation, adding an attractive element that actually relates to the story told on the sign.
Not to be confused with Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, the small town of Falling Waters is just north of Martinsburg, West Virginia.
There's a campground on the shores of the Potomac at Falling Waters, West Virginia, where you have this view. We reached it by parking at a Civil War Trails Marker and walking along a short but narrow path under a railroad bridge.
, which was also studied by Frederick Douglass. Both of these men became great orators, and no doubt that book helped countless other students to improve their speaking and writing skills.
