Background History of Harry Gilmor's Raid
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Gilmor’s Raid, July 1864The Situation in the Summer of 1864 In June of 1864, Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia found itself facing Ulysses S. Grant’s rejuvenated Army of the Potomac at Cold Harbor near Richmond, Va. Threatened from the west by David Hunter’s Federals advancing toward Lynchburg via Lexington, Lee dispatched Lt.-Gen. Jubal Early’s entire II Corps. “Old Jube” not only blocked Hunter at Lynchburg, but sent him reeling back into West Virginia. Early then headed his force northward “down” the Shenandoah Valley. On July 5th Early’s force crossed the Potomac River at Sheperdstown, and pushed eastward towards Hagerstown and Frederick. Besides simply being a diversionary force to hopefully draw off Federals facing Lee, Early also had several other objectives. One was to disrupt communications (rails, telegraphs, bridges, etc.) in Maryland, connecting Washington D.C. to Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York. Naturally, if the opportunity presented itself, Early’s force was to threaten Washington D.C. itself, potentially attacking into the city and causing pandemonium. Finally, some of the cavalry arm was to proceed into southern Maryland, bypassing Washington to the east, to the massive Federal prison camp at Point Lookout, and try to effect the release of the 17,000 Confederate prisoners held therein. As Early’s troops advanced eastward through Maryland toward Baltimore, various alarm bells began going off in Washington, which had been left practically bereft of defenders. On July 9th, a Union force led by Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace met Early’s advancing Confederates along the Monocacy River south of Frederick. After a daylong battle, the Federals retreated in some degree of disorder. The rebels, however, had to halt to reorganize and tend their wounded, buying several precious hours for the Lincoln administration and the weakened defenses of Washington. July 10th 1864 Once he was sure of Early’s victory at the battle of Monocacy, Brig. Gen. Bradley T. Johnson’s cavalry brigade, to which Gilmor’s unit was attached, headed eastward into northern Maryland. Gilmor's men led the way, riding several miles in advance of the main column. On July 10th at Westminster they encountered a Federal cavalry force, but drove it out of town. As the remnants of Wallace’s force were retreating toward Baltimore and Washington, Johnson’s cavalry arrived in Hunt Valley, north of Baltimore. Johnson’s troopers proceeded southward down the York Road, tearing up tracks and trestles of the NCRR (North Central RR) as they advanced. Reaching Timonium, Johnson now divided his command. Major Harry Gilmor of the 2nd Maryland Cavalry was given 135 men of the 1st and 2nd Maryland, and directed to cross Baltimore County into Harford County, and destroy the railroad bridge of the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore (PW&B) Railroad at Magnolia Station, northeast of the city. The remainder of Johnson’s command continued southward, intent creating more havoc and in their quest to reach the prison camp at Point Lookout. Gilmor’s Raid – July 11th As General Early’s II Corps approached Washington D.C. and sparred with Union troops at Ft. Stevens, part of the defensive ring north of Washington, greenbacks traded at their lowest value ever – 39 cents in gold. Meanwhile, north of Baltimore, Johnson’s and Gilmor’s marauding Confederate cavalry were creating confusion and panic. Remarkably, Gilmor’s force went undetected as it crossed Baltimore County. Early on the morning of July 11th Gilmor’s cavalrymen reached Magnolia Station,
The following is from an article entitled “The Magnolia Station Train Raid,” by Ellen Oliver Smith, about a nurse, Hellen “Nellie” Marie Noye, who was aboard the train heading north up the PW&B RR. She was charged with caring for the invalid patients (including Gen. Franklin) being evacuated from Annapolis. Nellie writes the following account of her encounter with Gilmor’s men: The proximity of the Confederate Army in July 1864 caused the nurses to be ordered from the hospital. My train was captured at Magnolia Sta. north of Baltimore by Gilmore’s [sic] guerillas. At the sound of firing I looked out and saw the soldiers by the side of the track. A rebel soldier helped me off the train, which was subsequently backed onto the burning bridge over the river. Our luggage being placed on a handcar, we made our way to the river, where we stayed until morning, and were then taken by steamer to Havre de Grace. The appearance of the tilted stack of the engine above the wreck of the bridge is still strong in my memory. (The preceding narrative was written shortly before Ms. Noye’s death in February, 1926. The full text can be found here: http://madonna.edu/pages/mmtrain.cfm ) Another account of the raid is related in a letter dated July 11, 1864, that C.A. Dana wrote to Lt.-Gen. Grant: A body of about 150 rebel cavalry attacked Gunpowder Bridge at about 4. 30 this a. m., drove off the guards at each end, which consisted of some seventy Ohio National Guard, destroyed a considerable [portion] of the bridge, and captured and destroyed two trains of cars, one going north, the other south. General Franklin was captured and the other officers in the train. Baldy Smith’s name is not mentioned, but we conclude that he was among them. A gun-boat reached the scene after it was all over. General Wallace reports a large force of the enemy near Baltimore this morning, but seems to have had no fighting since his defeat on the Monocacy, on Saturday. As to his losses there we have no specific figures, but I estimate them at from 200 to 400. The 159th Regiment, Ohio Volunteers The Union defenders driven from the Gunpowder Bridge near Magnolia Station were probably a company of the 159th Regiment, Ohio Volunteers, organized in Zanesville, Ohio on May 9th, 1864. These men were known as “100 day men,” as their term of enlistment was for a mere three months. After mustering in, the 159th, along with a number of other newly formed Ohio regiments, was hastily dispatched to the Baltimore-Washington area in order to relieve other longer-term troops for front line service. In mid-May the unit was assigned by company detachments to defend the bridges along the PW&B RR. From July 28 to August 11 four companies of the unit (B, E, G and I) were charged with guarding the railroad in Havre de Grace. On August 13, 1864 the 159th was ordered back to Ohio, and the men were mustered out on August 24th. After the Raid After destroying the bridge at Magnolia, Gilmor’s men headed westward, back across Baltimore County. Reports from that time indicate that he came so close to Baltimore that civilians could see his column from their rooftops. Gilmor stopped in Towson at Ada's Hotel for a drink and to allow his men, who were literally falling out of their saddles from lack of sleep, some time to rest. But a large cavalry patrol arrived from Baltimore. Outnumbered more than two to one, Gilmor took the offensive and charged, breaking the ranks of the Federal cavalry and driving them off. After several close encounters, Gilmor’s men eventually managed rejoin Early’s command as it was re-crossing the Potomac into Virginia. The Baltimore Sun, March 1883 The following are extracts from a March, 1883 edition of The Baltimore Sun, written following the death of Harry Gilmor. http://www.toadmail.com/~steves6/ When [Harry Gilmor] burned the P.W. & B.R.R. bridge and cut the line at the Gunpowder river, took place the following month (July, 1861). This raid was always regarded as one of the most daring ever attempted by detached cavalry on either side during the war. To accomplish it Major Gilmor was compelled to cross the entire state of Maryland, get around Baltimore at the risk of being annihilated by the Union forces occupying the city, perform his work, and then probably have to fight every step of his way back into Virginia. He came up the Green Spring Valley, by forced marches, with incredible rapidity, and almost before his intention was known or suspected, had reached Belair, having first visited Glen Ellen, his family homestead, where he had a short interview with his mother and sisters. While passing along the Fork Meeting-house road, in the Thirteenth district of Baltimore county, Gilmor’s band passed the residence of the late Ishmael Day, a few miles from Fork Post-office, as it is now called. The only advance guard which the command had was two men, one of them being Sergeant Field, the color-bearer, whom Gilmor regarded as one of his best men. When Field and his companion reached the Day mansion, they found that Mr. Day, knowing of their coming, had put out an immense United States flag, which extended over the road. They halted and demanded that the flag should be pulled down, swearing that their company should not pass under it. Mr. Day refused to comply, and threatened to shoot the first man that touched it. The writer, who was a resident in the locality at the time, became acquainted with the details of the incidents which ensued, which are now printed for the first time. When Mr. Day refused to pull down the flag, Sergeant Field commenced to dismount, announcing that he would remove the objectionable banner himself. Mr. Day again warned him to desist, and as Field made a step towards the house, fired at him with a shot-gun heavily charged with buckshot. The report alarmed Major Gilmor and his command, who were about a quarter of a mile distant, and they were rushing to the scene at full gallop when they met Field’s companion hurrying to meet them. The shooting of his color-bearer, which Gilmor always denounced as wholly unwarranted and a cowardly act, so enraged the entire command that there is no doubt they would have killed Day could they have found him. Major Gilmor stated at the time that if he could capture Day he would “hang and quarter him.” When the command reached the house Field was found lying where he had fallen in the road, his face and chest thickly peppered with the buckshot, while the flag, which had occasioned the trouble, waved sullenly in the wind. A search was instantly made for Day, but without success, as he has escaped and fled from the vicinity, as Gilmor and his men supposed. They gave his family five minutes to leave the house, and then burned it with all its contents. Day had meanwhile slipped over into his orchard and crawled under a cider press, where he remained for several days, not daring to leave his concealment. While here he was supplied with food by friends, and after Gilmor’s men had left he escaped to this city. Major Gilmor had his wounded color-bearer removed to Wright’s Tavern (now [illegible]) at Fork on the Harford road, where field was tenderly nursed by the ladies in the vicinity, all of whom were Southern sympathizers. His injuries were fatal, however, and he soon expired. Gilmor’s men, meanwhile, were scouring the country in search of Day, but without success, and the nature of their expedition prevented a long stay in the vicinity. They accordingly pressed on to Belair and thence to Havre de Grace [sic], where they took possession of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad. Two passenger trains bound from Baltimore to the North were captured, one after the other, and as a result of the treatment of the passengers, charges of robbery were again made against “Gilmor’s Raiders.” In one of the trains was General Franklin, a prominent federal staff officer, whom Major Gilmor made a prisoner of war. Having set fire to one of the trains, and the engineer having fled, Major Gilmor with his own hands backed the blazing train onto the Gunpowder bridge under the fire from a Federal gunboat in the river. The train was run to the middle of the structure, and soon burned its way through and fell into the river, compelling the gunboat to retire out of range. The bridge was destroyed, and having cut the telegraph, Gilmor had succeeded in interrupting communication in accordance with his instruction. Hastily resuming the saddle, which they had not left two hours in forty-eight, the command commenced to retrace its way to Virginia, carrying General Franklin with them as a prisoner of war. Major Gilmor frequently spoke in after years of the fatigue of the homeward journey, which was made without a stop until the command reached Towson. At this point a company of cavalrymen sent out from Baltimore attacked the raiders, and a hot and determined fight took place on the York road. The Federals were defeated, and were pursued as far as Govanstown on the way to the city. Gilmor used to say that if his men had not been so exhausted from fatigue and loss of sleep, he would have run the flying cavalrymen into Baltimore and taken possession of the city. There is no doubt that he would have made the attempt, under other circumstances, daring as it would have been. Fearing an attack from an overwhelming force, Gilmor and his men retreated at break-neck speed through the Green Spring valley to the Craddock farm, where, before the fighting, he had sent Gen. Franklin under guard, to prevent the possibility of a rescue. When they reached this point tired nature succumbed, and man and beast could go no further. It was found that the guard having fallen asleep from exhaustion, Gen. Franklin had escaped. After a few hours’ rest the command, which by this time found the whole country aroused, passed on, and succeeded in crossing the Potomac into Virginia and rejoining Gen. Early, having lost only one man (Field) during the expedition. A week or two later found Gilmor again in Maryland, and acting under instructions from General McCausland, he burned Chambersburg. He was next heard of around Cumberland and Old Town, and later in August returned with his command into Virginia, going into service around Martinsburg under Gen. Lomax. page text courtesy of Mr. Charles Kibler
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located just off present-day I-95 near Joppa. There they proceeded to wreck two trains, one northbound and one southbound. After first evacuating the passengers and looting the cars, the troopers set fire to one of the trains and backed it over the trestle, thus partially destroying the bridge. To further sweeten the pot, aboard the northbound train was an unexpected prize – convalescing Union General Wm. B. Franklin.
