Gettysburg Campaign

Major Gilmor was temporarily given command of the 1st Maryland Cavalry Battalion after its commander had been wounded. His partisan companies operated with the 1st Maryland Cavalry. the combined units were tasked with aggressively foraging on the countryside on the march north.

Gilmore served as the Provost Marshal for the town of Gettysburg during its occupation from July 1-4. The men served as couriers, as support for artillery batteries and on Provost duty but saw no fighting in the battle.

Battle of New Market

Gilmore’s men were on reconnaissance and not heavily engaged in the fighting.

Battle of Monocacy

The battalion was commanded by Major Harry W.Gilmor. Johnson’s Brigade, including the 2nd Maryland Cavalry, guarded Early’s left flank until after the battle, then made its way towards Baltimore as the first part of its movement to Point Lookout to free Confederate prisoners of war.

Skirmish at Westminster

Leading Johnson’s advance, Gilmor’s cavalry attacked Union cavalry in Westminster and drove them out. The main body of Johnson’s men drove Lew Wallace’s retreating troops from Monocacy into the Cockeysville-Hunt Valley, north of Baltimore.They then turned south to destroy tracks and bridges along the Northern Central Railway. When they reached Timonium, north of Baltimore, Johnson divided his brigade.

Major Harry Gilmor with 135 men of the 1st and 2nd Maryland Cavalr moved undetected across northern Baltimore County into Harford County at Jerusalem Mill. They captured horses and supplies there.

Skirmishes at Magnolia and Towson

Gilmor’s command reached the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad railroad bridge over the Gunpowder River at Magnolia Station. It was defended by 70 men from the 159th Ohio Infantry Regiment. The detachment was driven off or captured. Gilmore’s men also captured two trains and the supplies they were carrying. After evacuating the passengers, they set fire to one of the trains and backed it over the railroad bridge, which was partially destroyied. They also tore down telegraph lines around the station. One of the passengers on the northbound train was Union Major General William B. Franklin, who was returning north on medical leave. He was taken as a prisoner of war, but escaped the next day.

Gilmor’s men returned west across Baltimore County, stopping to rest near Towson. A large cavalry detachment which had been sent out from Baltimore caught up with them there.Outnumbered two to one, Gilmor attacked and drove off the Federals, pursuing them to Govenstown. He claimed that if his men had not been so tired, he would have gone into Baltimore and captured the city.

Battle of Cool Spring (Snicker’s Ferry)

Union pursuers failed to force their way across the Shenandoah River at Snicker’s Ford, also known as Castleman’s Ferry.

Second Battle of Kernstown

Early turned on Union forces that were resting in camp south of Winchester after the Battle of Rutherford’s Farm. Thinking Early had been defeated and was leaving the Valley to rejoin Lee, two Union Corps were sent back towards Washington to reinforce Grant. Now Early had a superior force to the remaining Union Corps under Crook. After a day long battle the Union troops collapsed and withdrew to Harpers Ferry. Early’s men followed them north, capturing many supply wagons and men who had become separated from the commands.

Burning of Chambersburg

McCausland’s force continued into Chamberburg, only slightly delayed by a section of New York artillery that greeted them with a round of canister. Union Major General Darius Couch, commanding the Department of the Susquehanna, barely had time to pack up his headquarters and escape to the north.

The citizens of Chambersburg were unable to pay the ransom. There was no money in the town; it had all been removed. The Confederates, including the 1st Maryland Cavalry, looted everything of value including citizen’s watches, and burned all the public buildings and many private buildings in the town – a total of over 537 structures. Soldiers quickly became drunk. Individual citizens were forced to ransom their homes for anywhere from $150 to $750. An elderly black man died when Confederates kept forcing him back into his burning house. The house of the county school superintendent was burned after he was asked if he had ever taught black children and he answered “yes.”

There were Confederate casualties. Captain Caulder A. Bailey, the Adjutant of the 8th Virginia Cavalry, had become drunk and separated from his men and was killed by a group of citizens. Two Confederates died when they were locked in a store that they had set afire, and another was killed with a shotgun.

But many Confederates refused to take part. The town’s Masonic Lodge was spared, guarded by Southern Masons. Colonel William Peters of the 21st Virginia Cavalry refused to execute the order; he was placed under temporary arrest and was ordered to take his regiment out of town. Brigadier General Bradley Johnson would later say that McCausland’s men had “commited every crime known to man during that expedition.”

When the town was well in flames McCausland led he men west, where they would spend the night at McConnelsburg.

Battle of Folke’s Mill (Cumberland)

McCausland took his command South West from McConnelsburg to Hancock. He had hoped to try to ransom Hancock in the same way as Chambersburg. But Johnson, who commanded Maryland troops, vehemently argued that Hancock was not only a Maryland town, but it had been a Southern town throughout the war, sending recruits and supplies south into Virginia. Johnson ordered Gilmore to post his Maryland cavalry as guards on the buildings in Hancock and to shoot any of McCausland’s men who tried to burn them. Pursuing Union cavalry put an end to the argument and forced McCausland to continue west to Cumberland, where they hoped to destroy the shops of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

Union Brigadier General Benjamin Kelly had rounded up a battery of artillery and three regiments of “100 days troops” – Ohio National Guard signed up for 100 days of Federal service – reinforced by a number of armed townfolk. As McCausland approached Cumberland Kelly’s artillery opened fire. McCausland brought up his own guns, and they exchanged fire for around three hours, with both sides suffering about 30 casualties each. McCausland’s position was on the grounds around Folke’s Mill, which gave its name to the battle. The Folke barn was struck by artillery, took fire, and burned to the ground with the whole year’s harvest. At around 8 p.m. McCausland withdrew to the southeast, heading for Old Town.

Battle of Oldtown (Green Spring)

McCausland hoped to cross the Potomac River at Oldtown. But Colonel Israel Stough had the 153rd Ohio Infantry Regiment behind the river, supported by a Railroad battery commanded by Captain Petrie of the Potomac Home Guard, an armed and armored train. There was also a strongly armed and protected blockhouse at the bridges.

Slough deployed his men between the Potomac and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. He repelled the first Confederate attack. But the 21st Virginia Cavalry built a bridge and crossed the canal, outflanking Stough, who withdrew to the blockhouse. The Confederate Baltimore Light Artillery put a shell though the boiler of the armored train’s locomotive with its first shot and disabled one of the train’s guns with its second. Its third scattered the infantry of the Potomac Home Brigade into the woods, leaving Stoughton and his Ohionans unsupported in the blockhouse.

There was an hour and a half standoff until Johnson sent a message under a flag of truce demanding a surrender. Stough asked for and received generous terms – immediate parole with all personal equipment except weapons. Johnson agreed and the Ohioans surrendered.

The Confederates crossed the river and headed to Springfield, West Virginia, where they rested until the 4th.

In reality Averill was less than a day behind McCausland. With only 1,760 men against around 3,000 Confederates, Averill knew surprise would be essential. During the night he quietly advanced on the Confederate camps while his advanced guard, dressed as Confederates, captured all the Confederate pickets.

Battle of Moorefield

At first light Averell’s advance brigade launched a saber charge on Johnson’s sleeping men on the north side of the river. Many of the Confederates simply ran for it, leaving weapons, horses and sometimes boots behind. Averill sent his second brigade charging across the river into McCausland’s camp. Although some of McCausland’s men had a few moments warning, the unprepared men were no match for the Northern troopers with their repeating rifles and revolvers.

McCausland’s two brigades dispersed into the hills, leaving their loot from Chambersburg behind. The scattered Confederates made their way in little groups and individuals back to Early’s main army.

The Confederates lost at least 13 men killed and 60 wounded, along with 38 officers and 377 enlisted men captured. Four cannon and 400 horses were also lost. Averill lost 2 officers and 9 enlisted men killed, 18 men wounded, and 13 captured.

McCausland and Johnson, with bad blood already between them from Chambersburg and the incident at Hancock, accused each other of negligence and demanded courts martial, although none ever happened.

Skirmish at Bunker Hill

Lieutenant Colonel Gilmor was badly wounded.