The First Day of the Battle of Shepherdstown-- Part 2: Pendleton Receives the Job

Boteler's Ford was a mile and a half downstream from the town of Shepherdstown, Virginia (now West Virginia) and also called  Blackford's Ford and Pack Horse Ford and had been a spot to cross the Potomac River since colonial times.  When the water was down, the stony shelf of the ford was clearly visible.  However, during the Confederate retreat it was described as "deep and rocky" by Confederate artillery officer Lt. Col.  Edward Porter Alexander.

The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal followed the Potomac River on the Maryland side through here.  The war had been hard on the canal and its berm had been destroyed in numerous places, draining the channel.  Rolling hills on the Maryland side offered Union artillery  abundant sites.  There were heights on the Virginia side, but they were somewhat steep and made for difficulty in placing artillery for the Confederates.

Roads on both sides leading to the ford were so narrow in places that it was difficult for a horse to pass a wagon.

Lee expected McClellan to, at some point, pursue him and was aware that the ford should be defended until his army was well away from it.  Perhaps because so many able officers had been lost on September 17, he chose William Pendleton, an officer with little  combat experience, to guard Boteler's Ford.

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT: The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal-- Part 3: Capture of Generals Kelley and Crook

One way of disabling the canal was to breach it.  This meant putting a hole in a side of it and letting the water out.

After it was determined that Maryland was not going to join the Confederacy, frequent raids were made on it.

Union Brigadier General Benjamin Franklin Kelley and Major General George Crook were captured along the canal by a small group of Confederate partisans near the end of the war, on February 21, 1865.  They were taken to Richmond but were released by a special exchange on March 20.

His Army career didn't last long after that as he resigned on June 1.

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT: The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal-- Part 2: Severely Damaged in Antietam and Gettysburg Campaigns

The C&O Canal was the only direct route in Washington, D.C., for coal.

The Confederates, despite the strategic importance of the canal, did not attack it early in the war because of hopes that Maryland would join the Confederacy. but did develop plans of attack in case that didn't happen.  Prime spots to attack would be aqueducts and culverts where the canal crossed water.

Jackson destroyed the C&O Railroad Bridge

While the CSS Virginia was still a threat to Washington, canal boats were taken and sunk downstream on the Potomac River to prevent its approach.

During the Confederate incursions northward ending in the Battles of Antietam and Gettysburg, the C& O Canal was heavily damaged.

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT October Meeting: Charlie Banks on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal-- Part 1

This important canal was located along the Potomac River and was a major target of Confederate raids during the war.  Let's just say, parts of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal (C&O Canal) were destroyed at times.

It was built and ran alongside the Baltimore & Ohio Rail Road.

As important as this canal was, it is surprising that the North did not do more to protect it.  It was a major supply route to Washington, D.C..   Nor did they do much to defend the Northern Railway from Baltimore to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The C&O Canal dates to the American revolution.  The Point of Rocks section of it was a particularly narrow spot along the Potomac River.

Charlie Banks used a slide presentation to make his points.  They included source photos and ones he had taken himself.

--Old Secesh

McHenry County Civil War Round Table October Meeting

The McHenry County Civil War Round Table meeting was held Tuesday October 9 at the Woodstock Library in Woodstock, Illinois,   We meet here every second Tuesday of every month except January and February.

Elections to be held at next month's meeting.

Again we will be offering a $1,000 scholarship to students from McHenry County   They will be writing an essay on a Civil War-related theme.  Volunteers needed for a committee which will have two meetings.

The discussion group topic for October will be "Divided Loyalties" about families who sent soldiers to both sides.  I have been doing research on the Clay family in Kentucky which is one of those families.

Our Christmas party will be held December 2 at the Pinecrest Golf Club in Huntley.  It will be a buffet which a special appearance by Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln.

Charlie Banks gave a presentation on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal during the war.

--Old Secesh