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By Craig Swain, June 3, 2007 | |
| | | 1. C & O Canal Aqueduct Marker | | |
Inscription. On September 10, 1862, Gen. Robert E. Lee ordered Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson and a detachment of 15,000 men, about two-thirds of the Army of Northern Virginia, to capture the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry and secure Confederate lines of communication with Virginia. At first, Jackson planned to follow the Sharpsburg Road from Frederick to the Potomac River, but then he decided to cross the river here at Williamsport, where he could easily engage the nearby Federal garrison at Martinsburg, Virginia. When Jackson’s column forded the river here on September 11, the outnumbered garrison fled to Harpers Ferry. By taking the longer route, however, Jackson found himself behind schedule. He did not capture Harpers Ferry until September 15 and rejoined Lee on the Antietam battlefield barely in time to save the Confederate army.
Erected by Maryland Civil War Trails.
Location. 39° 36.045′ N, 77° 49.626′ W. Marker is in Williamsport, Maryland, in Washington County. Click for map. Located in the Conococheague Aqueduct section of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Park. Marker is in this post office area: Williamsport MD 21795, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within walking distance| | | | 
By Craig Swain, June 3, 2007 | |
| | | 2. The Conococheaque Aqueduct | | This "water bridge" was completed in 1834. Jackson attempted, without success, to destroy the aqueduct with artillery, and the structure stood intact until the 1920s when damaged in a canal boat accident. | | |
of this marker. Williamsport (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Williamsport (within shouting distance of this marker); Creating a National Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Connecting People and Places (within shouting distance of this marker); Conococheague Creek Aqueduct (within shouting distance of this marker). Click for a list of all markers in Williamsport.
More about this marker. On the lower left is a photograph of the aqueduct. A map of Jackson's route is on the right. A portrait of General Jackson is on the lower right.
Credits. This page originally submitted on June 10, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,463 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 10, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.
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