Franklintown in Baltimore, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Crimea Mansion
The Arrest of Ross Winans
On May 11, 1861, Union Gen. Benjamin F. Butler's troops occupied the railroad depot southwest of Baltimore at Relay, where a spur of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's main line turned south to Washington. The seizure of Relay yielded a surprise triumph in the capture of the "Winans Artillery Gun," a rapid-fire steam-powered cannon invented by Ross Winans, before Confederate forces could move it to Harpers Ferry. Winans, a wealthy railroad pioneer well known for his Southern sympathies, often visited his son Thomas D. Winans here at Crimea Mansion.
After Butler's men occupied Federal Hill in Baltimore on May 13, Maj. Benjamin Watson and 50 men from the 6th Massachusetts Infantry came here to arrest Ross Winans on Butler's orders. They ignored the painted logs - "Quaker Guns" or simulated cannons - that the younger Winans had deployed on the ridge below the estate to discourage Federal soldiers from entering the property. When a search of the mansion and grounds failed to locate the elder Winans, the soldiers camped on the property in the event that he should return. They cut down the orchard and burned the trees as firewood. The next day, soldiers arrested Winans at Relay as he returned here by train from an emergency session of Maryland's General Assembly held in Frederick. He was the first civilian arrested in Maryland during the Civil War.
Erected by Maryland Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Maryland Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1785.
Location. 39° 18.331′ N, 76° 41.928′ W. Marker has been reported damaged. Marker is in Baltimore, Maryland. It is in Franklintown. Marker is on Eagle Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1901 Eagle Dr, Gwynn Oak MD 21207, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Crimea (a few steps from this marker); Orianda House (within shouting distance of this marker); Norman Van Allan Reeves (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Chapel (about 800 feet away); Caretaker House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Gateway to Leakin Park
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 24, 2022
More about this marker. The marker features images of "Winans Artillery Gun", Ross Winans, and Benjamin Watson.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 19, 2008, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio. This page has been viewed 4,302 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on March 19, 2008, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio. 2. submitted on December 24, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 19, 2008, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio. 6. submitted on December 3, 2023, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 7. submitted on July 28, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.