Barnesville in Montgomery County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Barnesville
“… a bad night of it…”
— Gettysburg Campaign —
The advance of Union Gen. John F. Reynolds’ I Corps began slogging through Barnesville on the morning of Friday, June 26, 1863, having crossed the Potomac River the afternoon before and camped west of town. Continuous heavy rain made marching muddy and camping soggy, but recently mowed straw from a nearby farm provided dry bedding for some. A Pennsylvania officer wrote, “The troops had a bad night of it—the more dismal from their inability to cook supper, and the incessant braying of some hundreds of mules belonging to the wagon trains which were parked nearby.”
Early on June 27, Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock's II Corps began marching through town. It had camped near Barnesville less than a year before on September 13, 1862, on its way to Antietam. After two days of soldiers tramping by, the townspeople thought they were finally rid of soldiers. But on Sunday, June 28, 1863, Gen. John Sedgwick’s VI Corps came through, having crossed the Potomac in the early morning.
Sidebar:
While marching, many VI Corps soldiers heard church bells ringing. Some attended services at St. Mary’s Catholic Church and were gratified to hear prayers for President Abraham Lincoln and peace. After eight months in Virginia, the men enjoyed the smiling faces and warm greetings. The congregation had an old and distinguished history, with the Carroll family among its founders in 1741. The church that the soldiers entered was built in 1822, replacing one that had burned. The present brick church was built in 1900.
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 date for this entry is June 26, 1907.
Location. 39° 13.268′ N, 77° 22.856′ W. Marker is in Barnesville, Maryland, in Montgomery County. Marker is at the intersection of Barnesville Road and West Harris Road, on the left when traveling west on Barnesville Road. Located in the parking lot of the St. Mary’s Church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 18230 Barnesville Rd, Barnesville MD 20838, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. A different marker also named Barnesville (here, next to this marker); Barnesville Station (approx. 0.8 miles away); Historic Site (approx. 2.2 miles away); Sugarloaf Mountain (approx. 2.2 miles away); Sugar Loaf Mountain (approx. 2.2 miles away); Chesapeake and Ohio Aqueduct (approx. 2½ miles away); Comus Inn (approx. 2½ miles away); 1862 Antietam Campaign (approx. 2½ miles away).
More about this marker. The main portion of the marker has portraits of Generals Reynolds and Hancock, as well as a drawing of wagons on the march. The sidebar contains a picture of the pre-1900 church.
Also see . . . Barnesville, Maryland. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on March 9, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 14, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,325 times since then and 31 times this year. Last updated on August 16, 2022, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 14, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 25, 2019, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 7. submitted on July 11, 2019, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.