Ellicott City in Howard County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Baltimore Regional Trail
A House Divided
| | War on the Chesapeake Bay | |
During the Civil War, Baltimore and its environs exemplified the divided loyalties of Maryland's residents. The city had commercial ties to the South as well as the North, and its secessionist sympathies erupted in violence on April 19, 1861, when pro-Confederate mobs attacked Massachusetts troops en route to Washington, D.C. Because of Baltimore's strategic importance, President Abraham Lincoln acted swiftly, stationing Federal troops in the city and jailing civilians suspected of disloyalty. Some area residents joined the Confederate army, but many others supported the Union. After the Emancipation Proclamation permitted African American enlistment in 1863, U.S. Colored Troops regiments were recruited and trained in Baltimore and the vicinity. Naval vessels, such as USS Constellation, supported the Union war effort on the Chesapeake Bay and the high seas, countering the flow of contraband goods to the Confederacy. In 1864, during Confederate Gen. Jubal A. Early's attack on the Washington defenses, Maj. Harry Gilmor's cavalry threatened Baltimore, burned nearby bridges, and raided supplies. Throughout the war, the city
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Erected by Maryland Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Bridges & Viaducts • Forts and Castles • Science & Medicine • War, US Civil • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Maryland Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 19, 1861.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 39° 16.048′ N, 76° 47.944′ W. Marker was in Ellicott City, Maryland, in Howard County. It was on Hamilton Street just west of Main Street (Maryland Route 144), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 8267 Hamilton Street,
Regionally, this marker was in the Baltimore Metro Region and in Central Maryland. It was also in the American Mid-Atlantic and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: A different marker also named Baltimore Regional Trail (here, next to this marker); Yates Market & Hardware (within shouting distance of this marker); Car Dealership: Looking into the Past (within shouting distance of this marker); The Sykes Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Starr Funeral Home (within shouting distance of this marker); Taylor's Row (within shouting distance of this marker); Tonge Row (within shouting distance of this marker); Day-French-Puhl House (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ellicott City.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Baltimore Regional Trail (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker replaces the linked marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 19, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 649 times since then and 61 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 19, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
