Near Chestertown in Kent County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Senator George Vickers
Helped Acquit President Andrew Johnson
Born in Chestertown in 1801, Vickers was admitted to the bar in 1832 and became a leading lawyer in Kent County. He served as a state senator, 1866-1867, and became a U.S. Senator in March 1868. In May 1868, he was the nineteenth man to vote “not guilty” in the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson. This prevented the two-thirds majority needed to convict Johnson and ensured the president’s acquittal by a single vote.
Some of Vickers’ sons also performed military and civil service during the conflict. Benjamin C. Vickers moved to Memphis, Tennessee, shortly before the war. Much against his father’s will, he joined a Confederate regiment, was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh, and died days later. His body was brought to Chestertown for reburial. Lt. James M. Vickers served in the 2nd Regiment Eastern Shore Volunteer Infantry.
Harrison W. Vickers, Sr., became a prominent Kent County lawyer and politician. In front of you is the house he built in 1881.
U.S. Camp Vickers, named in honor of Gen. George Vickers, was located near here. Union soldiers were trained there late in 1861 and early in 1862.
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George Vickers (1801-1879) , educated at Washington College, was a newspaper editor, prominent Kent County lawyer, and politician who was a presidential elector in 1864 for Democrat George B. McClellan. He is buried in Chester Cemetery in Chestertown.
Harrison W. Vickers, Sr. (1845-1911), who built Lauretum, was one of George Vickers’ eleven children.
Lauretum (Laurel Grove in Latin), designed by architect Edmund George Lind, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Erected by Maryland Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & Politics • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #17 Andrew Johnson, and the Maryland Civil War Trails series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1868.
Location. 39° 13.164′ N, 76° 5.1′ W. Marker is near Chestertown, Maryland, in Kent County. Marker can be reached from High Street (Maryland Route 20) 0.2 miles west of Flatland Road (Maryland Route 514). This property is currently the Lauretum Bed & Breakfast Inn. To reach the marker, turn right off westbound route 20; it will be on the left, towards inn. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 954 High Street, Chestertown MD 21620, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Brampton (approx. ¾ mile away); The Uptown Club (approx. 0.9 miles away); George Washington (approx. 0.9 miles away); a different marker also named George Washington (approx. 0.9 miles away); Washington College (approx. one mile away); The Kent County Free School (approx. 1.1 miles away); Chestertown Vol. Fire Co. (approx. 1.2 miles away); Bordley Corner (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chestertown.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 28, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 30, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 812 times since then and 65 times this year. Last updated on September 27, 2020, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 30, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.