McCausland's Raid

(main text) , Confederate Gen. John McCausland's force, withdrawing from Folck's Mill on August 1, 1864, encountered Union troops at the canal bridge that stood here to your right. After a lively exchange of gunfire, the Federals withdrew toward the river and took up positions in breastworks and two houses. McCausland flanked them, forcing them to flee across the Potomac River to Green Spring Station on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad., A blockhouse with 100 men and a train that included a "rifle car” for infantrymen and an "Iron Clad” or armored artillery car, guarded the station. Fire from the rifle cars and cannons pinned down the Confederates along the river. To stop the train, which moved up and down the tracks, McCausland moved a cannon to Alum Hill and opened fire. The first shot went into the locomotive's boiler, putting it out of action, while subsequent shots forced the Federals to abandon the Iron Clad and rifle car and flee., McCausland next demanded the surrender of the blockhouse from Col. Israel Stough, who commanded an 82-man detachment of the 153rd Ohio Infantry. Outnumbered 30 to 1, Stough yielded, provided that his men were immediately paroled with their personal property. McCausland agreed, and the Federals marched west. The Confederates destroyed railroad property and continued withdrawing to Romney and Moorefield., (captions) , Blockhouse similar to that at Green Spring - B&O Railroad Museum , Armored battery - Courtesy B&O Railroad Museum , Reconstruction, armored battery and rifle car - B&O Railroad Museum