Near Seneca in Montgomery County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Rowser’s Ford
5,000 Confederate Cavalrymen Crossed
| — | Gettysburg Campaign | — |
Photographed by Craig Swain, July 7, 2007
1. Close Up View of Marker
That night, 5,000 Confederate cavalrymen crossed into Maryland at Rowser’s Ford, cutting between the Union army and Washington. The rain-swollen river made crossing difficult for artillery and ambulances. By 3 a.m. on Sunday, June 28, they had crossed without alerting residents.
Stuart seized the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal between Locks 23 and 24, hoping to disrupt commerce and an important Federal supply line. Cavalrymen turned a barge length-wise for an impromptu bridge. Capturing at least a dozen boats with Union soldiers and grain, they burned nine, damaged the wooden gates at Lock 23 and Guard Lock 2, and drained that section of the canal by breaching the towpath embankment. Not until June 30 was the canal again operational.
Stuart’s forces rested, then split into two columns to converge that afternoon at Rockville, the Montgomery County seat. Gen. Wade Hampton’s brigade
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal, and the Maryland Civil War Trails series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1971.
Location. 39° 4.135′ N, 77° 20.451′ W. Marker is near Seneca, Maryland, in Montgomery County. It is on Rileys Lock Road south of River Road, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Poolesville MD 20837, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds 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 marker: Seneca (a few steps from this marker); Seneca: “Average Man’s Resort” (approx. 0.2 miles away); Seneca Creek: “A Raging River” (approx. 0.2 miles away); A Veteran’s Life in Montgomery County (approx. ¾ mile away); Seneca Mills During the Civil War (approx. ¾ mile away); Seneca Store (approx. ¾ mile away); Seneca Mill (approx. ¾ mile away); a different marker also named Seneca Store (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Seneca.
Other markers no longer nearby. The Seneca Aqueduct (was here, next to this
Photographed by Tom Fuchs, November 4, 2006
2. Rowser’s Ford Marker
Also see . . . Rowser's Ford Overlook. Geocaching entry (Submitted on December 30, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Additional keywords. C&O Canal
Photographed by Tom Fuchs, November 4, 2006
3. Rowser’s Ford Marker at Riley's Lock
Stairs lead up to Lock 24 and the Seneca Acqueduct. This marker is at the bottom of the stairs. The Seneca Aqueduct marker is as the top of the stairs, to the right. The Aqueduct itself is in the distance to the right.
Photographed by Tom Fuchs, November 4, 2006
4. Seneca Aqueduct
Marker is out of frame to the right. Person at the extreme left of this photograph is on the footbridge over Lock 24.
Photographed by Craig Swain, July 7, 2007
5. Across the Potomac at Seneca Lock
The distant shore is known locally as Lowes Island, as Sugarland Run separates it from the rest of the shore. The concrete structures on the left are water drains. Rowser's Ford was further downstream near Violetts Lock.
Photographed by Allen C. Browne, September 4, 2016
6. Confederate Cavalrymen fording the Potomac River
Photographed by Allen C. Browne, September 4, 2016
7. Cavalrymen cutting the C&O Canal banks to drain the water
Photographed by Allen C. Browne, September 4, 2016
8. Map - You are Here
Credits. This page was last revised on July 8, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 16, 2006, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. This page has been viewed 7,337 times since then and 86 times this year. Last updated on July 6, 2022, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1. submitted on July 8, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 16, 2006, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. 5. submitted on July 7, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 6, 7, 8. submitted on September 5, 2016, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
