Frederick in Frederick County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

1862 Antietam Campaign

Lee Invades Maryland

Photographed By Craig Swain, September 3, 2007

1. 1862 Antietam Campaign Marker

Inscription. Fresh from victory at the Second Battle of Manassas, Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia crossed the Potomac River on September 4–6, 1862, to bring the Civil War to Northern soil and to recruit sympathetic Marylanders. Union Gen. George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac pursued Lee, who had detached Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s force to capture the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry. After the Federals pushed the remaining Confederates out of the South Mountain gaps, Lee awaited Jackson’s return near Sharpsburg and Antietam Creek.

On September 17, at the Battle of Antietam, the two armies clashed in the bloodiest single day in American History and suffered some 23,000 casualties. Lee soon retreated across the Potomac, ending his first invasion of the North.

Follow in the footsteps of Gens. Lee and McClellan along Maryland Civil War Trails’ Antietam Campaign: Lee Invades Maryland, a 90 mile tour route that allows you to explore the stories of triumph and tragedy at more than 60 Civil War sites. Please drive carefully as you enjoy the beauty and history along the trail.

Erected by Maryland Civil War Trails.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition,

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it is included in the Maryland Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1862.

Location. 39° 24.836′ N, 77° 24.873′ W. Marker is in Frederick, Maryland, in Frederick County. Marker is on West Patrick Street (State Highway 144), on the left when traveling west. Located between the Barbara Fritchie house and Mullinix Park, along Patrick Street (A one way street to the west at this point). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 154 West Patrick Street, Frederick MD 21701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. May 17, 1943 (here, next to this marker); Barbara Fritchie House (here, next to this marker); Jacob Engelbrecht (here, next to this marker); Water Level of the 1976 Flood (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mullinix Park (about 500 feet away); John Hanson (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named John Hanson (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named John Hanson (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Frederick.

More about this marker. The marker displays pictures of Gens. Lee and McClellan, newspaper drawing of Confederates crossing the Potomac, a drawing of Franklin’s Corps at Compton’s Gap, and a strategic map showing the trail stops.

Regarding 1862 Antietam Campaign.

Antietam Campaign Marker beside the Barbara Fritchie House image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Swain, September 3, 2007

2. Antietam Campaign Marker beside the Barbara Fritchie House

The Antietam Campaign marker is on the left of the Barbara Fritchie marker.

This marker is one of the standard set used to orient travelers to the Antietam Campaign.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Markers related to the 1862 Antietam Campaign, covering the Confederate march through Montgomery and Frederick Counties.

Also see . . . 1862 Antietam Campaign: Lee Invades Maryland. Maryland Civil War Trials PDF (Submitted on June 11, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

General Robert E. Lee image. Click for full size.

Library of Congress

3. General Robert E. Lee

by Julian Vannerson.

Gen'l Geo. B. McClellan image. Click for full size.

Library of Congress

4. Gen'l Geo. B. McClellan

ca. 1861 © M.B. Brady.

The Rebel Army Crossing the Fords of the Potomac for the Invasion of Maryland image. Click for full size.

Internet Archive

5. The Rebel Army Crossing the Fords of the Potomac for the Invasion of Maryland

by Thomas Nast, Harper's Weekly, September 27, 1862.

Battle of South Mountain<br>Franklin's Corps Storming Crampton's Pass image. Click for full size.

Internet Archive

6. Battle of South Mountain
Franklin's Corps Storming Crampton's Pass

by A. R. Waud in Harper's Weekly, Oct. 25, 1862.

A Witness and Participant in the Campaign image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Swain, September 3, 2007

7. A Witness and Participant in the Campaign

According to "Forged in Fire: A History and Tour Guide of the War in the East, from Manassas to Antietam, 1861-1862," by Jim Miles, this cast-iron statue of a dog was taken by passing Confederates with a mind to melt it for war material production. After the battle of Antietam, Federal soldiers identified the odd item on the field near Sharpsburg and returned it to the rightful owner. The dog still stands in front of the a house on Market Street.

The exact identification of the sculpture in question is challenged in other sources.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 24, 2007. This page has been viewed 1,962 times since then and 17 times this year. Last updated on November 14, 2023. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 24, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 21, 2018, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 6. submitted on December 3, 2018, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 7. submitted on September 24, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.