Near Frederick in Frederick County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Best Family Farm
8:30 a.m. July 9, 1864
— Monocacy National Battlefield, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
This time, however, Confederate sharpshooters in the barn and artillery on the ridge behind the house hammered Union troops at the bridges spanning the Monocacy River on the farm's southern edge. Union artillery responded and set the barn ablaze. The Bests lost their grain, hay and farm tools - and the battle had just begun.
...a shell from a well directed gun...hit the barn and set it on fire, thus scattering the rebel sharpshooters and relieving the skirmishers of this very galling and nerve-racking rifle fire.
Glenn H. Worthington
(Lower Sidebar): Lee's Lost Order
During the 1862 Maryland Campaign, Robert E. Lee's Order No. 191, which outlined his army's movements, was found wrapped around cigars in a grove of trees at an abandoned Confederate camp on the Best family farm. Ever cautious, Union Gen. George McClellan did not use the information to his full advantage at the Battle of Antietam.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior .
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1730.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 39° 22.235′ N, 77° 23.917′ W. Marker was near Frederick, Maryland, in Frederick County. Marker could be reached from Urbana Pike (State Highway 355), on the right when traveling south. Located at on the Best Farm Lane, in the parking lot for for stop number one for the driving tour of Monocacy Battlefield. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Frederick MD 21704, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. L'Hermitage (here, next to this marker); Caught in the Crossfire (here, next to this marker); The Lost Order (here, next to this marker); 1862 Antietam Campaign (here, next to this marker); 14th New Jersey Infantry Regiment (approx. 0.3 miles away); Commemoration (approx. 0.3 miles away); Federals Take a Stand (approx. 0.3 miles away); Nick of Time (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Frederick.
More about this marker. The background on the marker is Confederate Battery at the Best Farm Monocacy, Maryland, 1864, a painting by Keith Rocco.
This marker was replaced by a new one named Caught in the Crossfire (see nearby markers).
Also see . . . Monocacy National Battlefield. (Submitted on October 30, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Additional commentary.
1. History of the Best Family Farm
An interpretive pamphlet is available at the park which details the history of the farm. It was first established by the Vincendiere family, French planters who relocated from Haiti in the 1790s. The farm was known as L'Hermitage, and included some 90 slaves (the largest holding recorded in Frederick County). At least seven times between 1796 and 1806, legal action was taken against the Vincendiere family regarding cruel treatment of the slaves. Much of what we know of this early period of the farm is from the observations of a Polish exile traveling through - Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz - who recorded his visit to the farm in 1798.
The Vincendiere family declined somewhat, and by 1827 the farm was sold. Eventually it came into the possession of the Trail Family. During this time the Best Family began tenant farming, and continued to farm there until the early 20th century. The farm was noted as among the most prosperous in the County during that span. Eventually the National Park Service would acquire the farm from the Trail family in 1993, forming a major portion of the Monocacy National Battlefield.
— Submitted October 30, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
2. The Best Farm and the Civil War
Standing near the National Road, the railroad junction, and the Georgetown Pike, the Best Farm frequently saw the passing of the armies during the Civil War. In September 1862, practically the entire Confederate Army of Northern Virginia concentrated around the Best Farm. General Robert E. Lee and staff camped in the Best Grove (see the nearby Maryland state historical marker). As noted on the marker, the famous "Lost Order" was found by Union soldiers on the Best Farm, near the railroad junction. The following year, while pursuing the Confederates towards Gettysburg, Union troops camped on the Best Farm.
The most notable Civil War action was of course the battle on July 9, 1864. But following Confederate Gen. Jubal Early's retreat from Washington, D.C., Federal forces once again occupied the ground before moving westward in pursuit.
— Submitted October 30, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 24, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 30, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,656 times since then and 46 times this year. Last updated on March 28, 2022, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. Photos: 1. submitted on October 30, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2. submitted on April 23, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 3. submitted on October 30, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 4. submitted on August 9, 2015, by Brandon Fletcher of Chattanooga, Tennessee. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on October 30, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 10. submitted on August 9, 2015, by Brandon Fletcher of Chattanooga, Tennessee. 11. submitted on April 10, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. 12. submitted on October 30, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 13. submitted on April 10, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.