Invading Home

By October 1862, the 2nd Maryland mustered 500 men and had retained some of the old company and line officers from the 1st Maryland. Initially serving under Brigadier General George Hume “Maryland’ Steuart until November around Winchester, Virginia. The Marylanders saw their first offensive movement under the command of Brigadier General William “Grumble” Jones that autumn in the Shenandoah Valley.

Brigadier General George H. "Maryland" Steuart
Brigadier General George H. “Maryland” Steuart

The unit then wintered in the Shenandoah Valley and in the spring of 1863 an attempt was made to organize all the Maryland units in Confederate service into a “Maryland Line.” Like the line organization prevalent during the American Revolution this organization would include all three branches of the military; artillery, cavalry, and infantry. The hope was to foster state pride with an all-Maryland Confederate outfit. Although receiving some interest the idea never really materialized as commanders were loath to give up men from their commands and even Maryland soldiers were hesitant to leave units they had served with for a few years combat already.

Thus, the unit known as the 2nd Maryland Infantry or 1st Maryland Battalion was ordered to join Brigadier General George Hume “Maryland” Steuart’s Brigade in Major General Edward “Alleghany” Johnson’s Division, of the Second Corps Army of Northern Virginia. The Marylanders would join two North Carolina regiments—the 1st and 3rd—and also two Virginia regimens—10th, 23rd, and 37th—for the upcoming campaign.

Lieutenant General Richard Ewell commanded the Second Corps and he was tasked by General Robert E. Lee to be the vanguard for the march north. Starting on June 3rd, Steuart’s Brigade, with the rest of the Second Corps, began the movement northwestward to the Shenandoah Valley—the avenue of invasion. Nine days later the Second Corps approached Winchester and in three days of fighting, overwhelmed and captured along with munitions and supplies, over 4,000 of the approximately 8,000 man Union garrison of the town of Winchester.

Gettysburg Campaign, movement of both armies
Gettysburg Campaign, movement of both armies

After spending the night of June 15th north of Winchester, the brigade was ordered to prepare two days’ rations and was started toward Shepherdstown, Virginia (now West Virginia) on the Potomac River at 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon. From here the command would cross back into the Old Line State.

Steuart, according to accounts was overjoyed with returning to native soil. W.W. Goldsborough, a soldier in the brigade, recounted that “Steuart turned 17 double somersaults, stood on his head for 5 minutes and whistled ‘My Maryland’ all the while.” What is even more impressive of the feat is the fact that Steuart had just returned to active duty after suffering a severe wound at Cross Keys the previous May. The wound shattered his collarbone, yet being back in the Old Line State, the pain seemed to have been eased.

Another soldier captured the euphoria of the Marylanders when they crossed the Potomac River and stepped on Maryland soil. “There was great enthusiasm exhibited by our boys in again treading the soil of their native state…seemed to be demented.”

Randolph McKim, serving on the staff of Steuart, remarked that he had not stepped foot in his native state since May 1861. Now returned in the June 1863, he found “it difficult to realize that it is not all a dream.”

Randolph McKim, staff officer under Steuart and fellow Marylander (courtesy of Documenting the South)
Randolph McKim, staff officer under Steuart and fellow Marylander
(courtesy of Documenting the South)

The Marylanders were back on native soil—but as invaders—and as they marched through Western Maryland and crossed the Mason-Dixon Line, the hopes of their adopted nation marched with them.

One Maryland soldier listed the reason he joined the Confederate cause was simply because he saw the conflict as the answer to the following question:

“The Union without Liberty, or Liberty, without the Union.”

As the Marylanders crossed into Pennsylvania with the rest of the Confederate army that decision’s final outcome would be affected greatly at Gettysburg.



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