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Historic America

Corbit’s Charge, Westminster, Maryland

In this small but dramatic Civil War action, a cavalry officer foolheartedly delayed J.E.B. Stuart at great personal risk.

The Skirmish at Westminster, Maryland (aka Corbit’s Charge) was fought on June 29, 1863 between elements of the 1st Delaware Cavalry Regiment commanded by Maj. Napoleon B. Knight and Cpt. Charles Corbit and Confederate cavalry commanded by Brig. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee in Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland during the American Civil War. Though a Union defeat, the skirmish prompted Confederate Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart to bivouac his cavalry in Westminster for a night, delaying his reunion with the rest of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s army in their invasion of Pennsylvania.

On June 29, 1863, Lee issued his fateful order to concentrate the Army of Northern Virginia at Gettysburg in southern Pennsylvania. His cavalry commander, Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, was still trying to link up with his army somewhere south of Harrisburg. Stuart’s goal was to disrupt Federal logistics behind the lines, so he sent Brig. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee’s bridge to the important railhead at Westminster, Maryland, ten miles from the Pennsylvania border.

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Photography Roadside America

Main’s Quality Ice Cream

Green neon sign for Main’s Quality Ice Cream at The Main Cup restaurant, 14 W Main Street in Middletown, Maryland. It’s rumored that presidents stopped for ice cream here on their way to Camp David, however, Main’s stopped making ice cream in 1969, technically making this a ghost sign.

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Historic America Photography

Faugh a Ballaugh!

Relief sculpture on the Irish Brigade monument, Bloody Lane, at Antietam National Battlefield. The Irish Brigade, consisting of the 63rd New York Infantry, 69th New York Infantry, 28th Massachusetts Infantry, 116th Pennsylvania Infantry, and 88th New York Infantry regiments, was first commanded by Colonel Michael Corcoran, then Brigadier General Thomas Francis Meagher, and finally Colonel Patrick Kelly. It experienced one of the highest casualty rates in the Civil War.

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Historic America Photography

Burnside’s Bridge

Burnside’s Bridge at Antietam National Battlefield, 5831 Dunker Church Road, got its name on September 17, 1862 when Union Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside’s IX Corps forced an ill-fated crossing of a stone bridge over Antietam Creek. His attack briefly succeeded, despite heavy casualties, until Confederate Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill’s Light Division arrived from Harpers Ferry and drove his men back. The bridge was recently restored.

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Historic America Photography

Hallowed Ground

Maryland State Monument on Antietam National Battlefield, 5831 Dunker Church Road, is dedicated to Marylanders who fought for both the North and South during the American Civil War. Several Maryland units fought at the Battle of Antietam, including the Baltimore Light Artillery (CSA) and the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Maryland Infantry Regiments (USA). It reads: “Erected by the State of Maryland to her Sons, Who on this field offered their lives in maintenance of their Principles.”

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Historic America Photography

Thomas Farm

The Thomas Farm on Monocacy National Battlefield, 4632 Araby Church Road (Visitor Center) outside Frederick, Maryland. The farm was owned by Christian Keefer Thomas and is a treasure trove of Civil War history. Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock once used its brick farmhouse as a headquarters as his corps marched north to Gettysburg. On July 9, 1864, the farm was the scene of fierce fighting during the Battle of Monocacy. That fall, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant held a council of war at the house with his cavalry chief, Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan.

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Photography

Most Beautiful Cemeteries in the Mid-Atlantic

These historic rural cemeteries are a treasure-trove of art, architecture, and sculpture.

The Mid-Atlantic states are known for their rich history and culture and represent a diverse region of America, from Chesapeake Bay to Long Island. Some of the country’s earliest events, and its most prominent figures, lived and died here, making its cemeteries a treasure trove of art, architecture, and sculpture.

Green-Wood Cemetery in New York City

Green-Wood Cemetery, at 500 25th Street in Brooklyn, New York City, was founded in 1838 as a rural cemetery, providing a garden-like resting place in the heart of the city for over 600,000 former residents. Its Gothic revival gates, designed by Richard M. Upjohn, were designated a New York City Landmark in 1966, and the cemetery itself was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. The Battle of Brooklyn was partially fought on (what became) its 478 acres.