Confederate Army Invades Maryland In 1864

About this time our efforts were pointed in another direction, for a

portion of Lee's Army had been detached and had begun the invasion of

Maryland (June 28, 1864).



General Wallace gathered up his scattered troops and prepared to meet

the enemy at Monocacy. He was not well matched to meet them, but

strongly resisted them long enough to enable Grant to reinforce

Washington, and, strategically speaking, Wal ace's fight saved

Washington.



Appleton's Encyclopedia, page 130, under army operations 1864, says:



"Meantime the enemy after tearing up some railroad from

Frederick to Baltimore, sent their main body south of it and

detached a cavalry force towards the Northern Central Railroad

from Harrisburg, Pa., to Baltimore. This Cavalry expedition

overran Maryland, 25 miles of the Northern Central Railroad

was destroyed, and on Monday the 11th (July), a force appeared

on the Baltimore, Wilmington & Phila. Road and captured and

set on fire the trains at Magnolia station, seventeen miles

south of Havre de Grace.



In one train Major General Franklin was captured but

afterwards made his escape. Some damage was done to the track

and Gunpowder Bridge was partially burned. The Cavalry heavily

loaded with plunder came within six miles of Baltimore, then

turning southward they joined the force near Washington which

had been sent in that direction to guard against surprise;

part of it halted before Fort Stevens on 17th street."



I remained in Baltimore until July 14th, when I started out to scout the

country east and north of the city.





Headquarters, Middle Department,

8th Army Corps.

Baltimore, July 14, 1864.



Pass H. B. Smith and George W. Thompson on Department business

out and in Picket Lines at all hours.



By command Major General Wallace.



JOHN WOOLLEY,

Lt. Col. & Pro. Marshal.





General Wallace had been compelled (by Lee's invasion) to take away to

Monocacy nearly all of his troops, and so we had to appeal to the

citizens for the defence of the city. All loyal citizens were appealed

to and they responded nobly; they made, however, a motley army, but

patriotic to the core, they vigorously performed their duty.



I had a serious experience with them when I tried to get inside our

picket lines. We scoured the country quite thoroughly.



I find among my papers no copy of a written report except the one I find

endorsed on and in connection with the report on Judge Grason's arrest

on July 24th, which is the following:



"When Bradley Johnson's Brigade, and Harry Gilmor's Cavalry

was in Maryland, and after they destroyed the Gunpowder Bridge

on the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, one of

my detectives named Thompson and myself went out past the

Pickets on the Philadelphia Pike as far as the Rechabite

Church and then changed onto the Belair road, where I hailed a

man named ---- ----, who was afterwards caught with a wagon

loaded with contraband goods intended for the Rebs. He talked

to me for some time. I told him that I wanted to get to see

Harry Gilmor, that I was from New York, and that if Gilmor

remained long enough in Maryland, I could get some recruits

from New York.



This man offered me money to aid me in this glorious

enterprise. He told me that if I would go over to Towsontown

and see Richard Grason, that he (Grason) could tell me just

where Gilmor could be seen. This man also told me about the

man that Ishmael Day shot.



We left him and went over to Towsontown, where we had dinner

and then went into Baltimore, after being arrested by (our)

pickets almost every mile.



That evening we again started out for Towsontown; at

Govanstown we were surrounded by about ten or twelve of the

13th Md., who lowered their pieces at us and demanded us to

dismount; Thompson did so immediately, but I used more time.

They said they had been waiting for us for some time. This of

course was an error; finally we were released and proceeded on

our way. We could not find Grason.



On our way back we were again arrested by some of the Citizen

Cavalry, but got back into Baltimore at about 2 A. M."



(From the Baltimore "American," July 12, 1864.)



"Major Harry Gilmor, who, from a misguided leniency, if not

something worse, was released from capture by General Wool,

during his administration of affairs in this Department, was

the commander of the Rebels who have worked so much

destruction of property in this immediate vicinity.



After his successful plundering operations in Carroll and

Frederick Counties he concluded to visit his own county and

receive the congratulations of his friends and admirers. On

Sunday he spent the day and evening at Glen Ellen, above

Towsontown, at the residence of his father, Mr. Robert Gilmor,

and no doubt a very pleasant time was had.



A force of about three hundred of his companions are said to

have been encamped in that vicinity. On Sunday a delegation of

five visited Towsontown and the joy of the Rebel males and

females of that neighborhood is said to be beyond description.

Mr. Richard Grason who frequently performs the office of

special Judge of the County, was unable to restrain his

emotion and kindly feelings to his friends, and took them to

his dwelling where they feasted and whiskeyed to their hearts

content."



Judge Grason in trying to escape arrest for his disloyal acts in

connection with Harry Gilmor, tried to use a stolen pass issued to an

assumed name, "Jenkins." I remember well my lecture to him on the

heinousness of his offence. It was picturesque, a boy chiding a judge.

But it was due him.





Headquarters, Middle Department,

8th Army Corps.

Baltimore, July 24, 1864.



Lieut. Col. Woolley,

Provost Marshal.



Colonel.--I have the honor to report the arrest yesterday of

Judge Grason of Towsontown.



I questioned him; he stated that a good friend of his whose

name he refused to give, procured a blank pass and he filled

in the name, residence and destination and attempted to pass

on it.



I asked him the reason for assuming the name "Jenkins." He

said he understood he was to be arrested and did not want to

be detained. He said he received a letter from his home (near

Queenstown), stating that his father was very poorly, and

wanted to see him.



I asked him where the letter was. He said he threw it in the

stove and burned it up. I asked if it was in his kitchen stove

at home. He said no, that it was in his office stove. I asked

him if he had a fire in his office stove (July). He said no,

but that he set fire to the letter from his pipe that he was

smoking.



He said he first heard he was to be arrested about the 11th,

or 12th inst., and acknowledged to having kept out of the way

as he did not want to be arrested then, as it would be some

time, probably, before he could get a hearing, on account of

the pressure of business on the Military Authorities.



He is everywhere known as being a bitter Rebel. He

acknowledged to have spoken to Harry Gilmor while in

Towsontown, but said it was only to get him to save some

property.



He said he would rather receive the punishment than to allow

the friend who gave him the pass to be punished.



I am, Colonel,

Very respy. your obdt. servt,

H. B. SMITH,

Lt. & Chief.





The Ishmael Day incident was quite as romantic, or dramatic, as the

"Barbara Freitchie" episode, but it was never dwelt upon, however, by

the poets, nor can it be demolished as a myth. Ishmael Day, single

handed and alone, defended his little miniature flag against the

Confederate hosts. The incident rang over the country through the press.



My uncle, Zoeth Smith, a patriot indeed, wrote me to get Ishmael's

picture, which I did. Recently, in looking over my papers, I found Uncle

Zoe's letter and sent it to his sons, Truman and Addison, to show them

the manner of man their father was when loyalty was needed.






The following appeared in the newspapers:



"We had the pleasure this morning of an interview with Mr.

Ishmael Day who yesterday morning shot down one of Harry

Gilmor's men whilst in the act of taking down the flag over

his gate in Harford County. He gives the following correct

statement: 'On Sunday night he had heard that a party of

Rebels were encamped in the vicinity, but did not give

credence to the report. Early on Monday morning one of his

negroes reported to him that they were coming down the road.

He immediately hoisted his flag over the gate, and shortly

after, two armed men came riding along the road and one seeing

the flag burst out with a loud laugh, one of them advancing

and seizing the halliards.



The old gentleman, who is nearly seventy-three years of age,

ran back into the house, threatening to shoot them if they did

not desist. They paid no attention to him, but the halliards

being twisted they had some difficulty in getting it down. By

this time he had reached his second story, where his guns

were, and raising the window fired a load from his duck gun

just as the miscreant had succeeded in getting hold of the

flag, and he fell back on the road seriously, and he thinks,

mortally wounded, the whole load having entered his breast.



Seizing another gun and a loaded Colt's revolver, he came

down stairs and endeavored to get a shot at the other, but he

had run up the road. He then, in his anger, leveled at the

wounded man, but he begged for mercy, and said he surrendered,

and Mr. Day, thinking that he would never be able to haul down

another flag, left him lying on the road.



Hearing the approach of a large squad Mr. Day escaped with his

weapons to the woods and eluded their pursuit. Mrs. Day was

still in the house when the Rebels came up, and they

immediately commenced to set fire to it after plundering it of

such articles as they took a fancy to, and then set fire to it

as well as his barn, which were entirely destroyed. They did

not allow Mrs. Day to save even her clothing, and he fears

that some two thousand, three hundred dollars of Government

Bonds were destroyed with his deeds and papers. He has not yet

seen Mrs. Day, who found refuge for herself and family in one

of the neighbor's houses.



The only regret of the gallant old patriot is that he did not

get a shot at the other Rebel.'



We learn this morning that the man who was shot by Mr. Day was

named Fields, formerly of Baltimore; that he was left by the

Rebels at Dampman's Hotel, fifteen miles from the city on the

Belair Road."



After the Confederates retreated I made a thorough examination into the

disloyal conduct of various persons residing east and north of

Baltimore, for the purpose, more particularly, to guide us in the

future. The following is my report:





Headquarters, Middle Department,

8th Army Corps.

Baltimore, Aug. 7, 1864.



Lt. Col. Woolley,

Provost Marshal.



Colonel.--I have the honor to report the connection of the

following named persons with the Rebel raiders.



Herewith I hand you a transcript of the evidence in each case.



No arrests have been made in these cases.



I am, Colonel,

Very respy. your obdt. servt.,

H. B. SMITH,

Lt. & Chief.





List of Names.



Andrew Gill,

Stephen Gill,

Charles Alden,

Jackson Dorney,

J. Berryman,

---- Harriman,

---- Jones,

Francis Shipley,

Chas. Shipley,

John T. Johns,

Henry Balton,

Mal Guyton,

Wm. Price,

Henry Wesley,

John Y. Day,

S. Berryman,

Benj. Worthington,

Samuel Stone,

Jas. Reynolds,

---- Walker,

Henry Walker,

Murray Gill,

Wm. Gore,

Ed. Storm,

Robert Elder,

---- Smith,

Jos. Scarborough,

Wm. Knight,

Mat. Shorman,

Marion Guyton,

David Gittings,

Henry Emmick,

Wm. Lowrey,

John Grovner,

Jas. Mannon,

Miss Lizzie Grason.