You're invited to take a journey through the Maryland's Heart of the Civil War.
The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area (HCWHA) is an area rich in history, covering portions of Carroll, Frederick and Washington Counties. It is located just below the Mason-Dixon Line, generally viewed as the dividing line between North and South, and above the Potomac River. With one foot in the north, and one foot in the south, the story of the Civil War can be told nowhere better than in this part of Maryland.
No state experienced the Civil War quite like Maryland. Residents of this border state contributed significant resources to both sides of the war effort. Although large portions of the state’s economy relied upon slavery, Maryland lawmakers did not vote to secede from the Union at the outset of the war—though many did not have the opportunity to vote, as they were detained by the federal government because of suspected Confederate sympathies.
Between 1861 and 1865, the Civil War impacted nearly every Maryland resident. Some families faced financial ruin after troops ravaged their land. Thousands of fathers, sons and brothers became casualties of war. For enslaved Marylanders, the conflict ultimately brought about freedom as the new state constitution of November 1864 abolished the practice.
Marylanders witnessed three major military movements during the Civil War: the Maryland (also known as Antietam) Campaign in the fall of 1862, the Gettysburg Campaign in the summer of 1863, and the march to Washington led by Jubal Early in the summer of 1864. Geocachers can visit significant sites from each of these three operations on the Heart of the Civil War GeoTrail.
The mission of the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area is to promote the stewardship of our historic, cultural, and natural Civil War resources; encourage superior visitor experiences; and stimulate tourism, economic prosperity, and educational development, thereby improving the quality of life in our community for the benefit of both residents and visitors.
The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area Geotrail launched October 1st, 2016 with 15 geocaches within Maryland's Carroll, Frederick, and Washington Counties. A trackable geocoin will be awarded to the first 200 geocachers, (while supplies last), who find the locations of at least 13 HCWHA caches. To be eligible for the coin, geocachers must download a passport from the Heart of the Civil War website, and record the code word from at least 13 HCWHA geocaches. Geocachers may have their passports validated in person at the Newcomer House at Antietam National Battlefield or at the Visitor Centers in Westminster, Frederick, or Hagerstown. Please refer to the passport for Visitor Center hours and complete validation instructions.
Please note following change. A free prize will still be given to a geocacher who goes to at least 13 HCWHA geocaches and records the code in each of the geocaches on their passport. In addition, geocachers may purchase a trackable Geocoin for $10 at one of the following locations: Frederick Visitor Center, Hagerstown-Washington County Visitor Welcome Center, or Antietam Museum Store. Each of these locations will verify passports by mail and send a coin for a modest handling fee. Call for more information.
Participating in the HCWHA geotrail is fun and we hope that many people join in. However, it is not a requirement for logging your find on this cache once you find the container.
Welcome to Westminster, the seat of Carroll County. Carroll County—formed from sections of Baltimore and Frederick Counties in 1837—was named in honor of Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737-1832), a Maryland native who became the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence. The city of Westminster dates to the colonial period, when an English farmer and French and Indian War veteran named William Winchester established a community he called “Winchester’s Town” in the 1760s.
Located just ten miles below the contentious Mason-Dixon Line, the streets of Westminster became a battleground during the Civil War. An engagement known as Corbit’s Charge took place here on June 29, 1863, days before the famous Battle of Gettysburg. Captain Charles Corbit led members of his company from the 1st Delaware Cavalry—who had been guarding the Western Maryland Railroad line in Westminster—as well as a detachment of the 150th New York Infantry down Main Street to drive back cavalrymen under the command of General J.E.B. Stuart. The Confederates eventually overwhelmed the Federal troops, taking the New York infantrymen prisoner, before moving north to camp near Union Mills that evening.
The Historical Society of Carroll County has owned the Sherman-Fisher-Shellman House, which is over 210 years old, since before World War II. Second-generation tavernkeeper Jacob Sherman (1756-1822) ran an inn owned by his father in this section of the growing town starting in 1775. He purchased the lot across the street in 1806 and by the next year, had raised and sold a handsome brick home to his daughter Eve and son-in-law David Shriver, Jr.—the founder of Union Mills. After the Sherman and Shriver families—along with a handful of enslaved and free black servants—had moved on, the home was sold to Bank of Westminster founding director John Fisher (1780-1863) in 1833. Colonel James M. and Catherine Jones Shellman purchased the house in March of 1864, and in July of that year it briefly became the headquarters to Confederate Major General Bradley T. Johnson. Mary Shellman made her mark on Westminster as the founder and leader of the popular Memorial Day observance and became an honorary member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Upon her death in 1938, the house was sold to the newly-formed Historical Society.
Visitors to Westminster today can learn about the city’s role in the Civil War—including the 1865 murder of newspaper editor Joseph Shaw—at the Historical Society of Carroll County.
Thanks to the following members of the Maryland Geocaching Society in placing the hides for this Geotrail: deepdish23, GeoAPPs, lpyankeefan, Phos4s, and ZombieHNTR.