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.
Today, as was the case during the Civil War, Zion Lutheran Church rises above the skyline of Middletown from its place along the National Road.
The congregation, formed in 1740, celebrated its 275th anniversary in 2015. Services were conducted entirely in German until 1826, and church leaders used English exclusively after 1834. The elegant white church standing today is the third building at this site. Dedicated on April 22, 1860, the structure would be transformed into a hospital after the bloody battles of South Mountain and Antietam in September 1862. Local physicians and women from the community tended to the wounded as they waited for and recovered from surgery, nursed battle wounds, or recuperated from illnesses picked up in camp. After succumbing to their wounds, several soldiers were buried on church grounds. The U.S. Army paid the church $2,395 in 1863 for damages sustained after the Maryland Campaign.
Over the summer of 1864, Union General David Hunter had embarked on the Valley Campaign and burned the Virginia Military Institute, the home of former Virginia governor John Letcher, and the houses of other Confederates in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal Early sought retribution. His corps marched into mid-Maryland lacking supplies and rations but brimming with anger.
Early and his men threatened to burn to the ground several Union strongholds in Maryland if they were not paid a hefty ransom fee. Middletown, between Hagerstown and Frederick, was ransomed three separate times: once by Brigadier General John McCausland for meat and bread, once by the aptly-named Major General Robert Ransom, Jr. for supplies, and finally by Early himself for $5,000. The burgess of Middletown negotiated to pay only $1,500 the next day, with residents of the outlying area to cover the remaining $3,500. However, Union cavalry action caused Early to flee the area without collecting the additional sum from the town. Middletown managed to escape relatively unscathed from a situation which left nearby Frederick in debt until 1951.To learn more about the Civil War in Middletown, see the interpretive markers along the National Road or visit the Middletown Valley Historical Society located in the 1840 stone house at 305 West Main Street.
The Geocache
This geocache is an on-site puzzle cache. At the given coordinates, [N39 26.631 W077 32.799], you will find a historical marker. Use this sign to gather information to find the final coordinates to the geocache..
Stage 1
- A = The number of letters in the Confederate General's last name who held Middletown ransom, plus 1.
- B = The time in the morning the ransom was to be delivered by.
- C = The day in July the Confederates demanded their ransom for Middletown.
- D = The number of words in the second line to the bottom of the paragraph under the title "RANSOM!"
- E = The day in July the Confederates left Middletown.
The coordinates for the geocache are N39° 26.ABC, W77° 32.CDE. The checksum of ABCDE is 33. The cache is a clear lock-n-lock container. There is several places to park in Middletown including Main Street. Please be respectful on Sunday mornings and other times when services are occurring.
Thanks to the following members of the Maryland Geocaching Society in placing the hides for this Geotrail: deepdish23, GeoAPPs, lpyankeefan, Phos4s, and ZombieHNTR.