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.
This peaceful park straddling the border between Frederick and Washington Counties has not one but two significant stories to tell. The wooded slopes of Crampton’s Gap on South Mountain witnessed the first major battle of the Civil War in Maryland on September 14, 1862. In the decades following the Civil War, George Alfred Townsend—one of the most influential writers of the late 19th century—called this estate home. The park is the only location where the famed Appalachian Trail crosses a major Civil War battlefield.
Townsend hailed from Georgetown, Delaware, and began his career in journalism as a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer at age 19. He covered the Civil War as a correspondent for the New York Herald. His gripping coverage of the Lincoln conspirators’ trial in 1865 resulted in his best-selling publication, The Life, Crime, and Capture of John Wilkes Booth. His fame only increased after the war as a well-respected political commentator. Townsend branched into literature later in his career, becoming a writer of short stories and novels inspired by local history including Katy of Catoctin (1887).
In 1884, he purchased an estate called Gapland located along Crampton’s Gap—the site of the bloody Battle of South Mountain during the Maryland Campaign of 1862. Townsend, who went by the pen name of GATH, oversaw the construction of many stone structures. Only two buildings—Gapland Hall (1885) and Gapland Lodge (1886)—remain, now exhibiting artifacts and documents from Townsend’s life as well as the Battle of South Mountain. Townsend commissioned the striking War Correspondents Memorial Arch as a tribute to his colleagues “whose toils cheered the fireside […] and gave incentive to narrate distant wars and explore dark lands.” Funded by subscriptions from individuals, the monument was dedicated in October 1896. The names of four journalists killed in combat were added to the arch in 2003: David Bloom, Michael Kelly, Eilzabeth Neuffer, and Daniel Pearl.
The National Park Service administers the 50’ tall stone monument, which is a national historic monument. Another noteworthy legacy from Townsend’s occupation is the mausoleum built for him in 1895. Although inscribed with the phrase “Good Night Gath,” the chamber sits empty. Townsend left Gapland in 1911, coming to rest permanently in Philadelphia in 1914. The estate became Gathland State Park in 1949.
The Geocache
Stage 1: At the given coordinates, [N39 24.354 W077 38.369], you will find a historical marker titled Battle For Crampton's Gap. Use this sign to gather information to find the north coordinates to the geocache.
Stage 1
- A = Second to last word in the last line of the left section of description.
- B = Add last two digits of year of Battle for Crampton's Gap.
- C = Second digit minus one of date of Battle of Crampton's Gap.
Stage 2: At Reference Point #2, [N39 24.278 W077 38.398], you will find a historical marker titled Brownsville Pass: Semmes' Gamble. Use this sign to gather information to find the west coordinates to the geocache.
Stage 2
- D = Second digit of day Semmes left Brownsville to move back into the gap.
- E = # of letters in first name of Major General named in first line of description.
- F = Captain Basil Manly's ___ - gun battery.
The coordinates for the geocache are N39° 24.ABC, W77° 38.DEF. The checksum of ABCDEF is 30. The cache is a clear lock-n-lock container.
Gathland State Park is open from 8AM until sunset. There is no fee to enter the park.
Thanks to the following members of the Maryland Geocaching Society in placing the hides for this Geotrail: deepdish23, GeoAPPs, lpyankeefan, Phos4s, and ZombieHNTR.