 After
installing the last driving tour marker, members of the Monterey Pass
Battlefield Association gather for a group photograph. Markers are
located at Fountain Dale Fire Department, Hawley Memorial Church as
well as Rolando Woods Park all located on Old Waynesboro Road. A
Maryland Civil War Trails Wayside Exhibit will be installed at Pen Mar
Park later this month.
Be sure to see our new
driving tour. |
Welcome to the website of the Monterey Pass Battlefield Association.
The Monterey Pass Battlefield Association is comprised of individuals,
living historians and community organizations whose main goal is to preserve
this Civil War battlefield and educate our community about the Civil
War significance of the Battle of Monterey Pass through interpretational
programs. These programs include journalism, lectures, special events
and living histories. There are no visitor services established
for the Monterey Pass battle site or for Fairfield Pass, as the entire
battlefield is in private ownership.
The
association's purpose is to honor the memory of the men, both Union
and Confederate, who fought during the night of July 4th into the
early morning hours of July 5th, 1863. This battle proved to be very
difficult as it was during a blinding thunderstorm and included
many citizens of the area who participated in the fight, serving as guides.
Many engagements
were fought during the Pennsylvania Campaign that are often
overlooked. One of those engagements is the battle of Monterey Pass,
which is the second largest battle in Pennsylvania and was the only
battle that was fought on both sides of the Mason and Dixon Line,
taking place in four counties, Frederick and Washington Counties,
Maryland and Adams and Franklin Counties, Pennsylvania. Being a direct
route to the Potomac River, Monterey Pass was used by the bulk of the
Confederate Army during it’s withdraw from
Gettysburg.
 After
the Civil War, the
 community
of Monterey expanded, becoming a resort town for wealthy families who
spent their summers in the area to escape the heat of the big city.
This is a prime example of a developed battlefield and how housing and
expansion leads to the deterioration of these Civil War battlefields.
In 1890, during this resort era Lt. Colonel Walter H. Taylor moved to
Cascade during the summer. He would talk about the Monterey area where
he and General Lee took a break from the retreat long enough to watch
a portion of his army march back to the Potomac. Today the Taylor
residence is operated as a bed and breakfast called the Cascade Inn.
|
