The C&O Canal in the Civil War

The articles listed below are from a continuing series edited by Gary M. Petrichick for Along The Towpath, the quarterly newsletter of the C&O Canal Association.   Unless otherwise noted, the articles were written by the series editor.  The publication dates are listed in parentheses.

A Brief Overview --  An introduction to the role of the C&O Canal in the Civil War, with reflections on history. (June 2007)

The Battle of Shepherdstown (Boteler’s Ford), adapted from Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association publications (September 2007) --  This 1862 engagement involved one of the most significant canal/river crossings of the Civil War.

Five Vermont Solders Spend a Quiet Year on the Canal, by Grant Reynolds. -- During 1862-63, recruits from a small New England town helped to guard the area of Poolesville, Md. (Dec. 2007)

The Battle of Balls Bluff -- In October 1861, Union troops who crossed to Virginia suffered a significant defeat a few miles downriver from Edwards Ferry. (Mar. 2008)

The Dams -- The dams used to divert Potomac River water into the canal were a frequent target of Confederate forces. (June 2008)

Battles at Folcks Mill and Oldtown -- In 1864, Confederate forces advancing on Cumberland were foiled at Folcks Mill, but then overcame Union troops who tried to block their retreat at Oldtown. (Sept. 2008)

The Gettysburg Crossings -- In 1863, Confederate forces crossed and damaged the canal at several points on their way to and from the crucial battle at Gettysburg. (Dec. 2008)

Arrest! -- The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company’s president was more than once detained by federal authorities during the war. (Mar. 2009) 

Ferry Hill Place -- The mansion across the Potomac River from Shepherdstown, W.Va., figured in several incidents during the war, in which the son of the property’s owner fought for the Confederacy. (June 2009)

Case of Lockjaw, by Dave Johnson. --  Union plans to use canal boats as supports for a bridge at Harpers Ferry were frustrated in 1862 when a river lock proved too narrow. (Sept. 2009, reprinted from June 2000)

Blockhouses --  Beginning in 1861, miniature fortresses guarded strategic points along the canal and the Potomac River. (Dec. 2009)

The C&O Canal and the Underground Railroad, by Timothy R. Snyder --  Examines the role that the canal may have played in the escape of fugitives from slavery. (March 2010)

The Monocacy River Aqueduct --  The aqueduct that carried canal boats over the Monocacy River was an important target for the Confederate forces. (June 2010)

The War in Cumberland --  Describes the events of the conflict in and around the city that is the western terminus of the C&O Canal. (September 2010)

The War Moves North --  In 1862, General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the north climaxed in the Battle of Antietam. This article recounts the campaign's impact on the areas near the C&O Canal. (December 2010)

The C&O Canal and the US Civil War Canalling on the Border between North and South --  Tim Snyder describes the tensions along the canal in the early months of the war. (June 2011)

A Lockhouse Marriage: Private Franklin Swan of the 10th Vermont Infantry and Miss Mary Gaster --  Grant Reynolds investigates the aftermath of a romance between a soldier and the relative of the Seneca Lock keeper. (June 2011 and September 2011)

Divided Loyalties in Montgomery County and along the C&O Canal in the Civil War --  Mike Dwyer uses a Provost Marshall's report to illustrate the extent of Confederate sympathies in the area. (June 2011)

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