Williamsport
Hagerstown, Falling Waters
Civil War Maryland

American Civil War
July 6-16, 1863

During the night of July 4-5, Lee's battered army began its retreat from Gettysburg, moving southwest on the Fairfield Road toward Hagerstown and Williamsport, screened by Stuart's cavalry.

The Union infantry followed cautiously the next day, converging on Middletown, Maryland. On July 7, Imboden (CS) stopped Buford's Union cavalry from occupying Williamsport and destroying Confederate trains.

Kilpatrick's cavalry division drove two Confederate cavalry brigades through Hagerstown before being forced to retire by the arrival of the rest of Stuart's command.

Lee's infantry reached the rain-swollen Potomac River but could not cross, the pontoon bridge having been destroyed by a cavalry raid.

On July 11, Lee entrenched a line, protecting the river crossings at Williamsport and waited for Meade's army to advance.

July 12, Meade reached the vicinity and probed the Confederate line.

July 13, skirmishing was heavy along the lines as Meade positioned his forces for an attack. In the meantime, the river fell enough to allow the construction of a new bridge, and Lee's army began crossing the river after dark on the 13th.

On the morning of the 14th, Kilpatrick's and Buford's cavalry divisions attacked the rearguard division of Henry Heth still on the north bank, taking more than 500 prisoners. Confederate Brigadier General James Pettigrew was mortally wounded in the fight.

On July 16, David McM. Gregg's cavalry approached Shepherdstown where Fitzhugh Lee's and J.R. Chambliss's brigades, supported by M.J. Ferguson's, held the Potomac River fords against the Union infantry.

Fitzhugh Lee and Chambliss attacked Gregg, who held out against several attacks and sorties, fighting sporadically until nightfall when he withdrew.

Result(s): Inconclusive

Location: Washington County

Campaign: Gettysburg Campaign (June-August 1863) next battle in campaign    previous battle in campaign

Date(s): July 6-16, 1863

Principal Commanders: Major General George G. Meade [US]; General Robert E. Lee [CS]

Forces Engaged: Divisions

Estimated Casualties: 1,730 total


Jeb Stuart: The Last Cavalier
Biography of the dashing Confederate general is history at its best: fascinating, colorful, provocative. Includes portraits of Stuart's early life, training at West Point, the fateful decision to side with the South and action-packed battle scenes. 7 maps. 8 pages of photos.





Custer Victorious: The Civil War Battles of General George Armstrong Custer
Custer was promoted to major general and the helm of the Third Cavalry Division when he was only twenty-four. Urwin describes the Boy General's vital contributions to Union victories from Gettysburg to Appomattox.

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American Civil War Book Titles

Robert E. Lee
This book not only offers concise detail but also gives terrific insight into the state of the Union and Confederacy during Lee's life. Lee was truly a one of kind gentleman and American, and had Virginia not been in the south or neutral, he ultimately would have led the Union forces.
The Union Generals Speak: The Meade Hearings on the Battle of Gettysburg
The first annotated edition of the 1864 congressional investigation into Major General George Gordon Meade's conduct during the Gettysburg campaign. The transcripts alone, which present eyewitness accounts from sixteen participant officers at Gettysburg, offer a wealth of information about the most pivotal battles in American history
Meade: Victor of Gettysburg
Meade took command only hours before his forces stumbled upon Robert E. Lee's Confederates at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1863. He led his men to victory in one of the most famous battles in history, but Meade was soon embroiled in political battles with fellow generals and Washington politicians 		Maps of Gettysburg
The Maps of Gettysburg: The Gettysburg Campaign, June 3 - July 13, 1863
The Maps of Gettysburg plows new ground in the study of the campaign by breaking down the entire campaign in 140 detailed original maps. These cartographic originals bore down to the regimental level, and offer Civil Warriors a unique and fascinating approach to studying the always climactic battle of the war.

Small Arms at Gettysburg: Infantry and Cavalry Weapons in America's Greatest Battle
Here we learn that the smoothbore musket, although beloved by some who carried it, sang its swan song, the rifle-musket began to come into its own, and the repeating rifle, although tactically mishandled, gave a glimpse of future promise. This is the story of the weapons and men who carried them into battle during three days in July 1863
Gettysburg--The First Day
A detailed tactical description of the first day's fighting. The engagements in McPherson Woods, at the Railroad Cuts, on Oak Ridge, on Seminary Ridge, and at Blocher's Knoll, and the retreat of Union forces through Gettysburg
Courage on Little Round Top
A Historical Novel

Selected Letters of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, 1865-1914
Known as the hero of Little Round Top and the commanding officer who accepted the Confederates' surrender at Appomattox.

Pickett's Charge--The Last Attack at Gettysburg
Pickett's July 3, 1863 charge up Cemetery Ridge is the climactic event of the Battle of Gettysburg and the defining moment of the Civil War.
Jeb Stuart and the Confederate Defeat at Gettysburg
Warren C. Robinson reassesses the historical record to come to a clearer view of Stuart's orders for the crucial battle (as well as what was expected of him), of his actual performance, and of the impact his late arrival had on the outcome of the campaign.
Cavalryman of the Lost Cause: A Biography of J. E. B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown Stuart was the premier cavalry commander of the Confederacy. He gained a reputation for daring early in the war when he rode around the Union army in the Peninsula Campaign, providing valuable intelligence to General Robert E. Lee at the expense of Union commander George B. McClellan
Fighting with Jeb Stuart: Major James Breathed and the Confederate Horse Artillery
Biography of this important Southern officer, a brave and virtuous warrior who embodied all the qualities that made the Confederate Army one of the finest in history. Major Breathed was involved in eighty-six battles, engagements and skirmishes.

Civil War History Documentary DVD Movie Titles

Gettysburg: Three Days of Destiny
Presented by the Gettysburg Anniversary Committee and filmed at the massive 140th Gettysburg Battle Reenactment. The dramatic story unfolds through both Union and Confederate commanders dispatches, diaries and after-battle reports, with some of the biggest and most exciting Civil War battle sequences ever filmed
Gettysburg and Stories of Valor - Civil War Minutes III DVD Box Set
This 3-hour documentary captures the scenic beauty of the Gettysburg battlefield, examines rare Civil War artifacts and tells the personal stories of the men who fought in the war.
Gettysburg / Gods and Generals
The tide of the war changes during three fierce days of combat at Gettysburg [Disc 1] the gripping saga of the tactics command errors and sacrifices behind the bloodiest battle ever fought on U.S. soil. Gods and Generals [Disc 2] reveals the spirited allegiances and fierce combat of earlier Civil War struggles
Horses of Gettysburg
Civil War Minutes
Filmed in high definition with charging horses, battlefield panoramas and no "talking heads," this cinematic documentary tells the story of the estimated 72,000 horses and mules that fought at the Battle of Gettysburg and uncovers the strategies employed to ensure that the millions of animals in service with the North and South remained healthy and well-trained for action.

History Channel Presents The Civil War
From Harper's Ferry, Fort Sumter, and First Bull Run to Shiloh, Antietam, and Gettysburg. The most legendary Civil War battles in brilliant detail. A selection of the soldiers and legendary leaders.
The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns
Here is the saga of celebrated generals and ordinary soldiers, a heroic and transcendent president and a country that had to divide itself in two in order to become one
PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
General Meade After Pickett's Charge
Did Meade want to fight at Gettysburg? Did Meade want to retreat on the evening of July 2nd? Why didn't Meade counter-assault the Army of Northern Virginia after the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble charge? National Park Service addresses these questions
PCN Tours Gettysburg Battlewalks:
Pickett's Charge - Pettigrew's Perspective
The legendary exploits of the Union and Confederate armies come to life with these informative tours of Gettysburg National Park


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Sources:
U.S. National Park Service
U.S. Library of Congress.

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