Maryland 2nd Infantry Battalion
HISTORICAL NOTES:
The Maryland 2nd Infantry Regiment, often called 1st or 2nd Battalion, formerly the 1st Infantry Battalion, was organized at Winchester, Virginia in September, 1862. It served in Steuart's Brigade, the Maryland Line, then H.H. Walker's and McComb's Brigade. The unit fought at Gettysburg, served in the Department of Richmond, and saw action at Cold Harbor. It continued the fight in the trenches of Petersburg and ended the war at Appomattox. The unit lost forty percent of the 400 engaged at Gettysburg, had 286 effectives in May, 1864, and surrendered 3 officers and 59 men.
At Gettysburg, the only regimental monument on the battlefield built by a Confederate veteran's group is that of the 1st Maryland Battalion. The 1st Maryland was part of General George (Maryland) Steuart's Brigade of General Edward Johnson's division, Richard Ewell's 2nd Corps. It participated in the successful assault and capture of the lightly defended Union positions on lower Culp's Hill the evening of July 2nd and held the position until the entire Confederate line was repulsed before noon, July 3rd.
In October 1884, the Board of Directors of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association granted permission to the survivors of the 1st Maryland to erect a monument indicating its position on the field. It was not accomplished without controversy, as some Union veterans steadfastly opposed their former enemy's desire to honor their own dead. One concession the unit needed to make was to use the designation 2nd Maryland to avoid confusion with two Union regiments that fought in the vicinity with the same numeric designation. The site chosen for the monument was the position occupied by the unit as they broke into the Union defenses on July 2nd. Nearby, the commander of the regiment was mortally wounded.
The monument consists of a tapered die topped by a highly polished granite ball. On the front of the die is a large bas relief carving of the Maryland State seal. Each of the four faces of the capstone has the Baltimore Cross as most of the men in the regiment were recruited in and around this city. The dedication took place in November of 1886 in the presence of a large number of onlookers in the audience, including the former Brigade Commander, General Steuart. At the same time a small marker was placed approximately one hundred yards inside Union lines to represent the point reached by the unit during the morning's fighting on July 3rd.
OFFICERS:
Lieutenant-Colonel:
Bradley T. Johnson
James R. Herbert
Major:
W. W. Goldsborough
ASSIGNMENTS:
Steuart's Brigade, the Maryland Line, then H.H. Walker's and McComb's Brigade.
SERVICE:
3/26/63 Edenburg, VA
5/8/63 Harrisonburg, VA
6/13/63 Winchester, VA
7/2/63 Culp's Hill during Gettysburg
In August of 1863, Co H was officially added to the Battalion.
6/2/64 Cold Harbor
6/13/64 White Oak Swamp
6/18/64 Petersburg
8/18/64 Weldon Railroad
9/30/64 Peeble's Farm
10/1/64 Squirrel Level Road
2/5/65 Hatcher's Run
4/9/65 Appomattox Court House
ROSTERS:
The rolls of this regiment contains the names of 974 men.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
REFERENCES:
Sifakis - The Compendium of the Confederate Armies
At Gettysburg, the only regimental monument on the battlefield built by a Confederate veteran's group is that of the 1st Maryland Battalion. The 1st Maryland was part of General George (Maryland) Steuart's Brigade of General Edward Johnson's division, Richard Ewell's 2nd Corps. It participated in the successful assault and capture of the lightly defended Union positions on lower Culp's Hill the evening of July 2nd and held the position until the entire Confederate line was repulsed before noon, July 3rd.
In October 1884, the Board of Directors of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association granted permission to the survivors of the 1st Maryland to erect a monument indicating its position on the field. It was not accomplished without controversy, as some Union veterans steadfastly opposed their former enemy's desire to honor their own dead. One concession the unit needed to make was to use the designation 2nd Maryland to avoid confusion with two Union regiments that fought in the vicinity with the same numeric designation. The site chosen for the monument was the position occupied by the unit as they broke into the Union defenses on July 2nd. Nearby, the commander of the regiment was mortally wounded.
The monument consists of a tapered die topped by a highly polished granite ball. On the front of the die is a large bas relief carving of the Maryland State seal. Each of the four faces of the capstone has the Baltimore Cross as most of the men in the regiment were recruited in and around this city. The dedication took place in November of 1886 in the presence of a large number of onlookers in the audience, including the former Brigade Commander, General Steuart. At the same time a small marker was placed approximately one hundred yards inside Union lines to represent the point reached by the unit during the morning's fighting on July 3rd.
Bradley T. Johnson
James R. Herbert
Major:
W. W. Goldsborough
5/8/63 Harrisonburg, VA
6/13/63 Winchester, VA
7/2/63 Culp's Hill during Gettysburg
In August of 1863, Co H was officially added to the Battalion.
6/2/64 Cold Harbor
6/13/64 White Oak Swamp
6/18/64 Petersburg
8/18/64 Weldon Railroad
9/30/64 Peeble's Farm
10/1/64 Squirrel Level Road
2/5/65 Hatcher's Run
4/9/65 Appomattox Court House