Carroll Co Visitors Guide

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AT T R A C T I O N S
Civil War Driving
and Walking Tours
Carroll County’s involvement in the
Civil War can be traced through
walking and driving tours with
stops at the sites of skirmishes and
troop encampments
as both the Union
and Confederate
armies made their
way to and from the
Battle of Gettysburg.
There are two driving
tours to help navigate
the county. The first
tour, “Carroll County, Maryland:
Roads to Gettysburg,” helps the
visitor to navigate the movements
of over 60,000 troops from the
southern end of the county up
to Gettysburg. The second tour,
“Gettysburg: Invasion and
Retreat,” is a much broader look
at the June-July 1863 Campaign
including surrounding counties.
This map guides the visitor along
the armies’ paths, stopping at
19 markers with illustrations,
photos, and interesting stories
about the impact of the War on
local citizens and the day-to-day
stories of soldiers who marched
toward the epic Gettysburg battle.
Follow the bugle trailblazer signs
to the 19 wayside markers.
The 1864 Campaign also brought
troops through Carroll County,
stopping in New Windsor and
Westminster. This troop movement
is described on three wayside
markers (one in New Windsor
and two in Westminster)
In addition to the two driving
tours, the visitor may experience
the Civil War through a self-
guided walking tour, “Corbit’s
Charge,” on the Main Street of
downtown Westminster. This
walking tour, written by Tom
LeGore, provides the background
of “a small, but extremely
important cavalry skirmish which
took place in Westminster on
June 29, 1863. The clash on the
edge of town between General
J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry and a small
unit of the Delaware cavalry was
a significant factor in slowing
down the General’s march. Instead
of proceeding into Pennsylvania
to inform General Robert E. Lee
about the major Union troop
movements, Stuart’s cavalry was
delayed long enough to make it
advisable to spend the night in
the Westminster area. Historians
have often wondered whether the
results of the Battle of Gettysburg
might have been different if Stuart
had arrived before July 2nd.”
Maryland Heritage
Area— Heart of the Civil
War Heritage Area
As part of our efforts to tell
the Civil War story in context,
Carroll County has partnered
with Frederick and Washington
Counties (to our west) to form
one of Maryland’s Heritage
Areas: the Heart of the Civil War
Heritage Area (HCWHA). These
three counties contain stories
of families torn apart as sons
went off to war to fight for their
beliefs. Many of the buildings are
still standing today where South
met North. With the HCWHA
brochure, visitors can explore
the three counties discovering
the full impact the Civil War had,
not only on this region, but on
the entire nation. Copies of the
brochure “Heart of the Civil War”
may be picked up at the Carroll
County Visitor Center or mailed.
C
HERITAGE AREA
Free brochures are available through the
Visitor Center at 800-272-1933 or on the
website .
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