Maryland in the Civil War
Maryland Regiments
Many young men who enlisted in Maryland regiments during the Civil War had romantic notions of heroic victories on the fields of battle, in part because Maryland had not been involved in military conflict since the War of 1812. This new war was particularly tragic for Marylanders because it often divided families with one brother choosing a Confederate unit, while the other joined a Union regiment.
The 1st Maryland Infantry was the only military unit in Maryland in the spring of 1861, when the Pratt Street Riot took place. It had become clear that most Marylanders favored the South. President Lincoln divided Maryland into three military districts to be secured by federal troops, and Baltimore became an occupied city.
Marylanders with southern sympathies sought refuge in Virginia and other friendly territories, where they enlisted in the units of virtually every confederate state.
Though African-American men had served in the American army during the Revolution, they were thereafter excluded from service until President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The story of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) began at Camp Stanton in Benedict, Maryland to recruit and train African-American men for the Union Army. See the page on African-American participation for more information.
Links to information about Maryland Regiments in the Civil War:
Maryland regiments in the Civil War
This site offers links to both Union and Confederate units as well as suggestions for researching regiments and ancestors who fought in the Civil War.
Maryland Union Regimental Index
Includes details for thirty-five units from Maryland.
Maryland Line in the Confederate Army, 1861-1865
W.W. Goldsborough’s classic account of Maryland Confederates, first published just after the War. Contains index of many of the names of soldiers.
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors
Search page that allows you to put in information about the unit and returns a detailed regimental history. From the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, National Park Service.
Maryland State Flag History
Maryland’s Secretary of State Web site includes the history of the flag and how the colors were used by both sides in the Civil War.
Sixth Regiment, Maryland Infantry
A good example of a compiled history of a Maryland regiment assembled by The Sixth Regiment of Maryland Infantry Descendants Association.
Maryland in the Civil War:
Introduction
African-American Participation
Battles in Maryland
Biography and Personal Narratives
Monuments, Museums and Historic Sites
Prominent Marylanders in the Civil War
Selected References
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