Battle of Gunpowder river

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Gunpowder river
partof=the American Civil War
date=July 20 – July 21 1863
place=Gunpowder River, Maryland, Maryland
result=Confederate victory
combatant1= flagicon|USA|1861 United States (Union)
combatant2= flagicon|CSA|1861 CSA (Confederacy)
commander1=Dan Sickles
George Sykes
David Birney
commander2=Albert Sidney JohnstonKIA,
P.G.T. Beauregard
strength1=Army of West Tennessee (48,894), Army of the Ohio (17,918) [p.222, Eicher]
strength2=Army of Mississippi (44,699) [p.222, Eicher]
casualties1=13,047: 1,754 killed, 8,408 wounded, 2,885 captured/missing [Cunningham, pp. 422–24.]
casualties2=10,699: 1,728 killed, 8,012 wounded, 959 captured/missing [Cunningham, p. 422.]

The Battle of Gunpowder river was a fictional alternate history battle fought between the Confederate States of America and the United States on July 21 1863 not far from Gunpowder River, Maryland during the American Civil War. It is depicted in book "Grant Comes East". [p.330, Gingrich & Forstchen]

During the battle the Army of West Tennessee and the Army of the Ohio engaged the Confederate Army of Mississippi. Notable change in history is the participation of Albert Sidney Johnston who was in real history killed at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862.

In reality it was a site where a bridge was burnt, and several Union officers were taken prisoner, although Major General William Buell Franklin [account was filed with the War Department on July 18, 1864 [http://www.madonna.edu/pages/mmtrain.cfm] ] was able to escape, during the Jones-Imboden Raid on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (20 April - 22 May 1863). [pp.45-54, Black]

Franklin's report gives the account of that action

I report that on the 11 inst I was captured by a party of Rebel Cavalry at Magnolia Station on the Baltimore & Philadelphia Railroad about 10 A.M. The train in which I was a passenger was burnt, and about an hour afterward the Express train was captured and burnt at the same place, and immediately afterwards a part of the bridge across Gunpowder Creek was destroyed by the same party. About 1 P.M. the party, consisting of little more than one hundred men started for Towsontown, where it arrived about 11 P.M. Here it was attacked by a party of our Cavalry, and I was hurried forward towards the enemy’s main body. Four other Officers of our Service were with me. I do not know their names. About 12 A.M. while the party having me in charge was resting & their horses feeding, I made my escape. Being much disabled, I only succeeded in getting about 22 miles away from them, but I hid in the woods until Tuesday night when I managed to get about one mile farther. On Wednesday morning I fell in with some Union citizens who kindly cared for me, and made my case known to the Commanding Officer at Baltimore. An escort of Cavalry was sent for me on Wednesday night, and I arrived at Baltimore on Thursday morning. [Franklin, W. B. (1864). Letter reporting the circumstances of his capture and escape from a party of Rebels. Unpublished. [http://www.madonna.edu/pages/mmtrain.cfm#_edn7] ]

The area was also a sight of combat during the French and Indian War in the area of the Standiford Creek.

References

ources

* Newt Gingrich, William Forstchen, "Grant Comes East", St. Martin's Paperbacks, 2006
* Black, Robert W., (Col.), "Cavalry raids of the Civil War", Stackpole Military History Series, Stackpole Books,Mechanicsburg, 2004
* Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., "Civil War High Commands", Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.