Gen. Bradley T. Johnson

Gen. Bradley T. Johnson (HM1FLZ)

Location: Frederick, MD 21701 Frederick County
Buy Maryland State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 39° 24.66', W 77° 24.39'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 1168 views
Inscription

A Visitor in His Own Hometown

— Early's 1864 Attack on Washington —

(preface)

In June 1864, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee sent Gen. Jubal A. Early's corps from Richmond battlefields to the Shenandoah Valley to counter Union Gen. David Hunter's army. After driving Hunter into West Virginia, Early invaded Maryland to attack Washington, D.C., draw Union troops from Richmond, and release Confederate prisoners held at Point Lookout. On July 9, Early ordered Gen. Bradly T. Johnson's cavalry brigade eastward to free prisoners. The next day, Johnson sent Maj. Harry Gilmor's regiment to raid the Baltimore area. Union Gen. Lew Wallace delayed Early at the battle of Monocacy on July 9. Federal reinforcements soon strengthened the capital's defenses. Early attacked there near Fort Stevens on July 11-12 and then withdrew to the Shenandoah Valley with the Federals in pursuit. He stopped at Cool Spring on July 17-18. Despite failing to take Washington or free prisoners, Early succeeded in diverting Federal resources.



(main text)

Main Text: On July 8, 1864, Confederate Gen. Bradley T. Johnson returned to Frederick, his hometown. Sadly, however, could never truly return except as a visitor. On this day, Johnson led the advance to Gen. Jubal A. Early's army as it marched along the National Road in the final Confederate invasion of the North.



Johnson had left Maryland and the Union to join the Confederacy when the Civil War began. At his own expense, he organized and equipped the 1st Maryland Infantry and, subsequently, major and then colonel of this unit. He left behind in Frederick his once-bustling law practice. The Union army confiscated his fine residence, and most of the town's inhabitants regarded him as a traitor. To further intensify the town's dislike of Johnson, Early levied a ransom of $200,000 on Frederick.



From here, Johnson followed Early's orders to lead his cavalry brigade east across Carroll and Baltimore counties, destroying turnpike and railroad bridges and telegraph lines along the way. His ultimate objective was the Union prisoners-of-war camp at Point Lookout in St. Mary's County, where he was to liberate the Confederate prisoners. Days later, however, Early's unsuccessful attack on Washington's defenses let to the cancellation of Johnson's raid which had reached Upper Marlboro. He and his cavalrymen rejoined the army's main body. They were the last troops to cross the Potomac River back into Virginia, ending Johnson's final foray into his beloved home state.



(Captions)

(left) Gen. Bradley T. Johnson Courtesy Library of Congress

(upper center) Advertisement for Johnson's law practice, Frederick Examiner, July 1852

(lower center) Johnson's home, corner of West 2nd an Court streets Courtesy Stanley Sandergill

(upper right) The Charge of the First Maryland Regiment, A. Hoen & Co., 1867

(lower right) Point Lookout, Maryland, E. Sachse & Co., 1864
Details
HM NumberHM1FLZ
Tags
Placed ByMaryland Civil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Saturday, September 27th, 2014 at 12:27pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 292815 N 4365150
Decimal Degrees39.41100000, -77.40650000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 24.66', W 77° 24.39'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 24' 39.6" N, 77° 24' 23.4" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)301, 410, 240
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling South
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 151 East St, Frederick MD 21701, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?