Inscription
"The Boy General of the Golden Lock"
It was here that George Armstrong Custer was first introduced as a general to the troops he would command. The first order signed by Gen. George G. Meade as the newly appointed commander of the Army of the Potomac on June 28, 1863 promoted three young captians, Custer, Elon J. Farnsworth and Wesley Merritt, to the rank of brigadier-general, at the request of Gen. Alfred Pleasonton Commander of the Union Cavalry Corps. Two of them, Custer, age 23 and Farnsworth, age 25, were notified of their promotions at the City Hotel in downtown Frederick. They were assigned to newly formed Third Division of cavalry camped here on June 28-29 as brigade commanders.On June 29, Custer and Farnsworth arrrived here to take command of their respective brigades. Some of the troopers, upon seeing Custer for the first time, called him "the boy General of the Golden Lock."
From Richfield, Custer and Farnsworth rode north to Gettysburg. Farnsworth died in the battle on July 3, while Custer went on to be one of the Civil War's great cavalry generals. He died on June 25, 1876 at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Montana Territory.
Also on June 29, 1863, the I and XI Infantry Corps, Army of the Potomac, passed Richfield on their march to Gettysburg. Meade rode by while returning from Gettysburg on July 7.
Details
| HM Number | HMBT |
|---|---|
| Series | This marker is part of the Maryland Civil War Trails series |
| Tags | |
| Historical Period | 19th Century |
| Historical Place | Home |
| Marker Type | Historic Home |
| Marker Class | Historical Marker |
| Marker Style | Free Standing |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Tuesday, September 30th, 2014 at 12:30am PDT -07:00 |
Pictures
Photo Credits: [1] SEPTEMBERSPARROW1666 [2] SEPTEMBERSPARROW1666 [3] SEPTEMBERSPARROW1666 [4] COURTESY OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF FREDERICK COUNTY
Locationbig map
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 18S E 293408 N 4371527 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 39.46855000, -77.40160000 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 39° 28.113', W 77° 24.096' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 39° 28' 6.7800" N, 77° 24' 5.7600" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 301, 410, 240 |
| Can be seen from road? | Yes |
| Is marker in the median? | No |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 8551A Catoctin Mountain Hwy, 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.
Nearby Markersshow on map
Maintenance Issues
- Who or what organization placed the marker?
- Which side of the road is the marker located?
Comments 0 comments