Institution

Elmwood Cemetery started out as a one acre plot of land given to the Elders of the Presbyterian Church by Abraham Shepherd. In 1833, the Methodist Church purchased one half of an acre to expand the cemetery. Following its official chartering in 1869, several local business owners and private citizens pooled money together to purchase an additional ten acres to the south and west of the original plot. One year later, the groundskeeper's house, known as the Lodge House,&nbsp;was constructed at the cemetery entrance. From its beginning, the cemetery has been the final resting place of a wide array of individuals, such as Dr. Joseph McMurran, the first president of Shepherd University. Others include Revolutionary War veterans, Confederate soldiers, and veterans of both the First and Second World Wars. At final count, there are 252 Confederate soldiers buried in Elmwood Cemetery from the Battle of Shepherdstown, the nearby Battle of Antietam, and other battles. The Sons of Confederate Veterans organization took charge of maintaining and improving the portion of the cemetery that housed the remains of Confederate soldiers. In 1935, they, along with the State of West Virginia, erected the Confederate Soldiers monument. One of the most prominent pieces of the cemetery, the monument lists the names and regiment of 535 area men who served in the Civil War. While Shepherdstown is considered to be the "Most haunted town in America," the Elmwood Cemetery does not have a specific ghost story associated with it. However, there was a&nbsp;"Spirit of Elmwood" tour available to take visitors through the cemetery to learn about the people buried there and the region they lived in.

Aerial View of Elmwood Cemetery (Lower Left corner)

In the Panhandle Website: "Spirit of Elmwood" tour information

Website

One acre of land was set aside for use as a cemetery in 1780 by Abraham Shepherd to the Elders of the Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church. Since then, the cemetery has served as the final resting place for scholars, soldiers, priests, and more. Following the American Civil War, Elmwood Cemetery was officially chartered in 1869. The cemetery is considered to be part of Shepherdstown's historic district and has grown significantly since its chartering.

Elmwood Cemetery

http://jeffersoncountyhlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/JCHLC_1862-Tour-Brochure-2019.pdf

1862 Maryland Campaign: Avenue of Invasion

In the early years of the United States, all firearms issued to the military were either obtained from private manufacturers or imported from abroad. In 1794, Congress passed a bill mandating the establishment of national arsenals and armories. George Washington was given authority to determine how many to build and where. He ultimately chose two locations: Springfield, Massachusetts, and the rural town of Harpers Ferry in what is now West Virginia. Washington chose Springfield because it already had the infrastructure in place to support an armory; he chose Harpers Ferry because it was relatively close to Washington D.C., yet far enough inland to be secure from foreign invasion. The government was reluctant to accept Harpers Ferry due to its isolation and the high cost of building an armory there, but Washington insisted. The government purchased 125 acres of land from the descendants of Robert Harper in 1796 but construction of the armory did not begin until 1799. It originally consisted of several workshops, a canal, and a mill to harness waterpower for the machinery.Full-scale production of arms began in 1802 with a workforce of 25 men. The armory was plagued with problems from the start. While it manufactured a wider variety of muskets, rifles, and pistols than its counterpart in Springfield, it still made fewer firearms overall and at a higher cost; while Springfield could manufacture 15,000 a year, Harpers Ferry only managed an average of 10,000 annually. Mismanagement, lack of sufficient waterpower, neglect, and problems adapting to new advances in gun manufacturing took its toll on the facility. By 1844, inspections found the armory in a dilapidated condition and it was soon decided to completely renovate it. From 1845 to 1854 the armory underwent extensive reconstruction. Changes included the addition of twenty-five new structures and seven workshops: the installation of 121 new machines, the enlargement of the canal to utilize more water power, and a more functional integration of the facilities to boost efficiency. The number of workers grew to 400.In 1859, the armory became the target of John Brown’s raid, throwing Harpers Ferry into the national spotlight. Brown, a radical abolitionist and an instigator of the Bleeding Kansas conflict, planned on distributing weapons from the armory to local slaves with the intent on creating a widespread insurrection to end slavery. On the night of October 16, Brown and a small band of followers managed to capture the armory. However, the anticipated slave uprising did not materialize and the raiders were soon surrounded. On the morning of October 18, a company of U.S. Marines under the command of Col. Robert E. Lee stormed the engine house, where the raiders had barricaded themselves, and quickly captured the survivors. In all, seventeen people were killed, six of which being civilians. John Brown was later tried and executed in Charles Town. The armory was slightly damaged but soon resumed production.As the Civil War broke out in 1861, Harpers Ferry soon became a place of contention due to its strategic location and the presence of the federal armory. On April 17, 1861 Virginia voted to secede from the Union, and several companies of militiamen were immediately dispatched to seize the armory. At the time Harpers Ferry was only guarded by Lt. Roger Jones and a force of 65 men. Knowing he was badly outnumbered, Jones ordered the torching of the armory before retreating on April 18. Although 15,000 arms and a few buildings were destroyed, local citizens managed to extinguish the flames before further damage could be done. When the Confederates arrived they seized the surviving weapons and began shipping the machinery to the armory in Richmond. On June 14, Confederate forces under Col. Joseph E. Johnston, fearful that Union forces would retake the town, burned the armory and withdrew. Two weeks later a group of Confederate raiders returned and destroyed the surviving remains. Harpers Ferry would change hands numerous times over the course of the war.The armory was never rebuilt after the Civil War ended. The only structure to survive was the engine house that John Brown used as a fort during his raid, which stands 150 feet from its original location after being moved several times. Today, most of the site where the armory once stood is now covered by railroad embankments. The foundations of two arsenal buildings have been outlined and together with the engine house make up Arsenal Square.Descriptions of some of the Armory structures from the 1980 National Register of Historic Places Nomination for Harpers Ferry National Historical Park:Lumber House and Coal Bin (Historical Base Map Bldg. 10): “at the west end of the Musket Factory yard, was designed by Maj. John Symington and erected c. 1848. The two-story building measuring 55’8” by 78’ had a stone first story, a brick second story, and a slate roof. The first floor was used for coal storage and the second floor served for the storage of lumber. The second floor windows had wooden frames and blinds for air circulation. Confederate soldiers burned the structure on June 14, 1861, and the ruined walls were leveled after 1884. Subsurface foundation remains may be present.”Warehouse (Bldg. No. 12): “was designed by Maj. Henry K. Craig and erected in 1844-45 at the eastern end of the Musket Factory yard. The two-story brick building had stone foundations, a flagstone floor, and a slate roof and measured 93’6” by 30’10”. It was used for the storage of iron, steel, and other supplies. Confederate troops bring the building on June 14, 1861. After reroofing its walls in 1864, the Union Quartermaster and Commissary Departments used it as a warehouse through the rest of the war. The ruined walls were leveled between 1884 and 1886, but the stone foundations are still visible.”Smith and Forging Shop (Bldg. No. 13): “designed by Maj. John Symington, was a three-part building with overall dimensions of 280’ by 35-1/2’. The forging shop, the west wing, and the center offices were built in 1845-46; the smith shop, the east wing, was added in 1847-48 next to the warehouse described above. The shops were brick on stone foundations with brick and flagstone floors, cast iron door and window frames, and sheet iron roofs. The one-story forging shop measured 122’ by 35-1/2’, the one-story smith shop measured 121’ by 35-1/2’, and the two-story center measured 46’ by 37’. In the middle of the back (riverside) wall of the center building was the main chimney stack, 90’ high, 10 feet square at the base, and six feet square at the top. The stack was built upon a massive stone arch thrown across a tail race from the canal in the factory yard. In 1852 ventilators were installed along the lengths of the roofs of the wings. Confederate troops burned the buildings on June 14, 1861. The brick walls were reroofed so that the building could serve as a warehouse for the Quartermaster and Commissary Departments of the Union Army during 1864-65. The walls were leveled between 1889 and 1896, but the stone foundations of about three-quarters of the building are still visible. The remainder of the site is outside the authorized park boundary and its now occupied by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station at Harpers Ferry.”Rolling Mill: (Bldg. No. 18): “designed by Maj. John Symington, was erected by Col Benjamin Huger and Maj. William H. Bell in 1852-55 over an outlet of the power canal at the west end of the Musket Factory yard. The 146’-by’45’ one-story brick building was 16-1/2’ high on stone foundations and had a flagstone floor, water wheels, cast iron door and window frames, and a slate roof. There were two stacks 45’ and 40’ high. The Confederates burned the structure on June 14, 1861, but most of the machinery was left intact. The building was reroofed and used as a pulp mill by the Savery Company after 1889. About three-fourths of the original length of the structure still stands, and it has most recently functioned as an electric power generating station.B &amp; O stone wall: “In 1840-43 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company erected a massive stone wall along the Potomac River bank side of the Musket Factory yard. It was 1380’ long, 15’ high above the low water level, and 4-1/2’ thick. It contained eight culverts for the tail races from the Armory workshops. The wall was built 20’ out from a similar river wall built by the Armory in 1837-39, which had also been constructed some 20’ out from the previously existing shoreline and filled in behind. Portions of the second wall are still present. The railroad originally ran on an iron trestle above and behind this wall; it was moved inland to its present alignment in 1892-93.”Potomac Canal: “carried water from the Armory’s Potomac Dam inland parallel to the south bank of the river to supply power to the Musket Factory shops. It was reconstructed and enlarged between 1830 and 1837, and between 1854 and 1860 both sides from above the Rolling Mill down through the factory yard were lined with cut stone walls six feet high and 4-1/2’ thick. The lower portion of the canal from the Rolling Mill east was filled in and covered with a railroad siding along much of its course in 1892-92 (sic).” The upper portion from the dam to the Rolling Mill, a distance of about a mile, is intact and has functioned to power the electrical generators in the former mill. It is walled with dry-laid stone.”

The United States Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, often called the Harpers Ferry Armory, was a series of facilities used for the manufacture and storage of firearms for the United States government from around 1802 to the start of the Civil War in 1861. Chosen by George Washington as one of two locations for a federal armory, it produced a variety of guns and became the primary driving force of Harpers Ferry’s economy. In 1859, the armory was seized by John Brown and his followers as part of their attempt to instigate a slave uprising. When the Civil War began in 1861, the facilities were destroyed as both Union troops and Confederates fought for control of the town. Never rebuilt, the site of the armory is today mostly covered by railroad tracks.

United States Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry

Bolivar Heights witnessed more battle action than any other location at Harpers Ferry during the Civil War. The first battle took place on October 16, 1861. a Confederate force with Col. Turner Ashby attacked Union men under Col. John Geary's charge at Bolivar Heights. Geary held the location and forced a Confederate retreat. It is General Stonewall Jacksons' presence in the area, though, that is best known. During his Valley Campaign, Jackson had routed all Union soldiers in the Shenandoah Valley, except for those at Harpers Ferry. Because of Jackson's sweeping success, Brig. Gen. Rufus B. Saxton was sent to Bolivar Heights to reinforce the Union position. On May 30, 1862, the second battle of Bolivar Heights took place when Jackson attacked Saxton on Camp Hill. Jackson retreated as Saxton held. The third battle involving Bolivar Heights took place on September 12-13, 1862 and is referred to as the Battle of Harpers Ferry. Again involving Jackson's men, Jakson forced a final stand at Bolivar Heights with the Union forces. Jackson had Harpers Ferry and Bolivar surrounded from Maryland Heights, Loudoun Heights, and School House Ridge. By sending Commander A.P. Hill around to the southern flank of Bolivar Heights on September 14, Jackson forced a surrender of the Union garrison. The formal surrender included 12,700 Union soldiers adn is considered the largest capitulation of Union forces in the Civil War.

In September 1862, a Union garrison of 14,000 soldiers under Col. Dixon Miles occupied Harpers Ferry. Knowing that Stonewall Jackson was encroaching, Miles occupied higher ground at Boivar Heights to potentially combat at Schoolhouse Ridge. On September 10, 1862, General Stonewall Jackson left Frederick, MD and approached Harpers Ferry on three sides: Maryland Heights, Loudoun Heights, and Schoolhouse Ridge. The town was effectively surrounded, but the rivers were an inconvenient barrier with no bridge granting access across. 

Bolivar Heights Battlefield

The property that is
today Murphy Farm was purchased by Edmund H. Chambers in a public auction in
February 1848, where he established a farm. Around that time the place was referred
to in records as “Buena Vista.” In 1862 the Union army confiscated the farm
from the Chambers, despite them being Union supporters. The property and its
house would be mostly destroyed over the course of the Civil War. After the war
Edmund Chambers tried unsuccessfully to get compensation from the government
for many years as a result of the damages. In 1869 he ended up selling the farm
to Alexander Murphy. Murphy would construct the farm house that still stand to
this day.

Murphy Farm played a
crucial role in the Battle of Harpers Ferry from September 12 to September 15,
1862. While invading Maryland in the beginning of September, Gen. Robert E. Lee
decided to divide his army into four sections. He dispatched a portion of his
forces under the command of Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson to seize Harpers
Ferry, where a Union garrison was stationed. On September 14 Jackson’s forces
captured the Loudon Heights, Maryland Heights, and School House Ridge, from
which they were able to strike the Union garrison with artillery fire.
Believing that the bombardment would not be able to defeat the Union force
quick enough, Jackson ordered a flanking maneuver at Bolivar Heights. A force
of 20 cannon and 3,000 troops led by Gen. A. P. Hill positioned themselves at
the summit of Murphy Farm, aimed at the exposed left flank of the Union forces.
By the morning of September 15 the Union garrison of 12,700 troops had capitulated;
it would be the largest surrender of Union forces during the whole war. Later
in August 1864, when Harpers Ferry was once again in Union possession, Gen.
Philip H. Sheridan constructed a redoubt on the farm, as part of a larger
two-mile series of earthworks defenses on Bolivar Heights.

In 1895 the Murphy Farm
became the new site of the old U.S. Armory’s engine house, more commonly known
as John Brown’s Fort. The building became famous in 1859 when John Brown and
his followers barricaded themselves there towards the end of their failed raid
on the armory. In 1892 the fort was purchased and brought to Chicago to be
displayed during the World’s Columbian Exposition. Low attendance caused it to
be mothballed and in 1895 a campaign was organized by journalist Kate Field to
return the fort to Harpers Ferry. The original site of the fort had been obscured
by new train tracks, so the Murphy family deeded five acres of land on their farm
to be set aside for the placement of the fort. 

In August 1906 the
Niagara Movement, a precursor to the NAACP, held their conference at Harpers
Ferry. On the morning of August 17 members of the Movement made a barefoot
pilgrimage to the fort to pay respects to John Brown for his efforts to end
slavery. The procession walked single-file around the fort, singing “John Brown’s
Body” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” In 1909, concern over the fort being
neglected (the Murphys were reportedly using it to store wheat) led Storer
College to purchase the building and move it to their campus. 

The Murphy Farm
remained in the possession of the Murphy family throughout the twentieth
century. In 1999 it was reported that developers were seeking to acquire the
property and convert it into a massive housing development. Over 7,000
objections were lodged by both organizations and members of the public seeking
to preserve the historic site. In October 2002 the Trust for Public Land
purchased the farm from the Murphy heirs and immediately transferred it to the
National Park Service. Murphy Farm was officially incorporated into
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park on December 31, 2002. Today the Murphy
Farm is open to the public. It features a hiking trail; the restored farm
house; a foundation outline of where John Brown’s Fort once stood; as well as
markers and cannons depicting the farm’s role during the Civil War.

Murphy Farm, also referred to as the Murphy-Chambers Farm, is a historic property at Harpers Ferry. Originally the home of Edmund H. Chambers, the farm would become an important factor in the 1862 Battle of Harpers Ferry, when Confederate forces used it to outflank the Union army. After the war the farm was acquired by the Murphy family in 1869, and would remain in their possession for 132 years. From 1895 to 1909 John Brown’s Fort sat on the property, which became the focus of a pilgrimage by the Niagara Movement in 1906. In 2002 the Trust for Public Land purchased the farm and transferred it to the National Park Service. Today Murphy Farm is a part of the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. 

Murphy Farm

The geography surrounding Boteler’s Ford helps to explain the battle's intensity. Hills dominate the Maryland (northern) side, and the C&amp;O Canal lay between those hills and the Potomac River. A narrow road dropped from the hills and approached the ford. A description of the ford from a participant of the battle states that the ford was “[300 yards in width and 3 foot in depth].”1 Upstream from the ford was a wooden dam. On the Virginia side, a narrow road followed the river, turning and winding steeply up bluffs that dominated that side of the river. A former cement mill and its associated limekilns sat between the river and the bluffs.Once his troops had successfully crossed the river, General Lee continued south, leaving Brigadier General William Pendleton to hold the ford. Pendleton’s units consisted of 44 canons of various style, 33 of which he was able to position, and two undermanned infantry brigades.2 On the Maryland side, Union forces positioned nearly 70 artillery pieces. Union artillery possessed a greater firing range, and would eventually drive the Confederate pieces from the field.3 In the early evening of the 19th Union sharpshooters and an infantry unit crossed the ford, scattering the Confederate infantry and taking up positions on top of the bluffs. Confederate artillery pieces were hastily moved with no plan toward reestablishing position. With his depleted Infantry giving ground and his artillery scattered, Confederate General Pendleton panicked and went searching for someone who could provide help for his beleaguered units.4  By the end of the day the Union units had returned to the Maryland side of the river, bringing a close to the events of September 19th.Understanding that Union forces would cross the river in force the next morning, Confederate General “Stonewall” Jackson ordered General A.P. Hill to Boteler’s Ford. At 6:30 AM on the 20th, Hill placed his forces in two rows of three brigades each a half mile away from the ford.5 Union forces began advancing across the ford early that morning. Problems soon arose as various Federal units did not move out in the desired sequence. General George Sykes lead his infantry across the Potomac alongside the cavalry that was supposed to have scouted the far bank before they crossed.6 Once across the river, Sykes’s men moved toward Shepherdstown on the river road. A brigade under Major Charles Lovell established a picket one mile from the ford.7 More Union troops moved across the river. Among the Union regiments that had forded the river, were the 118th Pennsylvania. Because the regiment had been funded by the Philadelphia Corn Exchange, they were referred to as the “Corn Exchange Regiment.” Recently raised the regiment had existed for less than two months.8Confederate units advanced despite heavy Union artillery fire. Pushing toward the Union men who were now caught between a Confederate advance and the Potomac River. Union artillery accidentally bombarded their own men, many of whom had sought shelter in the limekilns near the cement plant. Union commanders ordered a retreat. The 118th Pennsylvania suffered mightily. Many of their rifles were defective, and failed to fire while Hill’s infantry continued their assault.9 Fighting continued until midafternoon. In the end, Union forces were pushed back across the Potomac.While casualty rates for the Battle of Shepherdstown pale in comparison to those at Antietam, they were enough to discourage General McClellan not to pursue Lee further, instead turning to the task of reorganizing his equally battered army. Confederate losses were 36 killed, 276 wounded, and 6 captured or missing. Union losses were 73 killed, 163 wounded, and 132 captured or missing.10The Battle of Shepherdstown was a significant development, despite living in the shadow of the America's bloodiest single day less than 48 hours before. Many historians in the intervening century and a half have argued that a more vigorous and intelligent pursuit by McClellan could have crushed Lee's vulnerable army and ended the war much sooner.The campaign’s combined losses (Harper's Ferry, Antietam, South Mountain, and Shepherdstown) convinced McClellan not to pursue Lee into Virginia, a decision that contributed greatly to President Lincoln dismissal of McClellan before the year was out.  Though the battlefield itself lacks much active interpretation, recent land purchases by the Civil War Trust indicate that further preservation, educational elements, and visitor experiences may be in development. Several sites in downtown Shepherdstown contain information on the battle, including the Historic Shepherdstown Museum.

     On the evening of September 18, 1862, Confederate General Robert E. Lee decided to retreat to Virginia following a bloody, climactic battle at Antietam. With his beaten army in danger after having its invasion of Union territory halted, safety in Virginia lay across a ford in the Potomac River just outside Shepherdstown, Virginia (now West Virginia). Confederate forces made a dawn crossing on the 19th. Union forces seeking to continue their pursuit attempted to follow the Confederates across the river. The battle that ensued at Boteler’s Ford ended Lee’s Maryland Campaign, convinced Union General McClellan to abandon his pursuit of Lee, and contributed to President Lincoln’s eventual dismissal of McClellan as Commander of the Union Army. 

Battle of Shepherdstown or The Battle of Boteler's Ford

While the Presbyterian
Church was officially chartered in 1743, the German and Scotch-Irish population
settled the area in the early 1700s and the Donegal Presbytery provided a
supply minister to the Pack Horse Ford Church (otherswise known as Shepherd’s Town).
The Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church was the first officially recognized Christian
Congregation in Shepherdstown<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[1]</a>. 

In 1780, Abraham
Shepherd gave the Church the two adjoining properties at the southeast corner of
King and Washington Streets (the sight of the Post Office). The lots No. 166 and
188 were from Washington Street to Church Alley. The first church building was
a log structure built in the 1980s. In 1776, a Church near Shepherdstown received
a minister, but they could not afford to keep him, so they contracted with
Shepherdstown to split the cost. Unfortunately, this match was not ordained by
the Donegal Presbytery, so the minister, Dr. McKnight, was recalled and sent to
Gettysburg, PA<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>. &nbsp;

Reverend Moses Hodge became
the first pastor at the Shepherdstown Church in October of 1787. In the 1790s, the
Virginia Assembly allowed the Church to raise money for the construction of a proper
church. Revered Moses Hoge resigned his position in Shepherdstown in 1807 and Reverend
John Matthews was installed as pastor. In 1831, the church building burned down.
The Trustees traded their lots 166 and 188 for the lot 167 across the street
and built the present church in 1836.

The Presbyterian Church
also divided between Old School and New School philosophies. The Shepherdstown
Presbyterian Church joined the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States of
America. After Antietam, the building became the largest hospital in town. Since
the war, the Church has purchased numerous organs, renovated their pews, and
updated the sanctuary.In September 2000, Reverend
Patricia Donohoe was ordained and installed as the first associate pastor and
the first female to receive a call from this congregation.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[3]</a> &nbsp;<div>





<div>

<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[1]</a>&nbsp;Price, James C.. History of the Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church. Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://spcworks.org/Article.asp?article_id=1689">http://spcworks.org/Article.asp?article_id=1689</a>.&nbsp;

</div>

<div>

<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>&nbsp;Price, James C.. History of the Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church. Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://spcworks.org/Article.asp?article_id=1689" title="Link: http://spcworks.org/Article.asp?article_id=1689">http://spcworks.org/Article.asp?article_id=1689</a>.&nbsp;[3] Price, James C.. History of the Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church. Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://spcworks.org/Article.asp?article_id=1689" title="Link: http://spcworks.org/Article.asp?article_id=1689">http://spcworks.org/Article.asp?article_id=1689</a>.

</div>

</div>

SW corner King and Washington Sts. Officially chartered in 1743, this is the oldest continuous congregation in town. In the early 1780s, the congregation built a log church on the corner opposite the present site and shortly thereafter replaced it with a frame building on the same site. When the frame building burned in 1831, the church traded its former lots for the current site. The structure dates from 1836. A plain red brick building, it has a belfry and cupola atop the front gable. As the largest building in town at the time of the Battle of Antietam, the church served as a primary hospital for the wounded. During much of the 19th century, across King Street on the south side of Washington and near the Town Run, a large building known as the Virginia House served as the home of the Fayman family, makers of wool and fur hats.

1862 Maryland Campaign: Avenue of Invasion

Elmwood Cemetery

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information