
The 2nd Maryland Cavalry Battalion,
/ref> ''a.k.a.'' Gilmor's Partisan Rangers, was a Confederate
A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
unit in the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
.
History
The unit was founded and commanded by Colonel Harry Gilmor
Harry Ward Gilmor (January 24, 1838 – March 4, 1883) served as the Baltimore City Police Commissioner, head of the Baltimore City Police Department in the 1870s, and a Confederate cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ...
. Gilmor was a member of the Towson Guards (a.k.a. Baltimore Horse Guards), when the Civil War started. Due to his political views, he was taken prisoner by the U.S. Federal government and imprisoned at Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry is a historical American Coastal defense and fortification, coastal bastion fort, pentagonal bastion fort on Locust Point, Baltimore, Locust Point, now a neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. It is best known for its role in the War ...
. After he was released, he went to the Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the east ...
to join the Confederate Army. He served as a scout for Colonel Turner Ashby, General J. E. B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833May 12, 1864) was a Confederate cavalry general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known f ...
's predecessor. Gilmor joined as a private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
, but was quickly promoted to sergeant major
Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.
History
In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's ...
. In March, 1862, he had raised his own company, which was attached to the 12th Virginia Cavalry.
Gilmor served with General Stonewall Jackson
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general and military officer who served during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the eastern the ...
at the Battle of McDowell
The Battle of McDowell, also known as the Battle of Sitlington's Hill, was fought on May 8, 1862, near McDowell, Virginia, as part of Confederate States Army, Confederate Major General (CSA), Major General Stonewall Jackson's 1862 Jackson's Val ...
in May 1862. Gilmor's Cavalry Company spent the next three months scouting, serving as couriers and harassing enemy camps and trains. In September 1862, Harry Gilmor was with General Jackson when he crossed the Potomac River into Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
. While in Maryland, Gilmor went on "French leave
French leave, sometimes a French exit, an Irish goodbye or an Irish exit, is a departure from a location or event without informing others or without seeking approval. Examples include relatively innocuous acts such as leaving a party without ...
", to see his family in Towson, Maryland
Towson () is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 59,533 in the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Baltimore County and the second-most populous unincorpo ...
, just north of Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
. While en route to his family home, Glen Ellen Plantation, Gilmor was taken prisoner by Union Forces.
Gilmor would spend six months as a prisoner-of-war, but was back with Confederate Forces as part of a prisoner exchange in early 1863, and served as aide-de-camp for General J.E.B. Stuart at the Battle of Kelly's Ford
The Battle of Kelly's Ford, also known as the Battle of Kellysville or Kelleysville, took place on March 17, 1863, in Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the cavalry operations along the Rappahannock River during the American Civil War. It set ...
in March 1863.
Shortly after the battle, Harry Gilmor petitioned to raise his own cavalry regiment. He organized several companies of mostly Marylanders into a unit that called themselves "The Band".
Occasionally, Gilmor's Battalion fought alongside other units such as McNeill's Rangers
McNeill's Rangers was an independent Confederate States Army, Confederate military force commissioned under the Partisan Ranger Act (1862) by the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War. The 210 man unit (equivalent to a small or unde ...
, and the 1st Maryland Cavalry, CSA. During the Confederate campaign into Maryland in June 1863, Harry Gilmor was temporarily placed in command of the 1st Maryland Cavalry, after its commander was wounded in combat.
After the Gettysburg Campaign, the Confederate Army returned to Virginia. During this time, Gilmor had 6 full companies of rangers operating in the Shenandoah Valley. They conducted mainly guerrilla-type operations against Union wagon trains, railroads, telegraph lines, depots, bridges and encampments.
In June 1864, Gilmor's Battalion was designated as the 2nd Maryland Cavalry. The 1st & 2nd Maryland Cavalry units became involved in almost daily skirmishes with Union General Sheridan's cavalry. Colonel Gilmor was seriously wounded near Bunker Hill, West Virginia
Bunker Hill is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community in Berkeley County, West Virginia, Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States, located in the lower Shenandoah Valley on Winchester Pike (U.S. Route 11 in West Virgi ...
on September 3, 1864, and did not return to action until October, missing the Battle of Opequon
The Third Battle of Winchester, also known as the Battle of Opequon or Battle of Opequon Creek, was an American Civil War battle fought near Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864. Union Army Major General Philip Sheridan defeated Confede ...
and the Battle of Fisher's Hill
The Battle of Fisher's Hill was fought September 21–22, 1864, near Strasburg, Virginia, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. Despite its strong defensive position, the Confederate army of Lt. Gen. Jubal ...
. In February 1865, the 2nd Maryland went into West Virginia to forage for supplies, and to meet up with McNeill's Rangers. In the process, Colonel Harry Gilmor was captured on February 4, 1865, and taken to Fort Warren, Massachusetts.
See also
*Maryland Civil War Confederate Units
This is a list of Civil War regiments from Maryland which fought in the Confederate States Army. The list of Maryland Union Civil War units is shown separately.
Artillery
*1st Maryland Artillery, CSA (''a.k.a.'' Dement's) Artillery) Battery
*2n ...
*Lists of American Civil War Regiments by State
This is a list of American Civil War units, consisting of those established as federally organized units as well as units raised by individual states and territories. Many states had soldiers and units fighting for both the United States ( Union Ar ...
References
{{Reflist
Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Maryland
1862 establishments in Maryland
1865 disestablishments in Maryland
Military units and formations disestablished in 1865