Harry Gilmor
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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 ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...
officer during 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 ...
. Gilmor's daring raids, including
Gilmor's Raid Gilmor's Raid, also known as The Magnolia Station Train Raid, was a foraging and disruptive cavalry raid that was part of an overall campaign against Union railroads, led by Maj. Harry W. Gilmor with 135 men from the First and Second Maryland C ...
through northern and central
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 ...
in July 1864 during the third major Confederate invasion of the North gained his
partisan Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Ital ...
s fame as "Gilmor's Raiders".


Early life

Gilmor was born at "Glen Ellen", the Jacobethan/English Tudor-styled "Castle" family estate, a 25 minute walk from present-day Providence Rd, (its ruins stand about 100 yards from the waters of the
Loch Raven Reservoir The Loch Raven Reservoir is a reservoir that provides drinking water for the City of Baltimore and most of Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland. It is fed by the Gunpowder River, Big Gunpowder Falls river, and has a capacity of ...
), just north of Towsontown in central
Baltimore County, Maryland Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland. The county is part of the Central Maryland region of the state. Baltimore County partly surrounds but does not include the independent cit ...
. He was the son of Robert Gilmor and Ellen (Ward) Gilmor, daughter of Judge William H. Ward. Harry was the fifth of eleven children.


Civil War

During 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 ...
, as a member of the "Baltimore County Horse Guards" under Captain Charles Carnan Ridgely, Jr.'s of Hampton Mansion, near present-day
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 ...
, Gilmor was arrested and imprisoned in
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 ...
following the "Pratt Street Riots" of April 19th, 1861, with the subsequent occupation 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 ...
and Fort Federal Hill by Federal troops under Gen.
Benjamin F. Butler Benjamin Franklin Butler (November 5, 1818 – January 11, 1893) was an American major general of the Union Army, politician, lawyer, and businessman from Massachusetts. Born in New Hampshire and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, Butler was a ...
of the 6th & 8th Massachusetts state militia in May 1861. Upon his release, he traveled South and eventually rejoined the fighting serving, for a while, under General
Turner Ashby Turner Ashby Jr. (October 23, 1828 – June 6, 1862) was a Confederate States Army, Confederate cavalry commander in the American Civil War. In his youth, he organized an informal cavalry company known as the Mountain Rangers, which became p ...
. He was again captured during the
Maryland Campaign The Maryland campaign (or Antietam campaign) occurred September 4–20, 1862, during the American Civil War. The campaign was Confederate States Army, Confederate General (CSA), General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the Northern United Stat ...
and spent five months in prison. During the Gettysburg Campaign of June – July, 1863, Gilmor was assigned command of the First Maryland Cavalry and Second Maryland Cavalry, supporting Brig. Gen. George Steuart's infantry brigade. Gilmor was the
provost marshal Provost marshal is a title given to a person in charge of a group of Military Police (MP). The title originated with an older term for MPs, '' provosts'', from the Old French (Modern French ). While a provost marshal is now usually a senior c ...
of the town of Gettysburg while it was occupied by the Confederates July 1–4.


Baltimore County/Magnolia Station Raid

As part of the third major
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 ...
invasion of the North, this under commanding Gen.
Jubal Early Jubal Anderson Early (November 3, 1816 – March 2, 1894) was an American lawyer, politician and military officer who served in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. Trained at the United States Military Academy, Early resigned his ...
with several corps of troops on a mission to attack the national capital at
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, and possibly liberate Southern prisoners-of-war at Camp Point Look-Out in southern
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 ...
at the confluence of the
Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...
and
Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...
in St. Mary's County. After the Battle of the Monocacy, along the
Monocacy River The Monocacy River () is a free-flowing left tributary to the Potomac River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean via the Chesapeake Bay. The river is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data ...
on July 9, 1864, southeast of
Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Given name Nobility = Anhalt-Harzgerode = * Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) = Austria = * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria fro ...
in
Frederick County, Maryland Frederick County is located in Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the population was 271,717. The county seat is Frederick, Maryland, Frederick. The county is part of the Washington metropolitan area, ...
, Colonel Gilmor's command, along with Frederick's Brig. Gen. Bradley T. Johnson's Maryland Confederate infantry and cavalry, made a series of raids around
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 ...
going as far east as Magnolia Station in
Harford County, Maryland Harford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 260,924. Its county seat is Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland, Bel Air. Harford County is included in the Wa ...
and Fork, Maryland. On July 10, 1864, Major Harry Gilmor of the 2nd Maryland Cavalry was given 135 men of the 1st and 2nd Maryland, and directed to cross northern Baltimore Count, Maryland into
Harford County Harford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 260,924. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County is included in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Stati ...
at Jerusalem Mill, and destroy the railroad bridge of the
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad The Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad (PW&B) was an American railroad, headquartered in Philadelphia, that operated in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland from 1836 to 1902. It was part of an 1838 merger of four state-chartered railr ...
at Magnolia Station, across the Gunpowder River, northeast of the city, in
Harford County Harford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 260,924. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County is included in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Stati ...
. In the meantime, while crossing his home county, he stopped and visited his family at the family estate "Glen Ellen", then near the former village of Warren, now beneath the surface of
Loch Raven Reservoir The Loch Raven Reservoir is a reservoir that provides drinking water for the City of Baltimore and most of Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland. It is fed by the Gunpowder River, Big Gunpowder Falls river, and has a capacity of ...
. Early on July 11, Gilmor's advance group passed the home of Ishmael Day on Sunshine Avenue in
Fork In cutlery or kitchenware, a fork (from 'pitchfork') is a utensil, now usually made of metal, whose long handle terminates in a head that branches into several narrow and often slightly curved tines with which one can spear foods either to h ...
. Day, a strong Union sympathizer, had hung a large United States flag to greet Gilmor's troops. Sergeant Eugene Fields, a member of the advance guard unit, told Day to take the flag down. Day refused, so Sgt. Fields dismounted to do it himself. Day shot Fields at close range with a shotgun. Day immediately fled, hiding under an apple cider press for days until the passing troops were gone. Gilmor's men then burned Day's home and barn. Maj. Gilmor sent Sgt. Fields to Wright's Hotel, operated by W.O.B. Wright on the Harford Road, where he later died. At about 8:40 in the morning on July 11, Gilmor's cavalrymen reached the station and proceeded to stop two northbound trains from Baltimore. After evacuating the passengers, the troopers set fire to the second train and backed it down the tracks and onto the bridge. The train burned through the draw section of the bridge and effected much damage to the area around it. Aboard the first train was a convalescing Union Maj. Gen.
William B. Franklin William Buel Franklin (February 27, 1823March 8, 1903) was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He rose to the rank of a corps commander in the Army of the Potomac, fighting in several notable ba ...
. This raid was regarded as one of the most daring during the war by detached cavalry on either side.


Later raids

Gilmor was eventually ordered to take his command to
Hardy County, West Virginia Hardy County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 14,299. Its county seat is Moorefield, West Virginia, Moorefield. The county was created f ...
, and attack the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...
. There, he was captured on February 4, 1865, by Major
Henry Young Sir Henry Edward Fox Young, KCMG (23 April 1803 – 18 September 1870) was the fifth Governor of South Australia, serving in that role from 2 August 1848 until 20 December 1854. He was then the first Governor of Tasmania, from 1855 until 1861. ...
, chief of scouts for Major General
Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with General-i ...
, and was held as a
prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
at Fort Warren in
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until July 24, 1865, three and a half months after Lee's surrender at Appomattox.


Postbellum life

After the war, Gilmor moved to
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, where he married Miss Mentoria Nixon Strong, daughter of Jasper Strong and Eliza Julia Nixon. Gilmor and his wife had three children. Gilmor wrote his war memoirs, entitled ''"Four Years in the Saddle"'' (published in New York, Harper & Bros., 1866). He soon returned to Maryland and was elected a colonel of the cavalry in the reorganized
Maryland National Guard The Maryland Military Department (MMD) is a department of the State of Maryland directed by the adjutant general of Maryland. The Maryland Military Department consists of the: *State Operations section, which manages fiscal and administrative ...
. He also served as
Police Commissioner A police commissioner is the head of a police department, responsible for overseeing its operations and ensuring the effective enforcement of laws and maintenance of public order. They develop and implement policies, manage budgets, and coordinate ...
for
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 ...
from 1874 to 1879, a position in which his
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
predecessor, Police Marshal
George Proctor Kane George Proctor Kane (August 4, 1817 – June 23, 1878) was an American politician and policeman. He is best known for his role as Marshal of Police during the Baltimore riot of 1861 and his subsequent imprisonment at Fort McHenry and Fort Warre ...
, was serving when he was arrested by federal authorities in 1861. Kane was later elected
Mayor of Baltimore The mayor of Baltimore is the head of the executive branch of the government of the City of Baltimore, Maryland. The Mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills, ordinances, or resolutions passed by th ...
.


Death and legacy

Gilmor died in
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 ...
, plagued by complications from a
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
injury to his jaw. He was buried in
Loudon Park Cemetery Loudon Park Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland. It was incorporated on January 27, 1853, on of the site of the "Loudon" estate, previously owned by James Carey, a local merchant and politician. The entrance to the cemetery ...
in the southwest section of Baltimore between Frederick Road and Wilkens Avenue, in an area of the cemetery now known as "Confederate Hill." At his death, the
Baltimore Police Department The Baltimore Police Department (BPD) is the municipal police department of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Dating back to 1784, the BPD, consisting of 2,935 employees in 2020, is organized into nine districts covering of land and of waterw ...
's central and district stations flew their flags at half-staff. Gilmor's funeral was a large local ceremonial event with many dignitaries present to honor his war and civil service. There is also a
Gilmor Street This is a list of notable streets in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, United States. A B D E F G K M P R Numbered streets See also *List of roads in Baltimore County, Maryland References

{{ ...
laid out between Calhoun Street running south to Cole Street in West Baltimore's Upton, Sandtown-Winchester, Poppleton neighborhoods. The Gilmor Homes, one of Baltimore's best known public housing projects, is named for the Gilmor family.


References


External links

*
"Biography of Col. Harry W. Gilmor" Sons of Confederate Veterans Site"Colonel Harry W. Gilmor" Adopt-A-Confederate Program, Confederate Hill, Loudon Park Cemetery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilmor, Harry 1838 births 1883 deaths Burials at Loudon Park Cemetery Commissioners of the Baltimore Police Department Confederate States Army officers American Civil War prisoners of war People from Baltimore County, Maryland People of Maryland in the American Civil War