The smells of campfires, gun smoke and southern fried chicken joined forces with the sounds of children and minstrel musicians playing last Saturday at the Corbit's Charge encampment at 224 N. Center St. in Westminster.

All were smothered with the sticky thick humid frosting of a Maryland summer afternoon at the encampment, where men and women re-enactors representing both the Union and Confederate side of the conflict had set up for the weekend and went about the serious business of recreating a living history of the sights, sounds, and smells of the Civil War in Westminster.

It was scene filled with period dress, tents, cooking fires, military equipment and the occasional sighting of dignitaries such as re-enactors portraying Gen. Robert E. Lee, commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, President Abraham Lincoln, played by Jim Getty, and Mary Todd Lincoln recreated by Melissa Yiaski-Rabinsky.

By all accounts, the eighth commemoration of Corbit's Charge in Westminster, organized by the City of Westminster, Corbit's Charge Commemoration Committee, Historical Society of Carroll County and the Pipe Creek Civil War Round Table, were a success. The events marked the 147th anniversary of the June 29, 1863 Battle of Westminster - Corbit's Charge.

Stan Ruchlewicz, Westminster's administrator of economic development said, “It's been a great event. We like the heritage tourists that come to visit. … They visit the local shops and eateries…”

Dan Pyle, vice president of the Pipe Creek Civil War Round Table, gave tours of the battle site in Westminster during the two-day event.  He said he was happy with the turnout and “all the good questions that were asked.”

And if anyone had any questions about Westminster and Carroll County history during the Civil War period, the commemorative weekend encampment was the place to be.

It was on another sleepy hot and humid summer day in June 1863 that the Civil War came home to Westminster and the city streets came alive with war-horses, cavalry soldiers and the sound of gunshots in what some historians refer to as the Battle of Westminster.

The battle pitted elements of the Union First Delaware Cavalry, led by Capt. Charles Corbit, against a cavalry division of the vaunted Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under Major Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, according to an in-depth interview with local historian Thomas LeGore several years ago.

Greatly outnumbered, 90 men of companies C and D of First Delaware Cavalry suddenly found themselves up against 5000 rebel soldiers on Washington Road and East Main Street in Westminster.

On the afternoon of June 29, news reached Maj. Napoleon B. Knight, commander of the 1st Delaware Cavalry in his headquarters at the Main Court Inn at the intersection of Main and Court streets in the middle of old Westminster that Confederate troops were advancing on Westminster.

It is reported that Knight was away from his men and either drunk, ill or somehow incapacitated when the news arrived.

The First Delaware Cavalry had arrived in Westminster at noon the previous day, June 28 1863. The Union cavalry contingent was directed to the area known as The Commons, now McDaniel College, which was the highest area on the western end of town and provided gave a commanding view of Westminster and all roads to and from New Windsor, Taneytown, Uniontown and Gettysburg.

“This made their camp … with a commanding view of Westminster's Main St. and the railroad which had come to town on June 15th 1861 from Owings Mills to Westminster, a most ideal location logistic location in the event of an enemy attack,” said LeGore.

“Before the Civil War, political rallies and community events - and later rallies for preserving the Union - were held in the grove in the 12 acres known as The Commons. … It was also a place for people to go courting,” said LeGore with a wry smile.

According to Dr. Jim Lightner's history of McDaniel College, “Fearless and Bold,” it was shortly after the war, on May 1, 1866, that Fayette Rufus Buell purchased eight acres of The Commons from Edward and Margaret Lynch and Matilda Miller for the sum of $4,580.

However, in June 1863, the “use of the site for a camp ground by the Delaware Calvary only lasted until after the Confederates overran that camp ground the following day when the engagement (Corbit's Charge) ran the entire length of Westminster's Main Street - all the way up the commons…

“The Delaware Calvary had felt that could use that area to re-group to defend themselves.  After the engagement, the Confederates confiscated and appropriated all the personal belongings and war materiel available. … 

“Clothing items and personal effects were left strewn about.  Regimental books and papers were in a baggage wagon which had been brought from Baltimore with the assistant surgeon medical supplies, which had came up from Baltimore along with the Battalion Assistant Surgeon and the hospital steward,” said LeGore.

Earlier that day, in Knight's absence, Capt. Charles Corbit rallied the troops and led a charge east through the streets of Westminster and engaged the southern forces at approximately 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

As a result of the Corbit's Charge skirmish, the Confederate forces quickly routed the Delaware soldiers. Yet, the battle is considered by many historians to have been one of many contributing factors in the outcome of the war because the brief skirmish took place days before the fateful meeting of Union General George G. Meade and Confederate General Robert E. Lee on the killing fields of Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3, 1864.

In those horrific three days, more than 160,000 soldiers fought resulting in over 50,000 casualties - and a Union victory which many historians believe was the turning point of the Civil War.

LeGore, one of the founders of the local commemoration, said Corbit's Charge was one of several factors in delaying Gen. J.E.B. Stuart from joining Gen. Robert E. Lee in Gettysburg, Pa. during that fateful collision of the north and south in the first several days of July 1863.

“Stuart did not reach Gettysburg until late in the second day of battle, and by that time, the battle was lost for Gen. Lee…”  LeGore said.

“He (General Stuart) was Lee's eyes and ears. … The events in June 1863, in the streets of Westminster had a major impact on the outcome of (the Battle of) Gettysburg,” said LeGore with the gravity of college professor.

Meanwhile, back at the encampment last weekend, General Stuart was not there, but General Lee, President Davis, President Lincoln, and Mary Todd Lincoln, played by re-enactors, did stop by to answer questions and share a few remarks.

Joe Staup, a real-life Civil War blacksmith from Taneytown, was also there.  “This is my fourth year,” said a tired Staup, as he sat in the shade of his traveling forge at the end of a long day.

“I also have a forge at Union Mills Homestead.”  When asked about the box of Goldfish crackers sitting on the table in the tent, he responded that “… they're Civil War trilobites,” as he managed a broad smile.

The encampment is a family-oriented event. “As the camp closes down for the day, we relax, besides we are watching the child of the dance callers (dance masters James and Carla King),” Staup said.

As the music of “The Susquehanna Travellers” could be heard in the background, Staup explained that “during the Civil War, traveling armies were accompanied by a traveling forge.  It was transported by a separate cart hooked up to the (canon) limber - another two wheeled cart, a wagon that carried the gun powder and canon balls and such, and pulled by six horses.

Most of time there were three 'smiths' - a blacksmith, an artisan, and a ferrier for the horses, that accompanied the traveling forge.  They were attached - part of a battery of canons, said Staup.

In the next tent over, Tracy and Rodney Cromeans, from Gettysburg, were sitting in the headquarters of General Lee and President Davis. Tracy proudly showed-off all the national flags of the Confederacy which were stationed at their tent.

“It's our first year here,” said Tracy.  “We'll be back. We became interested in Civil War history about 15 years ago and moved to the area from Texas,” said Tracy.

Asked what characters in history they were portraying, Rodney said, “We're not re-enactors.  We really are southerners. 

“We're not pretending.  We really are Confederates.  This ain't no joke,” he said as he stifled a hardy laugh. He then confided that he was an aid-de-camp. Tracy laughed, as she would “neither confirm nor deny that I am a camp follower.”

Sherri Hosfeld Joseph attended the events from Westminster.  The local proprietor of a coffee shop, Birdies Café, soon to be opened on East Main Street in the thick of where the battle took place, was taking pictures and learning more about the history of that part of Westminster.

Meanwhile, on the back edge of the encampment, Private Adam Woerner and Sergeant Mike Mediary, both of Manchester, were recruiting Jed Smith from Taneytown to join the 22nd North Carolina Infantry, Company A, based in Gettysburg.

Mediary and Woerner were training Smith on the use of a Civil War firearm.  In between the loud reports of the weapon, they kept up a running conversation about re-enacting protocol. 

“Re-enacting in battle is loud,” they shared with raised voices over the sound of the weapon.  “You can't hear didley-squat.”

“We have lots of fun,” said Mediary “We're all quite nuts.  You get that way when you spend all day in a heavy wool uniform in the hot sun.”

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the encampment, Westminster Mayor Michael Baughman, (May 1861 - May 1864,) played by Ron Kuehne, outreach coordinator for the Pipe Creek Civil War Roundtable, remarked with pride, “We had a good show today.  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.”

When Kuehne's character, Mayor Baughman, was asked if he was going to run for the mayor's office again in the future, he retorted, “I ran (for re-election) in 1864 and I lost my job. … The Union sympathizers in town believed that the Delaware Cavalry was not properly warned about the presence of Confederate troops in town.

“Remember, five Delaware cavalrymen were captured at my blacksmith shop on Bishop Street by the (Westminster) Cemetery at 7 o'clock in the morning. But the Union troops were not notified about the Southern forces advancing on the city until around 1 o'clock.”

Furthermore, “J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry did not know I was the mayor and I was not taken hostage, as were three or four prominent members of town,” said Kuehne, err, Mayor Baughman.

Even though “I was a member of the Republican - American National Party, and loyal to the Union, in a divided town; the townsfolk decided I was in cahoots with the Southern sympathizers, and I lost the election,” said the perturbed mayor.

Kuehne explained that even though Westminster was sharply divided during the war, there were little difficulties in town because they were neighbors and in those days, they had to depend on one another…

On Sunday, President Lincoln was a bit more magnanimous about his election in 1860. He explained that he had forgiven the town of Westminster, where only nine citizens voted for him. Only 59 voters supported him in all of Carroll County, he said.

Today, it seems the entire mid-Atlantic region supports the annual Corbit's Charge Commemorative weekend.

Put it on your calendar for next year on the weekend of June 25-26, 2011.

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