Falling Waters Battlefield

[ErnieMac]

View attachment 307429

Here's a historical marker for you, but it's in a pretty obscure location near the Potomac's edge!

I remember looking for that marker while bicycling along the C&O Canal more than a few years ago.

 

[BenKalba]

Scales/Lowrance's Brigade was nearly wiped out in the Battle at Falling Waters.

The brigade arrived at 10 a.m. on the 14th, having marched all night. There they rested a few hours while the wagon trains and artillery crossed the river. Just as the brigade proceeded to commence crossing, Federal cavalry attacked and they were ordered to support the rearguard. The men were exhausted and starving, but they marched back to face the enemy. On the orders of General Heth, Lowrance formed his battered brigade on the extreme left of the line of the rearguard. Apparently Heth ordered his line to fall back, but the orders never made it to Lowrance's Brigade. He discovered to his shock that the Confederates to his right were in full retreat, with the Federals already in his rear and between his men and the river. Lowrance ordered a retreat toward the river, which the men struck some ¾ of a mile above the bridge. As they marched toward the bridge that could carry them to Virginia, and safety, they found that the Federals were waiting in the woods through which they had to pass. They were forced to fight their way through. Many of the men were too exhausted to proceed, or unwilling to try, and about 200 were captured. Probably the entire Brigade would have been captured if not for the defensive stand of Pettigrew's Brigade, which drove back the Federals in a stand that cost General Pettigrew his life.

The 13th North Carolina was decimated in the Pennsylvania campaign. After their horrific losses on the first day of the battle of Gettysburg, there were probably no more 45 men available in the entire regiment for duty on the day of the disastrous charge on day three. Twenty-three of the remaining men were killed, wounded or captured in that charge, and half of those who survived (only 22 men, under the command of a Captain) were captured at Falling Waters. A mere 11 men remained in the regiment when it reached the other side of the Potomac.

Sounds like what happened to the 34th North Carolina. They suffered too at Gettysburg as a part of Lowrance's Brigade. My G-G-G grandfather fought at Falling Waters too.

 

[JSylvester]

Perhaps someone might be interested in the following little anecdote.

In 2018, at the age of 25, I made my second Civil War trip from Austria/Germany to the USA (my driving licence was a bit late and I needed two years of experience for a rental car). After first heading for Gettysburg, I browsed the site of the Battlefield Trust and came across a brief reference to Falling Waters. At that point I was not familiar with anything more than the Wikipedia article and it seemed very interesting to me mainly because of my knowledge of Pettigrew and his command.

So, having been spoilt by Gettysburg, I drove along a small country road in my rental car at about 7:30 in the morning, but could see nothing except for small clusters of houses and the address given on the Battlefield Trust website was not discoverable or recognisable. I drove slowly back and forth along the road in the approximate vicinity probably four or five times, passing a police car several times, expecting to be stopped at some point due to my suspicious behaviour (driving at walking speed, watching the houses intensely, stopping randomly), but this did not happen.

At some point I stopped in front of the property that was shown on the navigation system as being closest to my destination and went to the front door to ring the bell. After a few seconds, I heard a man shouting from the first floor that he needed to put something on. Shortly afterwards, an elderly gentleman in a dressing gown opened the door for me. I introduced myself, explained that I was from Germany and was looking for the battlefield of Falling Waters, where Pettigrew had fallen, and if he could tell me where the place was.

The gentleman had to laugh a little and informed me that he was George F. Franks and that it had happened in his garden behind the house. I was then a little embarrassed to have disturbed him, but he offered of his own accord to show me around immediately if I would just give him a minute to put on a jacket. For the next hour and a half we stood in his garden, he showed me the bullet holes on the back of the house and gave me a detailed insight into what had happened.

As a parting gift, I was given the Falling Waters book he had written, and he gratefully accepted the few dollars in cash I was carrying. That was my most wholesome experience so far and is still a wonderful memory.

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

Perhaps someone might be interested in the following little anecdote.

In 2018, at the age of 25, I made my second Civil War trip from Austria/Germany to the USA (my driving licence was a bit late and I needed two years of experience for a rental car). After first heading for Gettysburg, I browsed the site of the Battlefield Trust and came across a brief reference to Falling Waters. At that point I was not familiar with anything more than the Wikipedia article and it seemed very interesting to me mainly because of my knowledge of Pettigrew and his command.

So, having been spoilt by Gettysburg, I drove along a small country road in my rental car at about 7:30 in the morning, but could see nothing except for small clusters of houses and the address given on the Battlefield Trust website was not discoverable or recognisable. I drove slowly back and forth along the road in the approximate vicinity probably four or five times, passing a police car several times, expecting to be stopped at some point due to my suspicious behaviour (driving at walking speed, watching the houses intensely, stopping randomly), but this did not happen.

At some point I stopped in front of the property that was shown on the navigation system as being closest to my destination and went to the front door to ring the bell. After a few seconds, I heard a man shouting from the first floor that he needed to put something on. Shortly afterwards, an elderly gentleman in a dressing gown opened the door for me. I introduced myself, explained that I was from Germany and was looking for the battlefield of Falling Waters, where Pettigrew had fallen, and if he could tell me where the place was.

The gentleman had to laugh a little and informed me that he was George F. Franks and that it had happened in his garden behind the house. I was then a little embarrassed to have disturbed him, but he offered of his own accord to show me around immediately if I would just give him a minute to put on a jacket. For the next hour and a half we stood in his garden, he showed me the bullet holes on the back of the house and gave me a detailed insight into what had happened.

As a parting gift, I was given the Falling Waters book he had written, and he gratefully accepted the few dollars in cash I was carrying. That was my most wholesome experience so far and is still a wonderful memory.

George is a great guy and a good friend, and what you just related is very typical of him.

 

[Lubliner]

Perhaps someone might be interested in the following little anecdote.

In 2018, at the age of 25, I made my second Civil War trip from Austria/Germany to the USA (my driving licence was a bit late and I needed two years of experience for a rental car). After first heading for Gettysburg, I browsed the site of the Battlefield Trust and came across a brief reference to Falling Waters. At that point I was not familiar with anything more than the Wikipedia article and it seemed very interesting to me mainly because of my knowledge of Pettigrew and his command.

So, having been spoilt by Gettysburg, I drove along a small country road in my rental car at about 7:30 in the morning, but could see nothing except for small clusters of houses and the address given on the Battlefield Trust website was not discoverable or recognisable. I drove slowly back and forth along the road in the approximate vicinity probably four or five times, passing a police car several times, expecting to be stopped at some point due to my suspicious behaviour (driving at walking speed, watching the houses intensely, stopping randomly), but this did not happen.

At some point I stopped in front of the property that was shown on the navigation system as being closest to my destination and went to the front door to ring the bell. After a few seconds, I heard a man shouting from the first floor that he needed to put something on. Shortly afterwards, an elderly gentleman in a dressing gown opened the door for me. I introduced myself, explained that I was from Germany and was looking for the battlefield of Falling Waters, where Pettigrew had fallen, and if he could tell me where the place was.

The gentleman had to laugh a little and informed me that he was George F. Franks and that it had happened in his garden behind the house. I was then a little embarrassed to have disturbed him, but he offered of his own accord to show me around immediately if I would just give him a minute to put on a jacket. For the next hour and a half we stood in his garden, he showed me the bullet holes on the back of the house and gave me a detailed insight into what had happened.

As a parting gift, I was given the Falling Waters book he had written, and he gratefully accepted the few dollars in cash I was carrying. That was my most wholesome experience so far and is still a wonderful memory.

Great anecdote, thanks.
Lubliner.

 

[pamc153PA]

Perhaps someone might be interested in the following little anecdote.

In 2018, at the age of 25, I made my second Civil War trip from Austria/Germany to the USA (my driving licence was a bit late and I needed two years of experience for a rental car). After first heading for Gettysburg, I browsed the site of the Battlefield Trust and came across a brief reference to Falling Waters. At that point I was not familiar with anything more than the Wikipedia article and it seemed very interesting to me mainly because of my knowledge of Pettigrew and his command.

So, having been spoilt by Gettysburg, I drove along a small country road in my rental car at about 7:30 in the morning, but could see nothing except for small clusters of houses and the address given on the Battlefield Trust website was not discoverable or recognisable. I drove slowly back and forth along the road in the approximate vicinity probably four or five times, passing a police car several times, expecting to be stopped at some point due to my suspicious behaviour (driving at walking speed, watching the houses intensely, stopping randomly), but this did not happen.

At some point I stopped in front of the property that was shown on the navigation system as being closest to my destination and went to the front door to ring the bell. After a few seconds, I heard a man shouting from the first floor that he needed to put something on. Shortly afterwards, an elderly gentleman in a dressing gown opened the door for me. I introduced myself, explained that I was from Germany and was looking for the battlefield of Falling Waters, where Pettigrew had fallen, and if he could tell me where the place was.

The gentleman had to laugh a little and informed me that he was George F. Franks and that it had happened in his garden behind the house. I was then a little embarrassed to have disturbed him, but he offered of his own accord to show me around immediately if I would just give him a minute to put on a jacket. For the next hour and a half we stood in his garden, he showed me the bullet holes on the back of the house and gave me a detailed insight into what had happened.

As a parting gift, I was given the Falling Waters book he had written, and he gratefully accepted the few dollars in cash I was carrying. That was my most wholesome experience so far and is still a wonderful memory.

Great story, and not a surprise to read—George is a treasure!

 

[donna]

That is a great story. I wonder if any have heard from White Flint Bill who started this thread. Haven't seen him on CWT.

 

[danny]

Thanks to all for this thread. This area is home to such an interesting chapter of the Gettysburg campaign.

I hope to be able to get back up that way while I still can. Maybe by then it will be better marked.

 

[PaulErrett]

While visiting the Sharpsburg area last week, I tried to find the Falling Water Battlefield. This sign is all I found:

View attachment 307171

There were no interpretive markers and no way to tour the battlefield (at least that I could see). Several of the homes on this road had signs out front saying things like, "This is not a tourism site," "No photographs" an "No Trespassing." I gathered that there must be some tension about promoting the battlefield.

Anyone have any information about this site and what is happening there?

Civil War Trails has just added a tablet at the Donnelly House. There will be a small parking lot paved by the Donnelly House. George Franks III currently is President of the group.
https://battleoffallingwaters1863foundation.wordpress.com/

https://facebook.com/events/s/2021-commemoration-of-1863-bat/1483458775379747/

 

[PaulErrett]

While visiting the Sharpsburg area last week, I tried to find the Falling Water Battlefield. This sign is all I found:

View attachment 307171

There were no interpretive markers and no way to tour the battlefield (at least that I could see). Several of the homes on this road had signs out front saying things like, "This is not a tourism site," "No photographs" an "No Trespassing." I gathered that there must be some tension about promoting the battlefield.

Anyone have any information about this site and what is happening there?

There is also a FB page https://www.facebook.com/fallingwatersmd1863/

 

[Tom Elmore]

George is a fast friend of mine and was two classes behind me at the U.S. Naval Academy, in the same company (out of 36)!

 

[PaulErrett]

There is also a FB page https://www.facebook.com/fallingwatersmd1863/

Civil War Trails has just added a tablet at the Donnelly House. There will be a small parking lot paved by the Donnelly House. George Franks III currently is President of the group.
https://battleoffallingwaters1863foundation.wordpress.com/

https://facebook.com/events/s/2021-commemoration-of-1863-bat/1483458775379747/

View attachment 411240

View attachment 411241

https://facebook.com/events/s/2021-commemoration-of-1863-bat/1483458775379747/

 

[PaulErrett]

While visiting the Sharpsburg area last week, I tried to find the Falling Water Battlefield. This sign is all I found:

View attachment 307171

There were no interpretive markers and no way to tour the battlefield (at least that I could see). Several of the homes on this road had signs out front saying things like, "This is not a tourism site," "No photographs" an "No Trespassing." I gathered that there must be some tension about promoting the battlefield.

Anyone have any information about this site and what is happening there?

They are creating a parking lot and there is now a CW Trails Interpretive Tablet. The Donnelly House is your only chance of seeing the Donnelly House and property, as close as you can get without belonging to the sports club at the river. Contact George Frank's III. There is a FB group for preserving Falling Waters. Search for George, he can help