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- Retreating from Gettysburg after his defeat there, Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Confederate infantry reached the Potomac River ford at Williamsport, Maryland on July 8 and 9, 1863. Lee’s men could not cross, due to the rain-swollen river and loss of a pontoon bridge at nearby Falling Waters to a Union cavalry raid.
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Washington County, MD | Jul 13 - 16, 1863. Retreating from Gettysburg after his defeat there, Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Confederate infantry reached the Potomac River ford at Williamsport, Maryland on July 8 and 9, 1863. Lee’s men could not cross, due to the rain-swollen river and loss of a pontoon bridge at nearby Falling Waters to a Union ...
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- Battle of Williamsport Summary
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The Battle of Williamsport — also known as the Battle of Falling Waters — was fought from July 6–16, 1863, in Washington County, Maryland, during the Confederate Retreat from Gettysburg. As Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army moved into Maryland, toward Hagerstown and Williamsport, they were slowed by heavy rains, which also made the Potomac Riv...
Also Known As:The Battle of Williamsport is also known as the Battle of Falling Waters and the Battle of Hagerstown.Date Started:The Battle of Williamsport started on July 6, 1863.Date Ended:The battle ended on July 16, 1863.Location: The Battle of Williamsport took place in Washington County, Maryland, around Williamsport.Robert E. Lee Withdraws from the Battle of Gettysburg
Following the Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–4, 1863), Confederate General Robert E. Leeended his second invasion of the North. At roughly 5:00 p.m. on July 4, Brigadier General John D. Imboden led a long train of Confederate wounded and supplies toward the Potomac River crossings at Williamsport and Falling Waters, about 50 miles to the southwest. Lee ordered the rest of the army to follow using a different route the next day.
Potomac River Impassable
As the operation started, heavy rains began falling, slowing the evacuation. When Imboden reached the Potomac, he found the river so swollen that the ford at Williamsport was impassable. He also discovered that Union cavalry dispatched from Harpers Ferry by Major General William H. Frenchhad destroyed the Confederate pontoon bridge across the river at Falling Waters. Unable to reach Virginia, Inboden formed a semi-circular defensive line anchored on his left by the Conococheague Creek and on...
Meade Lingers at Gettysburg
On July 5, Major General George G. Meade, commanding the Union Army of the Potomac, learned that Lee had left Gettysburg. Despite prodding from his superiors in Washington to pursue the Confederate general aggressively and destroy his army, Meade settled for dispatching his cavalry to harass the retreating Confederates. Meade had reason to be cautious. The intense three-day battle had exhausted and battered his army. Unsure of the extent of the damages inflicted upon the Confederates, Meade a...
On July 6, 1863, Brigadier General Judson Kilpatrick’s Union cavalry division tried unsuccessfully for six hours to dislodge Major General J. E. B. Stuart’s cavalry from Hagerstown. Stuart’s victory maintained control of important roads leading to Williamsport. On the same day, Union Brigadier General John Bufordlaunched an ill-fated cavalry assaul...
The Battle of Williamsport was arguably more important for what did not happen, as opposed to what did. Much to the dismay of his superiors, including President Lincoln, Meade’s measured pursuit of the trapped Confederate army enabled Lee to hang on long enough to escape across the Potomac after the rain-swollen waters receded. Coupled with Ulysses...
General George G. Meade was not aggressive in pursuing the retreating Confederate forces, allowing the Army of Northern Virginia to cross the Potomac River and escape.
Principal Union Commanders
1. Major General George Meade
Principal Confederate Commanders
1. General Robert E. Lee
Result
1. Inconclusive
These are the main battles and events of the Gettysburg Campaign in order. 1. June 5—6— Battle of Franklin’s Crossing 2. June 9, 1863 — Battle of Brandy Station 3. June 13–15, 1863 — Second Battle of Winchester 4. June 17, 1863 — Battle of Aldie 5. June 17– 19, 1863 — Battle of Middleburg 6. June 21, 1863 — Battle of Upperville 7. June 27, 1863— Ba...
Please note that this section contains affiliate links to Amazon.com. If you click the links and purchase anything, American History Central may earn a commission. “If We Are Striking for Pennsylvania”: The Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac March to Gettysburg. Volume 1: June 3–21, 1863 by Scott L. Mingus Sr. and Eric J. Wittenb...
- Harry Searles
The Battle of Williamsport, also known as the Battle of Hagerstown or Falling Waters, took place from July 6 to July 16, 1863, in Washington County, Maryland, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War.
- July 6-16, 1863
- Inconclusive
July 6-16, 1863. General Robert E. Lee’s safe retreat back to Virginia after his defeat at Gettysburg in July, 1863 required holding the critical Potomac River crossings at Light’s Ford and Lemen’s Ferry at Williamsport, Maryland, and a pontoon bridge at Falling Waters, Virginia.
Aug 19, 2024 · Come and hear about 1863 Battle of Falling Waters, an event that was overlooked and unknown for years, until George Franks starting researching it. The battle happened two miles south of Williamsport and is the site of the last Confederate defenses of their Potomac River crossing back into Virginia after the Gettysburg Campaign.
Jul 20, 2024 · July 6-16, 1863 in Williamsport, Maryland. The Confederate retreat from Gettysburg began on July 4th as the defeated Army of Northern Virginia wearily filled the Pennsylvania and Maryland roads for 3 days, its wagon train of wounded alone stretching for 17 miles.
Williamsport Hagerstown, Falling Waters Civil War Maryland American Civil War July 6-16, 1863 During the night of July 4-5, Lee's battered army began its retreat from Gettysburg, moving southwest on the Fairfield Road toward Hagerstown and Williamsport, screened by Stuart's cavalry.
