Civilians Under Siege

On the morning of July 9, 1864, C. Keefer Thomas hosted two Union officers at his breakfast table as they talked about the impeding battle. Later that morning, as the battle drew near, the Thomas family, with several houseguests, neighbors, enslaved laborers, and dogs, entered the farmhouse cellar, where they experienced "hours of suspense, anxiety, and at times, terror," as one guest later recalled. Caught in a tug-of-war, the house was bombarded by artillery and minie balls and suffered significant damage. After the Union troops retreated, the cellar occupants emerged to find the farm in shambles, with hundreds of dead and wounded soldiers scattered about the farm.

Ballenger Creek, Maryland · United States