It was great fun this morning to attend the re-dedication ceremonies of Doubleday Hill in Williamsport. This is the hill overlooking the ford of the Potomac, which was a place of crossing between Virginia and Maryland in 1861. At this time in the summer of 1863, it was a crossing to West Virginia, and it was beginning to fill higher with water from the huge rains after the Battle of Gettysburg. There is a big weekend event next week in Williamsport to commemorate all of that history.
But the Doubleday connection in Williamsport was at the very outset of the War in the summer of 1861. On the high ground that is the town cemetery today, Doubleday commanded a battery of four artillery pieces. I have written about this in the past, and the full story (which I’ll humbly proclaim is fascinating) can be found HERE.
A local fellow named Scott Bragunier is much interested in history, and along with a love for his hometown put together a grant proposal to have the original cannon tubes restored and remounted. Along with interpretive signs and improved access, the end product is really fantastic.
Let me post a series of photos with comments that precede each …
The cannon were moved to the location on the hill back in May. I was unable to attend this, as I was in Europe at that time…
My friend Tom Riford, who is the head of the Washington County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, gave a great summary history of Doubleday and his Civil War service – particularly related to the time in Williamsport. Tom grew up in Auburn, NY where Doubleday also spent his childhood and teen years (though he was born in Ballston Spa, NY)…
Scott Bragunier deserves all the credit in the world for making this happen…
Senator Chris Shank spoke of the importance of honoring the past as we move to the future…
Here are some other pictures of the event…
Randy Buchman
Enfilading Lines 