Grace Church Rd in Silver Spring MD.

I took a minute yesterday and walked through the cemetery located on the Grounds of Grace Episcopal Church. Located on Georgia Avenue just out of downtown Silver Spring. Grace Church has a long history in Silver Spring dating back to before the American Civil War.

Back when I lived in North Woodside my wife and I liked to walk our dog in the neighborhood and would on occasion visit the cemetery. I sort of like old cemeteries but this one is unique in that there is a marker there for 17 unknown Confederate soldiers who lost their lives nearby in the summer of 1864.

In July of 1864 a Confederate force under the command of Jubal Early moved into Maryland near Sharpsburg and raised heck in Maryland. Eventually they ended up marching through Silver Spring up  to the very gates of Washington DC. Although, the region was thrown into a panic the attack proved to be just that, "a raid" and posed no serious threat to the eventual outcome of the conflict. Once the Confederate troops bumped up against the strong fortifications of Fort Stevens (located just over the DC line near where 13th Street meets Georgia Avenue) they really could not go any further. After two days of noisy skirmishing the Confederates pulled back and melted back into Virginia. Probably the most significant achievement of the raid in Silver Spring was the burning down of Montgomery Blair's home on July 12, 1864

I often wonder who these soldiers were and how they met their fates. I assume that most were killed in the fighting around Fort Stevens and not near the church. According to a earlier blog post by Allen Brown the bodies were buried at various sites around the area and gathered up for reburial well after the battle. Ironically Montgomery Blair contributed funds to this effort. Visiting the monument brings home the tragedy of the Civil War. It is hard to imagine that 150 years ago Americans were fighting and killing one another over the very ground that we live, work  and play on today. If you get a minute you should stop by the church and visit the memorial.