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Driving tour of the Monterey Pass battlefield area
This tour will start at Fairfield, Pa. and travel
on Iron Springs Road to Gum Springs Road and come out at the
intersection by the rail road tracks near Charmian. This intersection
is Old Waynesboro Road. You will travel to Fountaindale at the base of
the mountain, and travel back up to Monterey and continue through
Monterey Pass to Rouzerville. From Rouzerville, you'll travel up the
mountain to PenMar. From PenMar travel back down the mountain and end
your tour at Ringgold.
The tour itself is roughly 20 miles and takes
about a hour to do. The tour covers some of the most rugged mountain
roads in the Monterey area. Please use caution when traveling these
roads. The best time of the year to tour the Monterey area is from
April to mid October.
Stop No. 1, Fairfield, PA:
At Fairfield, General Ewell's wagon train was roughly 17 miles
long with the contents of "plunder" gathered during the Gettysburg
Campaign, as a result of liberal rebel foraging from the farms of
Pennsylvania. Five thousand cattle along with a sizable number of free
blacks, confiscated as "contraband" of war, were also part of this
column. Through the driving rain, General Ewell’s wagon train rumbled
out of Fairfield traveling toward Jack’s Mountain. The head of the
wagon column reached Rouzerville late in the evening of Saturday July
4th, where the Confederates took the Old Hagerstown Road going along
South Mountain toward Smithsburg.
From Fairfield, take Iron Springs Road and travel 3 miles to Gum
Springs Road. Turn right onto Gum Springs Road. Gum Springs Road cuts
in between Pine Mountain and Kepner Knob and travels along Toms Creek.
This is the road the Confederate wagon train was traveling on as
it approached Fairfield Pass about 2 miles away.
Stop No. 2, Fairfield Pass:
 There is no pull of spot for Fairfield Pass. Fairfield Pass was a scene of the cavalry fight between
Colonel Stagg's portion of the 1st Michigan
Cavalry who attempted to attack the Confederate wagon train from
Fairfield. This was the second pronged attack that was ordered by General Kilpatrick as he was
attacking Monterey Pass. The original road can be seen today, but is
on private property. Once you cross into Franklin County proceed to
the top of the hill where the road levels out and turns toward the
left.
Gum Springs Road now becomes Furnace Road once you've crossed into
Franklin County. Stay on Furnace Road
another two miles until you see an intersection by the Rail Road tracks. This is old
Waynesboro Road. Charmian Lane is directly in front of you. Turn left
and proceed 1 mile to the Fountaindale Fire Department located on your right
at the bottom of the mountain.
Please use caution as the Old Waynesboro Road is used as a main
tractor trailer route and also be sure to watch speeding traffic.
Stop No. 3, Fountaindale Fire Department:
At the Fountaindale Fire Department’s parking lot you will see
the Fountaindale skirmish marker. This is not the site of the June 28,
1863 skirmish, but it is the site where General Kilpatrick ran into a
few of Captain Emack’s pickets. They were quickly overran and retired
up the mountain to Monterey. As you travel up the mountain on old
Waynesboro Road, General Kilpatrick describes the road conditions his
cavalry experienced. On his right was Monterey Peak which was a rough
rugged portion of Monterey Pass. To the left was a steep ravine and to
his front was a narrow road that he couldn’t even deploy his
artillery.
From the Fountaindale Fire Department make a left and travel up the
mountain in the direction you just came.
As you re-cross the rail road tracks, this is where the battle of
Monterey began.
As you cross the rail road tracks, you'll notice a curve in the road in front of you.
This is
where the Clermont House once stood behind the pine trees. Once the road straightens, this is where is the first
portion of the battle of Monterey began. Captain Tanner’s artillery piece
fired into the 5th Michigan. The shots were fired high, but it caused
much confusion in the ranks of the 5th Michigan. Kilpatrick ordered
the 8th Pennsylvania to dismount and attack Emack via the Clermont
House. Captain Emack had pulled his men back to the Monterey House
forcing Tanner to leave his caisson behind where it was captured.
Emack was then forced to withdraw from the Monterey House back toward
Monterey Pass.
Stop No. 4, Hawley Memorial Church:
Pull over at the Hawley Memorial Church and walk a short
distance toward Monterey Lane by the Golf Course. Look to your left.
You'll see a single story yellow house. This is the area where the Monterey House once stood. This is also
close to where General Kilpatrick was able to deploy his artillery to
support General Custer who was attacking the Captain Eamck’s men at
Monterey Pass. Monterey Lane by the Monterey Golf Course was used by
the 1st Vermont Cavalry.
They traveled to Smithsburg in order to cut off the head of the wagon
train. This was Kilpatrick’s third prong attack that would be fought
at the western base of South Mountain.
From Hawley Memorial Church, continue on Waynesboro Road, passing
the Monterey County Golf Course for about a half of mile. You will see Rolando Memorial Park,
Blue Ridge Summit Lions Club that will be on your right. Route 16 is
directly in front of you.
Stop No. 5, Rolando Lions Club Park:
Rolando Lions Club Park is where General Custer
attacked Captain Emack at the pass and could see the wagon train toward his right
as it came upon the Emmitsburg and Waynesboro Pike. The old tollhouse
is located across modern day Route 16. This is where old Furnace Road, Mentzler Gap and Pennersville
Roads intersected with the old Emmitsburg and
Waynesboro Pike. This section is where General Custer’s men over ran
Emack who was reinforced by the 6th Virginia and the 4th North
Carolina Cavalry. Crossing Red Run Creek, Custer sent the 1st West
Virginia Cavalry charging through and they started destroying wagons
and taking on prisoners. Kilpatrick kept this up until he was at the
base of the mountain in Waterloo, known as Rouzerville today. As you
travel down the mountain, you’ll notice on your right, that the
mountain starts to descend. This is the area that is often described
where wagons were force off the cliffs trying to out run General
Kilpatrick’s cavalry.
Use caution and cross over Route 16 (Buchanan Trail) and continue on old Waynesboro Road to
Rouzerville. Once you are nearing Rouzerville,
you will see a yellow caution road sign for a 20 mile an hour sharp right-hand turn with a road directly in your
front. This is Waterloo Road. Take Waterloo Road to PenMar Road.
Notice Harbaugh Church Road is directly in front of you. Make
a left on PenMar Road and travel up the mountain. Once you are at the
top of the mountain, you’ll see a stop sign. Make a right onto High
Rock Road and travel
to PenMar Park.
Stop No. 6, PenMar Park:
 From Rolando Park to PenMar Park is about 4 miles. PenMar park sets at an altitude of 1400 feet,
and offers one of the finest scenic
areas in Maryland offering a
clear view of the Cumberland Valley. Bathrooms are located
on the premises.
Retrace your route back to PenMar Road. Make a left hand turn on PenMar Road continue down the mountain
until you Harbaugh Church Road. Make a left on Harbaugh Church Road
and continue to SR-418 (Midvale Road). Make a left onto Midvale Road.
The Maryland Border Midvale Road becomes State Route 418. Travel to Misty Meadow
Road on your right. You'll see a red brick building ahead near a
cemetery to your left. This Brick building is called the Ringgold
Meeting House
Stop No. 7, Ringgold, Maryland:
General Kilpatrick traveled to Ringgold where he ordered his
division to halt after the battle of Monterey Pass and the affair at
Waterloo. The casualties of these battles proved to be devastating for
the Confederates. General Kilpatrick stated his losses at Monterey
Pass was 1 killed, 12 wounded, and 30 captured. The Confederate
official reports state that the Confederates lost more than one
thousand men, captured at the battle of Monterey Pass and along the
Waynesboro and Emmitsburg Road.
The tour ends here. Travel back to Md Route 418. If you make a left
and follow it to a stop light. This is Pa. Route 16. If you make a
right from 418 and follow it to the flashing four way stop, this is
the Smithsburg Road. You can go to Hagerstown, Leitersburg or
Waynesboro from this point.
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