Port Tobacco and the Civil War

Above is a Civil War map showing Port Tobacco and its proximity to the Union/Confederate border.

The November 23, 1861 Harper's Weekly contained the following text and a sketch concerning reinforcements being sent to to bolster General Sickle's Brigade at Port Tobacco. The source of this content is here.
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DEPARTURE OF TROOPS FOR PORT TOBACCO.

OUR special artist with the army of the Potomac happened the other day to be present at one of the mysterious movements which are taking place daily in General McClellan's army ; viz., the departure of reinforcements for General Sickles's Brigade at Port Tobacco on Sunday morning, November 3. He sketched the scene, and we reproduce it on this page. The troops represented are the New Hampshire Fifth, the Rhode Island Fourth, and the Pennsylvania Forty-fifth. They had previously been encamped at Camp Union, near Bladensburg. They are a fine body of men, and will doubtless do good service on the Lower Potomac when the right time comes.



We are assuming the offensive on the Lower Potomac,and have heavy batteries erected in positions which command the rebel batteries. These troops are sent down to support the gunners, and perhaps when the right time comes they may pay Aquia Creek a visit one of these days. The river is now thoroughly commanded by our batteries.
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General Daniel Sickles later lost a leg at Gettysburg and then became a Congressman. In Congress he sponsored the bill that established Gettysburg as a National Park.


-April

P.S. We have only just begun to compile the Civil War history of Port Tobacco. I am sure there are a few readers out there who can provide more details. Please feel free to comment to this post or send us e-mail. Our e-mail addresses can be found at our staff pages (see left hand column).