Harpers Ferry Main • Tour the Battlefield > Union Skirmish Line
The ‘From Skirmish Line to Burial Ground’ wayside marker is on the west side of Harpers Ferry on the western slope of Bolivar Heights.
The marker looks west across the valley between the Union position on Bolivar Heights and the Confederate position on North Schoolhouse Ridge, with Bakerton Road and the location of the Union skirmish line at the bottom of the valley. The parking area and restrooms for the Union Skirmish Line and North Schoolhouse Ridge Trails is in the center distance.
Text from the marker:
Skirmish Line to Burial Ground
Some of the Union infantrymen who defended this ground on the night of September 14th returned the next day. Even though the Confederate strategy had won the battle for Harpers Ferry, and these Union soldiers were part of the largest surrender of United States troops in American history, these particular soldiers had unfinished business here.
“Went to the foot of the hill to bury Disbrow, was shot in the head the knight before. Sad time. We buried him with overcoat and blanket wrapped around him.”
Private John Paylor, Company D
111th New York Regiment
“Horace Acker of Meridian had been killed. Poor boy, he was such an impulsive nature. It was impossible to tell whether he was killed by friend or foe as he was found dead in front of our line.”
Private Newman Eldred, Company H,
111th New York Regiment.
I found 4 men killed and 1 very seriously wounded; he died. That made 5 killed. I do not know how many were wounded, 9 or 10, mostly slightly wounded. One man was wounded in the breast, and another had a little finger shot off – some little things of that kind. I could not tell how many of the rebels were killed, or whether any of them were. When they came into our camp [after the surrender] they told us we had killed 20 of them and wounded a number more.”
Colonel Jesse Segoine,
111th New York Regiment
Location of the marker
The ‘From Skirmish Line to Burial Ground’ wayside marker is west of Harpers Ferry on the east side of Bakerton Road (County Route 27) . It is on the Union Skirmish Line Trail about 270 yards east of Bakerton Road (or about 530 yards following the trail) on the west slope of Bolivar Heights. (39°19’28.3″N 77°45’50.1″W)