Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia were defeated on July 3. On July 4, it began to rain. In the rain, he started his army, supplies and wounded and captured Federals who were strong enough to move on their retreat back to the Confederacy. Though General Meade was ridiculed for doing nothing to stop their retreat, he did have forces chasing Lee’s men. They pursuit was contested and there were several sharp skirmishes along the way. Michigan men played a prominent role in these actions.
The Battle of Monterey Pass was fought on the stormy night that linked July 4 and 5. As a result of hand-to-hand fighting by the Michigan Cavalry Brigade, Lee lost lots of supplies and over 1,300 of his men. The Battle of Monterey Pass took place near Waynesboro, PA. There is a park there to commemorate this fight. You can visit it at 14325 Buchanan Trail E, Waynesboro PA. There are several walking paths you can follow to tour this field as well as a small museum.
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Several days later, Lee was still working his way south. On July 12, the Michigan boys under Custer again push Lee south. This time, they force him out of Hagerstown, MD. Outside of St. John’s Lutheran Church in downtown Hagerstown is a marker commemorating this part of the pursuit. St. John's Lutheran Church is located at 141 S. Potomac St. in Hagerstown, MD.
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The end of this chase took place at Falling Waters, MD on July 14, 1863. In this fight, Confederate General Heth held off about 7,000 US cavalrymen, including the General Custer and the Michigan Cavalry Brigade, to allow more of the Confederate army to escape. Learn more about this battle, the field and efforts to preserve in by going to the following site:
https://battleoffallingwaters1863foundation.wordpress.com/
There is also a book published about the Battle of Falling Waters. You can find the book in the Michigan Cavalry Brigade section of our Books page.