 the battle of williamsport, also known as the battle of hagerstown or falling waters, took place from july 6 to july 16, 1863, in washington county, maryland, as part of the gettysburg campaign of the american civil war. thumb|300px|gettysburg campaign (july 5â july 14)   during the night of july 4âjuly 5, gen. robert e. lee's battered confederate army began its retreat from gettysburg, moving southwest on the fairfield road toward hagerstown and williamsport, screened by maj. gen. j.e.b. stuart's cavalry. the union infantry followed cautiously the next day, converging on middletown, maryland. on july 7, brig. gen. john d. imboden stopped brig. gen. john buford's union cavalry from occupying williamsport and destroying confederate trains. brig. gen. judson kilpatrick's cavalry division drove two confederate cavalry brigades through hagerstown before being forced to retire by the arrival of the rest of stuart's command. lee's infantry reached the rain-swollen potomac river but could not cross, the pontoon bridge having been destroyed by a cavalry raid. on july 11, lee entrenched a line, protecting the river crossings at williamsport and waited for maj. gen. george g. meade's army of the potomac to advance. on july 12, meade reached the vicinity and probed the confederate line. on july 13, skirmishing was heavy along the lines as meade positioned his forces for an attack. in the meantime, the river fell enough to allow the construction of a new bridge, and lee's army began crossing the river after dark on the 13th. on the morning of july 14, kilpatrick's and buford's cavalry divisions approached from the north and east respectively. before allowing buford to gain a positi
1863_in_Maryland 1863_in_the_United_States Battles_of_the_Eastern_Theater_of_the_American_Civil_War Battles_of_the_Gettysburg_Campaign Conflicts_in_1863 History_of_Washington_County,_Maryland Inconclusive_battles_of_the_American_Civil_War Maryland_in_the_American_Civil_War