History of the Maryland Militia in the Civil War Like other border states , Maryland found herself in a difficult position at the start of the American Civil War , with loyalties divided between North and South . Although Maryland herself remained in the Union , Maryland militia units fought on both sides of the Civil War . Many militia members travelled south at the start of the war , crossing the Potomac River to join the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia . Harper ' s Ferry . In 1859 units of the Maryland Militia participated in the suppression of John Brown ' s raid on Harpers Ferry , an abortive attempt to ignite a slave rebellion . Major General George H . Steuart personally led six companies of Militia : the City Guard , Law Greys and Shields Guard from Baltimore , and the United Guards , Junior Defenders and Independent Riflemen from the city of Frederick . The departing Baltimore militia were cheered on by substantial crowds of citizens and well - wishers . After Harper ' s Ferry , militias in the South began to grow in importance as Southerners began to fear slave rebellion inspired by Northern Abolitionists . The coming of war . From 1841 to 1861 the senior militia general was George H . Steuart , commander of the First Light Division . Until the Civil War he would be the senior commander of the Maryland Volunteers . In 1833 a number of Baltimore regiments were formed into a brigade , and Steuart was promoted from colonel to brigadier general . From 1841 to 1861 he was Commander of the First Light Division , Maryland Volunteer Militia . Until the Civil War he would be the Commander - in - Chief of the Maryland Volunteers . The First Light Division comprised two brigades : the 1st Light Brigade and the 2nd Brigade . The First Brigade consisted of the 1st Cavalry , 1st Artillery , and 5th Infantry regiments . The 2nd Brigade was composed of the 1st Rifle Regiment and the 53rd Infantry Regiment , and the Battalion of Baltimore City Guards . Baltimore Riots . By April 1861 it had become clear that war was inevitable . On April 16 Steuart ' s son , George H . Steuart , then an officer in the United States Army , resigned his captain ' s commission to join the Confederacy . On April 19 Baltimore was disrupted by riots , during which Southern sympathizers attacked Union troops passing through the city by rail . Steuart ' s son commanded one of the Baltimore city militias during the disturbances of April 1861 , following which Federal troops occupied the city . In a letter to his father , the younger Steuart wrote : Steuart himself was strongly sympathetic to the Confederacy and , perhaps knowing this , Governor Hicks did not call out the militia to suppress the riots . On May 13 , 1861 Union troops occupied the state , restoring order and preventing a vote in favour of Southern secession . Steuart moved south for the duration of the American Civil War , and much of the general ' s property was confiscated by the Federal Government as a consequence . Old Steuart Hall was confiscated by the Union Army and Jarvis Hospital was erected on the estate , to care for Federal wounded . However , many members of the newly formed Maryland Line in the Confederate army would be drawn from the state militia . Maryland militia units fought on both sides of the Civil War . At the Battle of Front Royal , the Union 1st Maryland regiment was engaged and defeated by the Confederate 1st Maryland Regiment . The lineage of the Confedrate 1st Maryland is perpetuated by the 175th Infantry Regiment , whose lineage dates back to 1774 .