Maryland is a strange place, or should I say “places.” The state is largely composed of four very distinct regions: (1) Western Maryland which is part of Appalachia, (2) the Eastern Shore that lies to the east of the Chesapeake Bay and is part of the Delmarva Peninsula which continues the old maritime tradition, (3) Southern Maryland which comprises the land on the western side of the Bay and has a local accent virtually indistinct from anyone in the Virginia or North Carolina Tidewater region, and (4) Central Maryland which goes from Washington, DC and travels north through Baltimore to the Mason-Dixon Line, an area almost entirely composed of the Northeast Megalopolis along the I-95 corridor.
Maryland’s rich history is really a history of seizures: it began as a Catholic colony which was seized by Protestants, then was a slave state seized by the Union, and, ultimately, the “Free State” was finally seized by the Empire as the expansion of Mordor on the Potomac continues to spread through the “Old Line State” like a cancer.
Maryland’s history during the War Between the States is similarly complicated: following the secessionist movement, the Maryland legislature intended a vote on its own withdrawal from the Union but the tyrant Lincoln had none of it and imprisoned lawmakers throughout the state. Baltimore, with its historical love of rioting, took to the streets as Union soldiers switched trains in the city and actually opened fire on the invading Federals. The revolt was quickly put down and cannons and troops were stationed on Federal Hill in the city in order to prevent further uprisings.
Southern Maryland, which was the epicenter of the Maryland tobacco plantations, also saw one of the most heinous abuses of the war as the infamous Yankee prison camp was erected at Point Lookout. Western Marylanders, which saw the soldiers of the valiant Confederacy march through on their way to the battles at Antietam, and eventually Gettysburg, were split or largely indifferent to the conflict.
To be a Son of Maryland is to have divided families when it comes to this particular conflict, as almost everyone from Northern Virginia to Southern Pennsylvania had family members that fought on both sides. For the record, this author only knows of one direct relative who served in the Union, as he was a Washington, DC native that was stationed to guard bridges in Central Pennsylvania. As far as I know, the remainder of my relatives fought for the Southern cause.
One side of my family were slave owners from the Harper’s Ferry area of Northern Virginia, (I had a distant grandmother who was present at John Brown’s hanging…a shame she didn’t own a camera) who ultimately migrated to Maryland after the war. The other side were Methodist preachers assigned to Washington DC and Southern Maryland. My childhood consisted of frequent visits to both Antietam (as the battlefield is officially named) and Point Lookout. The latter, until recently, had nothing but a cemetery and a small marker about the prison, while mentioning nothing about the horrors of that place. Now, the Confederate Battle Flag has been removed from the official grounds, and a monument erected complete with a quote from notable communist Maya Angelou.
None of this matters these days. Most Marylanders know nothing of the history of their state because it simply isn’t taught. Along with the vast majority of modern school children, they are taught that the Civil War was the “Righteous Crusade to End Slavery.” Most of them know nothing about the Protestant Revolution, or the Great Baltimore Fire, or the occupation of the State House by the Union, or the C&O Canal. The battlefield at Antietam is all but forgotten, and Point Lookout is now a weekend gathering place for Mexicans day laborers in the DC area.
I have watched my home become little more than a bedroom community for Washington, DC through the massive expansion of that city’s working population into the surrounding counties of both Maryland and Virginia. Additionally, suburban White Flight from Baltimore has taken care of the rest of the central portion of the state all the way to the Eastern Shore. The entire state is run by a small handful of counties surrounding DC and Baltimore, a hub of political power that constantly increase both taxes and restrictive gun laws. The cost of living continues to skyrocket because of the influx of immigrants, internally and externally, for those high paying jobs in the Imperial capital (funded by the American taxpayer). These people are not only ignorant of Maryland’s history, they don’t care, nor will they ever care, because they are the rootless cosmopolitans the Empire loves so much.
So, I have done what so many others have done. I left.
After spending much time in thought and prayer, and recognizing that unfortunately Virginia has become absorbed into the Empire, I moved one state north, where at least the gun laws and taxes are better. It was really the only choice, or so I keep telling myself.
I am now the first member of my family to own property north of the Mason-Dixon Line, but I ain’t no damn Yankee.
-By Dixie Anon
O I’m a good old rebel, now that’s just what I am. For this “fair land of freedom” I do not care at all. I’m glad I fit against it, I only wish we’d won, And I don’t want no pardon for anything I done.
Welcome to Pennsylvania, brother. Broke my heart about Virginia too. Extended scouting in upstate SC reveals sprawl and transplants. The demographics are concerning too. Can’t run anymore folks.
We had to have a debate on John Brown being a “misguided fanatic” or “hero” in my history class. They did not mention bleeding kansas or Pottawatomie massacre and we were not allowed to mention them, as they were not part of the curriculum. I was of 2 or 3 people against him.
Everyone thinks he’s a good man. He killed many God fearing Southern men.
As another fellow displaced marylander of old stock, I fully understand these sentiments. I have watched hoards of transplants destroy the character and culture of the state I grew up in.
God bless you and yours.
Come to the Eastern Shore. Just avoid the cities. We have the same problems the rest of the country has, but much much less. I did live in Central PA for a year and a half while I was in Diesel School a while back, and it was nice. Saw more Battle Flags up there than in MD.