Oakland Manor
Home of the Howard Dragoons
Oakland was the family home of George R. Gaither, a successful Baltimore merchant who purchased the property in 1838. His son, George R. Gaither, Jr., served as captain of a local militia unit, the Howard Dragoons (mounted infrantrymen). Most of the Dragoons were landed gentry from throughout the county, many of them slave owners. Here they drilled, learning the intricate movements of mounted combat. On special occasions, such as Independence Day, the Dragoons staged parades for the residents of Ellicott's Mills.
After the Baltimore Riot of April 19, 1861, the Howard Dragoons assisted in keeping the peace there. Most of the men, however, refused to take the oath of allegiance to the United States. Armed with cavalry sabers and Colt's revolvers, in May they rode to Leesburg, Virginia, and joined the Confederate army. The unit served variously as Company K, 1st Virginia Cavalry, Company M, 1st Maryland Calvary, and finally Company K, 2nd Maryland Cavalry. Gaither was captured at Manassas Junction on August 27, 1862, and later exchanged. He sailed to Europe the next year on a mission for the Confederate government. After the war, he became a cotton trader.
Oakland Manor's Slaves
About 200,000 African Americans served in the U.S. Army and Navy during the Civil War, including dozens of men from Howard County. Mason, William, and Joseph Shipley were slaves who labored here and on neighboring farms when the Civil War began. In 1863, they enlisted in the 9th U.S. Colored Troops (USCT). William Shipley was killed in Deep Bottom near Richmond, Virginia, in August 1864.
Marker can be reached from Vantage Point Road 0.2 miles from Little Patuxent Parkway, on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
