(HANCOCK, Md.) – The town of Hancock will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War through a series of special events held January 5-8, 2012. The small western Maryland town of Hancock was the site of a Civil War battle from January 5-7, 1862. The Battle of Hancock Sesquicentennial Commemoration will include a wide range of activities for people of all ages. A full schedule of events including dates, times and locations can be found on Facebook at “The Battle of Hancock Commemoration Events,” or on the Town of Hancock’s website at www.hancockmd.com.  Re-enactors are welcome!

The opening ceremony will take place at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church on Thursday, January 5 at 7 p.m. with an introduction by event chairperson, Lily Wolford, followed by a reading of the Hancock Historical Society’s winning student essay and a dramatic musical presentation by the Springs Chamber Ensemble. Special events will continue on Friday evening (January 6) at 7 p.m. with the opening of several exhibits including “Hancock’s Hall of Heroes” by Mac Elser which includes pictures and biographical information on hundreds of soldiers who participated in the Battle of Hancock. There will also be a talk by Dr. John Rathgeb on Battlefield Orthopaedics, and a performance by the Hancock Arts Council Civil War String Band.
 
 Saturday January 7th’s events begin at 9 a.m. with a 5K Run/Walk hosted by the Potomac Highlands Distance Club starting at the historic St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, which was used as a hospital during the Civil War.

In January 1862, soldiers on both sides of the War Between the States were facing their first harsh Western Maryland winter.

American civilians also were impacted in ways generally not felt today. Across the Potomac River from the sleepy little town of Hancock, Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson gave the order to shell the town but ordered citizens be given a two-hour notice.

In Emily Leatherman’s Hancock 1776-1976, she writes: “before Stonewall Jackson’s bombardment of the town, the people ran to west end across the creek and hid behind a hill near what is now the entrance to Widmyer Memorial Park.”

To a degree, runners and walkers in the first Battle of Hancock 5K and 1-mile run/walk will be able to re-enact the evacuation as part of the town’s sesquicentennial celebration of the Civil War.

Instead of evacuating west, however, event participants will head north – which, ostensibly, would have been further out of reach of the Confederate cannons. Both the 5K (3.1-mile) and 1-mile run/walk will feature paved with generally a single loop.

Both events start and finish at St. Thomas Episcopal Church on High Street. The church was used as a hospital during the Civil War.

Other events throughout the day will include several speakers, authors, exhibits, cannon firing demonstrations and re-enactors, followed by the Wildcat Regiment Band concert at 5 p.m.
 
 The Battle of Hancock commemoration events will conclude on Sunday afternoon (January 8) with a Memorial Service and Grave Stone Dedication for soldiers buried in the St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church Cemetery, and a Civil War period Evening Prayer Service at 4 p.m. in the church.
 
 The history and significance of Hancock, Maryland in the Civil War is important to remember, and to re-tell.  In early January of 1862, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson ordered the surrender of the town of Hancock. The Town was an important transportation site, on the C&O Canal and the National Road. General Jackson had been disrupting activities on the canal, and also making raids on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Forces attached to Jackson had also attacked Fort Frederick, just east of Hancock, on Christmas Day.
 
 The Union commander in charge of the garrisoned town, Brigadier General Frederick Lander, refused to surrender Hancock. Confederate troops commenced firing from Orrick’s Hill, just across the Potomac River from Hancock. The ongoing cannon bombardment continued for two straight days. The Union Troops held fast, and refused to give up the Town of Hancock.
 
 Finally, on January 7th, having failed to find a suitable crossing into Maryland, the confederate forces retreated and advanced on Romney. The winter was already bitter cold, and between the stubborn defenses of the Union Army, and the frigid temperatures, Jackson withdrew. According to reports, there were 25 casualties.