Old Court House Civil War Museum  Winchester, Virginia

This name appears twice on the wall!

First Inscription: "W  H  Evans  / 1^st Maryland Infantry Baltimore Maryland
Location: From NW Corner south 136 inches, up 68 inches. (Picture fair)

Second Inscription: "Wm H Evans / Baltimore MD / 1^st Maryland Regiment from Balt City MD
Location: top of the stairs on the left wall near the floor , this is terrific inscription

William H Evans was captured May 23, 1862.

Federal First Maryland Infantry was formed in Baltimore in 1861, fought in the Romney campaign. Its main glory occurred on May 23, 1862. It was positioned at Front Royal guarding the bridge at Riverton. Banks main army was camped at Strasburg at Hupp's Hill. Jackson's entire army was south in the Shenandoah Valley. Jackson’s main focus in nearly every campaign was destruction of the enemy force by entrapment in the rear. He came up with a daring plan. He crossed the mountain at Luray crossing into the valley just south of Front Royal. The North and South forks of the Shenandoah merge at Riverton just north of Front Royal. This means both valleys also merge there. So by crossing into the Luray valley he is hidden from Banks by the Massanutten mountain. His intention is to sweep Front Royal, cross back across the valley into Middletown, block the Valley Pike north of Banks position, and thus trap Banks. On the way though Front Royal, he finds this single regiment (need to verify this) of Marylanders who put up a stubborn resistance. They tried to burn the bridge but Jackson overtook the bridge before it burned completely. The Marylanders paid a heavy price, about half of the regiment was captured, but they delayed Jackson by a few crucial hours. These prisoners all showed up in the Courthouse of which we have identified several. By the time Jackson got to Middletown, Banks had escaped beating him there by just an hour or so. Then it was a foot race to Winchester. Banks got there first, and thinking he was safe for the night, settled in. Jackson came in right behind him, and even though his men had been marching for nearly two days solid without rest or sleep, he took the high ground on the south end of Winchester, (Handley school and Williamsburg Heights subdivision today) and fought the First Battle of Winchester. This time Banks was soundly defeated and retreated in disarray through Winchester toward Stephenson’s Depot. Jackson again mounted a chase, local artists and the press dubbed it a victory march through town. This became the famous painting of Jackson marching through town and this scene has been artistically reproduced more than once since. In actuality it was no parade, Jackson was trying to trap Banks in Stephenson's Depot before he could regroup. But alas the long march caught up with him, his troops simply ran out of energy from two days march and had to stop. Meanwhile the Marylanders languished in the courthouse, all 500 of them!

Civil War Database indicates he was wounded 5/23/62 Front Royal, Va , paroled 9/13/62.

Military Record: Yes confirms capture 5/23/62

Pension Record: Yes Widow application 432914 Certificate 288194