Divided Loyalties: The Neal Family

History: In August 1862, Federal soldiers arrested sixteen Westminster residents as Southern sympathizers and escorted them to Baltimore for questioning. The group included Henry and Frank Neal, sons of Abner Neal who lived at 71 East Main Street. The young men joined the Confederate army in September 1862 during the Antietam campaign. They returned home on June 29, 1863, helping guide Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry corps through Maryland en route to Gettysburg. Yet the family was also related to Union Gen. John Gibbon. Rose Neal, Frank and Henry's mother, felt compassion for all family members and treated his wounds.

More to Explore: A bustling town surrounded by farmland, Westminster is known for its Carroll County 4-H and Future Farmers of America Fair and the Carroll County Farm Museum. In Westminster, you'll find plenty of options for restaurants, visitor services and shopping. Stop by the Historical Society of Carroll County where you can tour the 1807 Shellman-Fisher-Shellman House, experience exhibits and the Shipley Memorial Garden. The gift shop features works from local artisans and authors.

Photo Credits:

1. "Photograph of General John Gibbon." Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
2. "Westminster, Main Street, looking west, ca. 1868, toward the 1st Delaware Cavalry campsite on the commons." Courtesy of the Historical Society of Carroll County.