There was nothing civil about the American Civil War.
The death tolls and devastation were the only prizes we reaped
Like a lemur making a run and taking a final leap
Our country was torn apart without realizing what was in store.

There was no person untouched by the resulting destruction
And very little of the land went unscortched.
Not all of it saw the cruel flames of a torch,
Some was broken by neglect while some was destroyed when serving as protection.

The C&O Canal, a project that took over half a century
Until it was finally realized
Crumbled and deteriorated behind unwatching eyes
Until parts of the dams and locks time did bury.

Though the canal was of strategic value
Many parts that had caused problems during construction
Deteriorated under the cruelty of the war’s destruction.
By the time the war was done, the company in charge had too much to do.

Repairs were essential, but the funds were not there at first
Because repairs were required in too many other places,
But determination was etched on a few faces.
They had to fix things before the dams burst.

It took a while, but as the years progressed so did the repairs
Until the company was again able to make money again
Finally proving that it was still relevant, no longer did they need to defend
The need for its maintenance, at last not for a few profitable years.

Two opposing sides relied on the Potomac River
And the C&O Canal played a major role for both sides
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of it
Was the way it acted to be one of the natural divides
Between the North and South as they fought on
And saw its share of pain and soldiers as they died.

The North for its part used the river as was first intended
To transport things along the long drawn out route
And during the war this was most important
But it was hard to tell when the enemy was about.
The movement was not very fast moving down the stream
So those on board should be quieter and not shout.

The South for their part preferred to use it as a hindrance
Destroying parts to block the Union’s progress East.
Not satisfied to simply harm the boats
Confederates tried to damage the canal, over time this did decrease
As the war dragged on the canal also was neglected
So it was in bad shaped at the war’s end, to say the least.

However, the divide was not just between those at war,
The men who worked on up and down the river for years
Also took sides when war broke out
So the skirmishes and battles broke out, so too joined the pioneers.
Just as the nation was torn apart, the river saw neighbors fight and die.
Instead of soldiers, what was needed was engineers.

For four long years the Civil War did rage
Until finally peace brought about the end.
As the nation started to cope with all of the loss
And turned to actions that would help it mend,
Life along the C&O tried to return to the old norm
So that cargo, not lives were the only cargo companies would send.

Before the states broke out into a bloody war
The C&O Canal saw a very different type of battle
One that was waged primarily in the shadows.
The plight of slaves seeking a better life
One where families stayed together, children, man, and wife.

The details of everything that came to pass
Along the river are largely unknown
Because escape was done in secret
Few records kept for all the lives that passed
Over the river to a freedom they hoped would last.

Though there is not too much that is known,
Looking at newspaper articles from before the war
Slaves were frequently last seen along her trails
Making their way toward who knew where
We can only hope that safely they made it there.

Whether traveling along or with a small group
It is certain this path saw its share of fear
As slaves fled from something worse than death.
What she saw the C&O will not tell
So our imaginations are left on hope to dwell.

Without records it is hard to say for certain if
The Underground Railroad used the C&O Canal
As part of their regular plight,
But a look at history and hunch says it is right.

For a start, the canal was a mandatory part
Of any crossing to the northern states
Unavoidable to those seeking a new start
From slavery to something that was worlds apart.

It was easier to move either on land or water
And act like a freeman working there
Because others were on your side
And when trouble came they would help you hide.

Henry Williams and Andy Jenkins too
They were captains on the river before the war.
Both African Americans they were thought to have aided
The Railroad, so their positions were later debated.

The South feared these two captains helped
Slaves get to freedom, so they pressured
The C&O Company to remove the men
Still slaves escaped again and again.

The Civil War played a major role in the canal’s past
But like all things the war did not last.
Following years of bloody destruction
Were numerous years of peaceful reconstruction.

The company that ran the canal’s main trade
Returned to work now unafraid.
Repairs were done although it was slow going
The company did them with a golden knowing.

What followed was nearly two decades of good fortune
And money, not war, was the canal’s new tune.
So well things went they called it the “Golden Years”
Where prosperity reigned among the river’s peers.

However things were not perfect, not at all
Because as things rise they must again fall.
Some trouble had already started brewing
And for this time it was stewing.

Leaky boats were where trouble started first
But that was by far not the worst.
Still, for now that was all the trouble
So for a while they lived in a prosperous bubble.

The year was just 1889, things were looking good.
Life was easier since the war was over
And things were progressing as they should,
That is when they should have known to run for cover.

Nothing is every as peaceful as it seems.
Perfection cannot last forever.
So it appears that was what fate then deemed
And life as they knew it was then severed.

The Golden Years were to be washed away
In a cruel act of Mother Nature.
A flood swept through destroying much in a day
Wrecking life in a cruel mixture.

For more than a year the effects of the flood lasted
Causing the bankruptcy of the company in charge.
Nearly two decades of good times totally blasted,
Leaving chaos and confusion to roam at large.

The canal finally passed into another’s care
Because the company could no longer cover its debt
The B&O Railroad took over from there,
Some would seem it a very dangerous bet.

And so finally ended the reign of one
The start of a new phase.
Time had passed and so much undone
Residents hoped again for better days.

Once the railroads took control of the Canal
Things were changed, not always to people’s pleasure.
The thinking went that boats were of the past
Because it was now too pastoral.

Things changed fast with a new company at the helm.
The world still swooned from the new transport
But onward pushed the train across the states
Clearly it was the chosen transport of the realm.

Still they did not leave the old business to its own devices
Instead B&O changed to in a way that some thought distasteful
And others thought it terribly wasteful
And still to others change entices.

Cruel hard numbers replaced lively boat names
Men were no longer masters of their boats.
The company made it blatantly clear
All things on the water were theirs, nothing remained the same.

The endeavor became very much like a business deal
Where it was impossible to forget who was in charge
And this was not even B&Os main type of transport
It’s as though the canal’s history a thief snuck in to steal.

Life was no longer the same after that.
Men worked for a company
And did not own the things that they used.
What was left was for people to reminisce as they sat.

The changes brought on by the railroad’s style
Lasted for a bit, only a little while,
Because in 1924 Mother Nature returned again
And another flood she ushered in.

This time it was not just boats that were forced to stop
As waters then the banks did top,
But bridges too were taken out
Including bridges for trains, many were wiped out.

A breach in one of the dams helped to destroy
And damage the canal as too much water it did deploy.
Rushing down the canal’s once peaceful stream
The flood would never end it seemed.

The railroad worked to repair some of what was done
Just the basics to make sure the mills could run.
But for with just three months were the boats worked
It was clear that the end now lurked.

B&O stopped all regular navigation
Saying that railroads were the future of the nation.
And so the era of transporting were through
And it was left for residence to decide what to do.

After a decade of almost total neglect
The wrecked canal caught someone’s eye
This time by someone with greater power
Than a company whose interests quickly sour.

The US government did obtain it
With great plans for its coming future.
The year was then 1938
A time of trouble, when need was very great.

The project to repair and put to use
This canal that had seen so much abuse
Was underway and with blood, sweat, and tears
It was returned to use in just two years.

At least the waterway could be used again
But more was planned, more money to spend.
However, we then entered into World War II
And the government had a much more pressing issue.

Then a new idea was proposed
That brought the canal back to prominence.
When it was pointed out the water could be sabotaged
Or in some other way it could be compromised.

This made the water a concern of security
So the government sought to work on its repairs.
To top it off once the war was won
New talks were then begun.

The Army Corps of Engineers something new proposed
To build new dams floods to avoid it was supposed.
It worked so well that in 1971 instead of a parkway
It was changed to a National Historic Park, and it still is today.

The C&O Canal is over 180 miles long

From its humble beginnings as a way to move goods along the water

The canal has come to be a way for families to get together.

And after several decades this purpose is going strong.

This lovely water passage has served many purposes since its inception.
From transportation and commerce to escaping slaves and war

The C&O has seen it all

But today it serves a noble cause of enlightenment, not deception.

Along the trail you’ll find that there is so much to be learned

The history of this great pass is rich in history and change

Because man is not the only change that has made its way downstream,

Nature has run a rugged course and fate more than once she’s turned.

For those seeking rest and peace from modern day distractions

The path offers days of hiking, biking, and water rides.

For those seeking to spend some time out in the world of nature

You can spend two days on the trail and still have done a mere fraction.

Divided into sections to help determine how long to go

The C&O Canal accommodates many kinds of travelers.

Whether you want to spend several days out on an adventure

Or simply have a day outside, there’s something for everyone on the C&O.