A few months after accepting the grant, the Maryland Agricultural College proved to be an important site in the Civil War. In April 1864, General Ambrose E. Burnside and 6,000 soldiers of the Union's Ninth Army Corps camped on the MAC campus. The troops were en route to reinforce General Ulysses S. Grant's forces in Virginia.Durgin, Teddy Well-schooled:What you may not know about Maryland's colleges and universities The Baltimore Sun. September 30, 2003.
