150th Antietam Anniversary Issue150th Antietam Anniversary Issue Upcoming Campaigns 2 Ladies’...

“We are but few in number but formidable.” -Pvt. James Shelton, 7th Md. Co. B Volume 18, Issue 12

150th Antietam Anniversary Issue

Upcoming Campaigns 2

Ladies’ Knapsack 7

Antietam Scenarios 8

Inside this issue:

The 150th weekend started with a long march and twi-light battle. One was excel-lent. The other, not too much. The march to the Brawner’s farm scenario was an unnecessarily long one, and in the late evening heat, more than a few sol-diers exhausted themselves along the way. After a brief and cooling rest, the army

picked themselves back up and moved onward. As the sun set and storm clouds gathered to the south, the 150th anniversary of Second Bull Run (Manassas) opened with a fight. The confederates, sil-houetted against the twi-light, advanced and receded like the evening tide as the

battle rages along a long front. Spectators looked on and, after the armies left the field, civilians with lanterns checked on the “killed” and “wounded”. Once safely back in camp, pickets were placed, guarding against further action for the eve-ning.

(Continued on page 6)

September 2012

Greetings Comrades! Here we are in late August with the 150th 2nd Bull Run (Manassas) event behind us. The event, while much smaller in numbers than I had expected, was well-organized and provided some very nicely choreo-graphed battles for the spec-tators and re-enactors alike.

Sinks were in very short supply, but the Engineer, [Lt. Sean Lynch] did a first-rate job of laying out the camps. We can all count on them to continue provid-ing ample space on the com-pany streets in the events to come, which is a frequently requested, and much needed improvement.

The troops all did a fine job foraging for the neces-sary food and sup-plies, and it seemed everyone had plenty to eat and to


Cpl Stephen Blumberg President

The event is scheduled September 15-16th.

Friday lunch and dinner are individual.

Saturday / Sunday ($10): Saturday breakfast through

Sunday lunch.

If you would like to sign up for company meals, please

email me, at [email protected]

by Monday, September 10th —Sarah Harris

SEPTEMBER September 14-16th 150th Anniversary Battle of Antietam.

(Company 7th MD / FVB) (Held near Sharpsburg, MD)

Don’t get left out of the year’s signature anniversary battle. Walk-on fee: $30.

Coming: “The Cornfield”

A non-spectator tactical will take place off site, across woods and open fields including a planted cornfield.

David R. Miller’s 30-acre cornfield marked the morning phase of the Bat-tle of Sharpsburg, the bloodiest day in American history. Stonewall Jackson’s command formed the Confederate left flank as 8,000 soldiers in John R. Jones’ and Alexander Lawton’s divisions held a line stretching from the West Woods along the southern edge of Miller’s cornfield to the East Woods and the Mumma Farm. Union General Joseph Hooker ordered his 1st Corps to attack

from the North Woods, down the Hagerstown Pike towards his objective, the Dunker Church. Between first light at dawn until about 8:30 a.m., the sequential attacks by the 1st and 12th Corps moved the battle lines back and forth across the cornfield. Added to the constant musket fire, cannons fired at the rate of one blast every second and dense black smoke covered the field from Jeb Stuart’s guns on Nicodemus Hill, Stephen D. Lee’s batteries on the Dunker Church Plateau which coun-tered Hooker’s batteries in the North Woods and the big Union artillery on the east side of Antietam creek. One observer noted, “It is doubtful that his-tory has ever recorded a more terrible clash in so small an area. Casualties were appalling.”

See page 8 for the 150th Antietam scenarios and battle times. A “replica” of the Dunker Church is being con-structed on site for the battle scenario, as well.

OCTOBER October 20-21

148th Anniversary Battle of Cedar Creek.

Cedar Creek Battlefield, Middletown, VA.

Company 7th MD / FVB) Registration is now OPEN!

Registration is $25.00 until September 25th.

NOVEMBER November 17

Morning Ceremonies Remembrance Day Parade,

Gettysburg, PA (Company 7th MD / FVB)

This is absolutely the most important event of any reenacting season. We offer our deepest r3epsect for those who have served in the battles that we reenact. It is also a time that the members of the 7th Maryland get together and reflect on the past year, good and bad. Please mark this important date and attend the ceremonies.

cently returned from Afghanistan, has raised a company, 3rd Maryland, Company “B”, and has been desig-nated the lead company of the regiment. A second company, 4th NJ, has also been added to the starting line-up. With the re-

formation of the regiment, we hope to attract more local units that are looking for a home, ena-bling the second regi-ment to be-come more actively in-

volved in the Federal Volunteer Brigade ac-tivities. How does this impact the first regiment? As we always are striving to be the best, our performance on the field and within camp will serve to attract other units. We need to continue our profession-alism and our visibility.

The 7th is once again becoming a role model for other units, and is not going unnoticed. With close to 25 rifles regis-tered for the 150th Antietam event, the 7th will be a strong company in the sec-ond battalion of the 1st regiment. Just like old times. Good job, lads.

See you at Antietam.

PAGE 2 OUR CAMP JOURNAL VOLUME 18 , ISSUE 9

Col. Jay Henson 1st Reg’t FVB

The Second Regiment of the Federal Volunteer Brigade is now under the com-mand of Col. Steve Reincke. Lt. Col. Dave Heyne will be commanding the 1st Bat-talion. The 7th Maryland’s own Sgt. Ma-jor Steve Bush has also agreed to pitch in and help with the reorganization efforts. Ihave been attend-ing many meet-ings and working with Col. Reincke and Gen. Palese and his staff to re-form this regi-ment. Capt. Don Swope, formerly of the 3rd MD, Co. “A”, and re-

time. We were visited by a pair of spec-tators in camp, a father and son team, Paul and Peter Vicenzi, who were look-ing specifically for us and who have expressed a strong interest in partici-pating with us. I believe they plan on meeting up with us at the Antietam event, and may provide additional num-bers for our ranks. We wrapped up the weekend with a very hurried exit as a strong rain storm drenched everyone and everything that hadn’t yet left the scene. All were safe, if not quite dry on departure.

Next up is the 150th Antietam event at the Legacy Manor Farm in Boonsboro, MD, two miles north of the Antietam Battlefield. This should prove to be a very memorable event. I understand that the 7th expects to field upwards of 25 rifles, something we have not seen in a very long time, and something that I am very happy to hear. This should provide an exciting experience for us on the field, and I look forward to a most enjoyable time in camp with so many of our pards coming back to take part in this notable event. The weekend agenda and the preparations being made for the battle scenarios should also lend to providing a memorable experience for us all. A non-spectator skirmish at “The Cornfield” will include a cornfield

grown for our use. Special preparations are also being made for the actions at the Dunker Church and Bloody Lane scheduled for Saturday, and the fight for Burnside’s Bridge wraps things up on Sunday. So many of our events are ones that we participate in each year, so this event being a different one held at an unfamiliar location should enhance the overall experience for us all.

In closing, I will remind everyone that Erin Henson is looking for volun-teers to help her with the planning and coordination of our annual Soiree for next season. The interest and enthusi-asm from the people of St. Michaels continues to grow, and Erin hopes to work closely with them in the coming months to plan another enjoyable event in their town. Please reach out to Erin and Jay to let them know of your inter-est in being involved in the planning activities.

Stay healthy, hydrate, clean up your gear, dry out your powder, and I’ll see you in Boonsboro. And keep an eye out for messages about gathering some spare clothing and equipment for some potential new members that may be visiting us in camp.

share. The 7th had very few rifles to take to the field, which was disappoint-ing given that this was a 150th anniver-sary event. I can say, however, that the 7th continues to receive compliments on our impression, most recently for our deportment in drill and on the field. We are being noticed, my friends. Let’s continue the hard work, and take notice of the number of re-enactors, new and experienced, who search us out.

Of the eight rifles that we fielded this time, two were brand new. Private Nik Von Claudy joined us for his annual excursion from Austria, and Private Phil Giovannini took the field with a rifle for the very first time. They both did an outstanding job, giving their full attention and sincerity, absorbing a tremendous amount of information in a very limited amount of time, and per-forming with confidence during the battle scenarios. We won’t see Nik or his mom, Kate, for another year, but I certainly hope to see Phil in our ranks again very soon. Judging by the emo-tional reaction that Nick had in his first battle, I know he will keep that experience with him for a very long

(Continued from page 1)

Looking at Washington County, with its shopping malls, housing develop-ments and parks, it can be hard to re-member that the fertile land once was a battlefield, and stately homes served as hospitals for the wounded and dying. During the Civil War years, soldiers patrolled the streets and the blood of thousands on both sides seeped into the ground. Behind closed doors, house-holds in this border state were divided by sentiments of union and secession. As war loomed on the horizon in 1861, the residents of Maryland were not all of one mind. “Maryland was a very di-vided state,” said Gail Stephens, histo-rian, author and volunteer at Monocacy Battlefield in Frederick County, Md.

“People began to pull apart. People who were friends began to pick sides and there was a cooling of relationships.” “But for citizens, choosing a side wasn’t like a pick-up basketball game,” said Thomas C. Clemens, Ph.D., a professor of history at Hagerstown Community College. “This was war. It would come with significant death and destruction, and some simply did not want to ‘play.’” Thomas J.C. Williams in his “A His-tory of Western Maryland,” published in 1906, wrote of the way the Civil War divided not just the local community, but families. “It was literally a fratricidal strife and a fratricidal strife is always the most embittered,” Williams wrote. “It seemed that the words of the Prophet had been fulfilled. No trust could be placed in a

friend, no confidence in a guide and it was well for a man to keep the doors of his mouth from her that lay on his bosom, for the son rose against the fa-ther, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and a man’s enemies were often the men of his own house.” Williams wrote of “strife and division within the family circle. In some in-stances the father would sympathize with one side, the mother with the other. Some of the sons would join the Northern army and some the Southern or it might be that the father would be arrayed against his sons and not unfre-quently would brothers be brought into direct conflict with opposing forces.” Lincoln’s election In Washington County, “The news of secession in the far south which quickly followed upon the news that Lincoln was elected, was received with



By KATE S. ALEXANDER HeraldMail.com

There are some observations made by people outside of the company that had been made at 2nd Bull Run that made me pretty proud. It was noticed that we performed our morning roll calls as prescribed by regulation. I know we have been doing this for some time now, but this is the first time that I have been aware a compliment was made about it. The Sgt, Maj. observed us do-ing our roll calls each morning, react-ing to the music provided for this pur-pose. I did not pay attention to what other companies were doing while we were conducting our roll calls, but we must have stood out! It was also noticed that the 7th was out drilling after said roll calls in one form or another, when other companies did not.

The schedule we had was tight with battles occurring two to three hours earlier than most events. To be able to fit a drill in pro-posed a challenge and meant sacrificing time that may have gone towards more time for breakfast or preparations for formations. In my opinion eve-ryone one stepped up and con-ducted themselves in a very military manor. The drill that we put in really paid off, the 7th performed like a well oiled ma-chine all weekend long. This is a testament to all but in particu-lar to the NCO.s. 1st Sgt. Gio-vannini and Cpl. Blumberg have really got their acts together and I am proud to say they are ours! Further observations by outsid-ers attest to this. I also have to thank veteran Privates, Bill Hart and Donat Miskey for stepping up to help while on and off the field. They both per-formed well as brevet Cpls. And covering Sgts.!

The company was pretty small for a 150th event and we had two “fresh fish” in the ranks that need to be mentioned. Pvt. Phil-lip Giovannini and Pvt. Nikolas Von Klaudy have been with us

at many events, but never as a rifle car-rying soldier. They both exhibited the ability to listen and learn on an extremely accelerated schedule. The confidence that they gained throughout the weekend was very noticeable. I hope that they enjoyed their new station and will see fit to fall in with us again!

How about the camp layout? Streets that were regulation minimums made all the difference in the world. If only we could get the fire breaks that are needed between streets you would hear no more complaints from me! Hats off to our new Brigade engineer! He is working to get what he can from the

space given to us!

Looking forward to Antietam, I am very excited about the possible “expanded” participation by the mem-bership of the 7th Maryland. As of this writing it appears that we may have about twenty rifles! This would be the largest gathering of the 7th since last year’s Remembrance Day! In today’s economy I hope that everyone is look-ing to get their monies worth by being there. This also looks to be the largest participation of the Federal Volunteer Brigade, showing numbers approaching two hundred! In talking with our new Engineer, the room allotted the Bri-gade may be limited and we may not enjoy the street widths that we had at Bull Run. If we have to, we may double up with the 3rd Maryland to share a street which would allow us to open the street width up to an acceptable width; I do not see any problems with this. If this should happen expect a rather long street. You can expect drill whenever we can fit it in. It is definitely paying off!

We are in the last third of our 2012 schedule and with each event to this point I feel we have been building a new core. Anti-etam will in all likelihood have veterans of events past rejoining us for the first time in quite a while. I hope they like what they see and it will entice them to re commit to being with us on a regular basis. By this writing you have less than a month to prepare for the 150th Antietam, get your kit in order and get yourselves in order. Prepare to have some fun! See you at the fire.


Capt. Jeff Bush Company Commander

Left, First Sergeant Steve Gio-vannini and Capt. Jeff Bush watch as Cpl. Steve Blumberg instructs several “fresh fish”. Reports from the field indicate the training session produced grand results and able soldiers who have now “met the ele-phant”.

The following is an excerpted account of the Battle of Antietam, the single bloodiest day of the Civil War, as printed in the Sept. 10-24, 1862, issue of the Herald of Freedom and Torch Light. The account is in the Maryland Historical Society collection and can be found online at whilbr.org The battle raged on Sept. 17, 1862, from dawn until dusk in a cornfield, in a wooded area, at a bridge that came to be known as Burnside Bridge, and in Bloody Lane. When the battle ended, more than 23,000 men were listed as killed, wounded or missing. The battle of Antietam The greater part of the Rebel forces had found its way into the Neck, where the Potomac bends to the east below Sharpsburg, their rear resting on Sharpsburg. Here was destined to be the great contest of the rebellion. To one who has never seen a battle-field it is impossible to de-scribe intelligently this, or, indeed, any one. Old landmarks are forgot-ten or effaced, distance loses itself in the mind of the spectator, and space is measured only by the re-sults which its occupancy pro-duces. Thus has it been here. Corn and stubble, pasture and fallow contribute their boundaries to the one great charnel house of the nation’s host, and on hill, in hollow, through field are strewn the bleeding, mangled bodies of dead and dying humanity. Here our lines stretched over a space of five miles, extending, on the extreme right, from near the intersection of the new and old roads to Sharpsburg, in an easy curve to the south-east, to where the left of Burnside rested at the foot of Elk Ridge Mountain. ... On Tuesday morn-ing, when the fight began, the base of operations was quite limited, the rebels occupying the hills on the west of the Antietam, immediately above New-

comer’s mill, the federals directly oppo-site, on another eminence. Until nearly ten o’clock the firing was but occasional, each for the purpose of feeling the other’s position. But about ten the batteries opened on both sides, and for three hours the war of artillery was constant and deafening. The smoke lifted itself gracefully from the hollow between and coursing along the stream, via the mountains from view. Gradu-ally, during the afternoon, were the lines extended, Hooker and Sumner passing over without any resistance and taking position to the front of the black and frowning mass of rebels in the wooded hills of Mumma’s and Miller’s farms — Porter and Burnside on the eastern bank of the creek on eminences, the whole overlooked by McClellan from his position on the hill south of

Keedysville. Tuesday night passed with the pickets at each other’s elbows, and Wednesday dawned not “for the pomp and pride and circumstance of war,” but for a field of carnage. Scarcely was the sky illuminated ere Hooker awoke the silent echoes of the hills on which the rebels were posted, Rickett’s and Meade’s division steadily advancing. Stealing forward step by step, now in-fantry, now artillery, the lines were forced forward, plot and counterplot for positions, until a struggle more deadly than any this continent has ever wit-

nessed, was for a half hour kept up, and then the rebel line swayed and fell back, but not in confusion. ... Into the woods, and rallying, the tide changed, and again out of it came pour-ing the rebel’s endless lines ... Hartsuff fell severely wounded, but the line flinched not nor swerved. Here was the contest for the day. Rickett vainly endeavored to advance. Mansfield pushed on, but in vain. He fell mortally wounded. Hooker dismounted, recon-noitered his position, and once more forced forward and gained the hill. Half the ground lost was reoccupied, and though their general was borne from the field severely wounded they maintained their position, under Sum-ner, who took command. Again the tide changed and our men fell back, and again advanced, driving the rebels be-fore them. ... At one o’clock all looked gloomy and defeat seemed inevitable until fresh troops of Franklin came up and won the day. The rebels were driven to the range of hills by the church, where covered by the woods they rested their exhausted columns,

while Sumner was too weak to do more than hold his position. Thus they stood at evening. Burnside was not inactive, but seemed para-lyzed, and after several vain ef-forts it was only by a desperate charge that the bridge and hill in his front were gained, and that only amid great loss. Here again was the day almost lost, but the presence of Porter’s fifteen thou-sand veterans checked the onward march of the rebels. Night came on and permission was asked by the rebels and granted to bury the dead and care for the wounded. Heap upon heap lay piled the dead and wounded. In one field where their advance was checked lay 1,217 rebel dead, while

on the hill beyond a number nearly as great of our own men were left to the mercy of the enemy. ... Consummate valor marked the ac-tions of every division in the field. But valor alone could not win the day. ... As to their loss it is impossible to speak with certainty. It cannot be less than 15,000, and may be nearly double that number — nor can we yet ascertain the number of prisoners taken, certainly not less than 3,000.

VOLUME 18, ISSUE 9 OUR CAMP JOURNAL PAGE 5

Soldiers who fell during the Battle of Antietam on Sept. 17, 1862. The Dunker Church, which served as a hospital, is in the background. ( Source: Washington County Historical Society )

'Consummate valor marked the actions of every division in the field'

Saturday’s ac-tion, was that of the “Railroad Cut”, where the Union army was attacked from the heights as they moved along the unfinished rail-road cut. The action, again de-spite the heat, was fast and furious, and our army was compelled to with-


draw yet again. Though the ballets for the event were planned earlier int eh day, the stifling heat took its toll. Sunday’s action, following Dress Parade and Inspection, was that of “Longstreet’s Flank Attack”. As the 7th Maryland, in the Federal Volunteer Brigade, 1st Regiment, was placed on the extreme right, they faced an attack again from on high. As the bat-talions exchanged fronts, the Rebs’ ammunition began to dwindle and soon enough,

VOLUME 18, ISSUE 9 OUR CAMP JOURNAL PAGE 6

“rocks” began raining down on the boys. Never backing away from lead, nor limestone, the boys promptly began returning the rocks at an ever-increasing rate of fire. Several reports indicated that this action was some of the best seen all season.

Clockwise from top right, General Palese surveys the field of action. Nik Von Klaudy is hurried from the lines on a stretcher carried by the Calvert Arms Field Band musicians. The weary Federal Volun-teers return to camp after Sunday’s ferocious battle. Phil Giovannini and Nik Von Klaudy receive in-struction from Cpl. Stephen Blumberg, and (top) a weary soldier gets some much-needed rest.

I’m sure many of you already know that we lost a mother and a wife on July 31, 2012, at 6:22 am; that date and time will be etched in both my mind and my dad’s for the rest of our lives. For the weeks and months that led up to that day, the out pouring of concern, care, and help is what aided us in mak-ing it through all of the difficult times. But, it was those few days after that, that not only showed us how much my mother was loved, but how much we were loved as well. The amount of Thank You cards we have to send out is immense, so that is why I wanted to take this opportunity to use my newsletter column to thank everyone in the 7th MD for all of your love and support through these difficult times. Our first note of gratefulness has to go out to everyone for their understand-ing and flexibility throughout the past year. I know my dad was concerned about his lack of support for the 7th MD, feeling that he was letting down the company after becoming the Quar-termaster Sergeant. He has said multi-ple times that he hopes he will still be allowed to hold his post as Quartermas-ter Sergeant once he is able to return to the field, and I know that everyone’s

understanding for why he could not attend events has been helpful. I have also been extremely grateful for the understanding and flexibility of the members of the 7th MD at events. With my dad unable to attend events, I was left to carry supplies and food to events on my own, but I always knew I could count on someone to already be in camp that would show me where to go and help me unpack. Also helpful were those people who helped me pack up quickly at the end of an event, ensuring that all boxes and tents were tied down safely, and that I would be able to make it home at a decent hour. For all of this, we are very grateful. The week of July 31 was a very diffi-cult week for us, both the beginning of the week and the end of it. Once we knew that there was little time left, we had to cancel plans and make schedule changes, which brought up the concern for me about the 150th 2nd Bull Run. Again, the understanding and flexibil-ity of every attending member of the 7th MD was more than I could ask for. After that, the emails offering prayer, thoughts and support made me cry

every time I read one, I truly felt like the 7th MD was just an exten-sion of our family offering a helping hand. Cards and letters have been pouring into the house, but those cards from members of the 7th really stood out to us, especially as they were from famil-iar friends. We have received dozens of cards from people sending us their con-dolences, but because my mother has touched so many people, there are names and addresses on the cards that we don’t even recognize. And finally, the flower arrangement that was sent to the funeral home was just absolutely beautiful, I cried again when I read the card and saw that it was from our fam-ily of the 7th MD. I was able to dry and press some of the flowers from the ar-rangement, so as to keep part of that with us a bit longer. I don’t think we’ll ever be able put into words both our grief and our most



Miss Sarah Harris Civilian

Coordinator

“The Cornfield” Time TBA

A non-spectator tactical will take place off site, across woods and open fields including a cornfield.

David R. Miller’s 30-acre cornfield marked the morning phase of the Bat-tle of Sharpsburg, the bloodiest day in American history. Stonewall Jack-son’s command formed the Confederate left flank as 8,000 soldiers in John R. Jones’ and Alexander Lawton’s divi-sions held a line stretching from the West Woods along the southern edge of Miller’s cornfield to the East Woods and the Mumma Farm. Union Gen-eral Joseph Hooker ordered his 1st Corps to attack from the North Woods, down the Hagerstown Pike towards his objective, the Dunker Church. Between first light at dawn until about 8:30 a.m., the sequential attacks by the 1st and 12th Corps moved the battle lines back and forth across the cornfield. Added to the constant musket fire, cannons fired at the rate of one blast every second and dense black smoke covered the field from Jeb Stuart’s guns on Nicodemus Hill, Stephen D. Lee’s batteries on the Dunker Church Plateau which coun-tered Hooker’s batteries in the North Woods and the big Union artillery on the east side of Antietam creek. One observer noted, “It is doubtful that history has ever recorded a more terri-ble clash in so small an area. Casual-ties were appalling.”

“Dunker Church” Saturday, September 15th

10:00 a.m. The start of the bloodiest day in American history began to the north of the small town of Sharpsburg. Hooker’s I Corps had spent a cold and rainy night sleeping on their muskets in anticipation of the coming fight. The men of Stone-wall Jackson’s Corps laid in wait for the light and the coming attack. Pickets from both sides exchanged shots back and forth throughout the night. Men of both sides knew what the morning would bring.

Just behind their line was a small white building, very plain in appearance but very important. This was the Dunker Church, a place of worship for the local German Baptist Brethren. For the Con-federates it was a part of the high ground, good defensive land where they would put their artillery. For the Union, it was the visual objective of their attack on the Confederate left to gain the plateau north of Sharpsburg. At 5:30 a.m., the I Corps advanced south directly towards the Confederate lines. Artillery from both sides opened up. Stonewall Jackson’s defenses were struck hard by Hooker’s men. The tide waged back and forth, with terrible fighting in and around the cornfield. Finally at 7 a.m., Jackson called upon General Hood to bring his division forward and counter attack. They came with a yell and fought hard for 30 minutes breaking the attack of the I Corps. The casualties on both sides were incredible. Come out on Saturday, September15th at 10:00 a.m. and experience the fight for the “Dunker Church” at the 150th Anti-etam/Sharpsburg Reenactment.

“Bloody Lane” Saturday, September 15th

3:00 p.m. While the fighting slowed down on the Confederate left around the Dunker Church area, a new phase of the battle was about to begin. The Confederate center was positioned in an old country lane known as the Sunken Road. Gen-eral Hill’s Division occupied this natu-ral defensive position. Of Hill’s five brigades, three had already bloodied themselves in the fighting around the Dunker Church. General French of the II Corps ad-vanced his Division towards the Sunken Road in an attempt to relieve the overwhelmed Union troops on his right. They advanced closer and closer but the Confederates held their fire until they were only a few rods away. The Confederate fire was intense and stopped the Union attacks. Several at-tacks were made against the road in-cluding the attack of the famous Irish

Brigade. The Confederates held on for almost 3 hours against the 10,000 Un-ion troops but their ranks were thin-ning quickly even with reinforce-ments. A misunderstood order from General Rodes resulted in the collapse of the line and the loss of the Confeder-ate position. The Union troops stormed into the Sunken Road and tried to push on. General Longstreet summoned every cannon he could find. The massed Con-federate artillery saved the line. Come out on Saturday, September15th at 3:00 p.m. and experience the fight for


PAGE 8 OUR CAMP JOURNAL ISSUE 18 , VOLUME 9

Bloody Lane, above just after the battle, and below in 1866, the small farm lane made fa-mous by the devastatine battle on September 17, 1862.

Wednesday Noon – 8:00pm Reenactor Registration Opens Thursday 8:00am – 8:00pm Reenactor Registra-tion Saturday 8:30am Gates Open 9:00am Living History Village opens to the public 9:00am Medical insight into the Bat-tles Carnage, Tent 1 10:00am BATTLE "Dunker Church" 11:00 - The Missing Orders #191 as ex-plained by General D. H. Hill, Tent 1 12:00 - A look at what General Lee's hopes were for the battle, Tent 1 12:30 General Longstreet ponders the days' Battle Strategy, Tent 2 1:00 - Meet the Author: Jeff Shaara talks about his books, Tent 1 3:00pm BATTLE "Bloody Lane" 4:00 - Civil War Spies tell you of their secret work, Tent 2 7:00 - Remembrance Illumination hon-oring the 3,654 killed on September 17th, 1862 8:00pm Reenactors Camp Dance with the 2nd South Carolina String Band, Tent 1 In addition, musical groups will be performing throughout the weekend Sunday 8:30am Gates open 9:00am Attend a Period Worship Ser-vice (Tent 1) or a Catholic Service (Tent 2) 11:00am BATTLE; "U.S. Cavalry Skir-mishers Looking for Provisions" 12:30pm Discussion with the US Gen-erals and their Staffs, Tent 2 1:00pm The spies of the Civil War ex-plain their importance, Tent 1 1:30pm Medical insight to the Battles Carnage, Tent 2 2:00pm BATTLE "Burnside Bridge"

Event Ends.

The Legacy Manor Farm is a historic 400 acre working farm located just 2 miles north of the

Antietam Battlefield off of Route 65 (Sharpsburg Pike)

17758 Bakersville Road Boonsboro, MD 21713


genuine concern and alarm by a great majority of our people,” Williams wrote. Abraham Lincoln received only 95 votes in Washington County in the 1860 election. By the time he took office in March 1861, seven states had pulled out of the union and formed the Confeder-ate States of America, said Edwin C. Bearss, chief historian emeritus with the National Park Service. In Maryland, the question of secession dominated conversations. Residents and even newspapers identified themselves as being secessionist-minded, Stephens said. “That didn’t necessarily mean they felt Maryland should leave the union, just that they supported the right of south-ern states to secede,” she said. As di-vided as Maryland was in sentiment, it was equally as divided in lifestyle. Slavery was a major institution in the eastern counties, Stephens said, but west of Catoctin Mountain, it was rare. “Slavery was not very common here,” Clemens said. “Our economy was not tied to slave labor.” In the 1860 census, Washington County’s population was little more than 31,000, Clemens said. Of those people, 28,305 were white, 1,677 were free blacks and 1,435 were slaves, com-pared to the state, which the census found had a 25 percent slave popula-tion, he said. Paper positions As strongly as the state’s Eastern economy was tied to Virginia, residents in the western part of the state were as strongly tied to Pennsylvania through a shared German heritage, Clemens said. The Hagerstown Herald of Freedom and Torch Light took a decidedly un-ionist position. In 1861, it blasted a group of moderate residents who can-celed their subscriptions. “It is a strange infatuation that can prompt any man in Maryland to discontinue a Union

(Continued from page 3) newspaper,” the editors wrote. “These papers advocated a policy and encour-aged and sustained Gov. Hicks in main-taining it to which alone the people of this state are indebted for the happy exemption which they enjoy from the ravages of a horrid war.” When the Confederate army moved into Washington County In September 1862, the editors and staff of The Freedom and Torch Light were in the process of preparing the Wednesday, Sept. 10, 1862, edition. They fled to Chambers-burg, Pa. When they returned, after the Battle of Antietam, the following ran on Page 2 under the date Sept. 24, 1862: “When the rebels approached Hagers-town we, in company with hundreds of other Union men, sought refuge in Pennsylvania, and consequently the publication of the Herald and Torch was suspended for two weeks. ... under the circumstances, we presume no sub-scriber will be ungenerous enough to censure us for deserting our post. We can print no paper under rebel rule, and this is our apology for printing none while that rule extended over Washington County.” On the other side of the political spec-trum, Andrew G. Boyd, editor and pub-lisher of the Maryland Free Press, a weekly paper printed in Hagerstown, was ordered removed to the South by the National Guard, and publication of his newspaper suppressed. His paper was found to “encourage and foster in-surrection, rebellion and hostility against the Government of the United States,” the Herald of Freedom and Torch Light reported in its May 6, 1863 edition. The order by Maj. Gen. Schenck, as reported in the Freedom and Torch Light, said that Boyd, “being manifestly dissatisfied with the consti-tuted authorities and power of the U. States and the loyal administration of the Government, will be sent beyond the lines of the army South of the Poto-mac, to give him the opportunity to find among armed Rebels, a place more con-genial to his views and desires, with a warning that if he returns through the military lines during the continuance

of the rebellion, he will be arrested and dealt with as a Spy.” Debating secession On the eve of war, Hagerstown lead-ers met to debate secession. Richard H. Alvey, 35, then a judge and head of the county bar, publicly spoke his secessionist mind and it eventually landed him in jail. In January 1861, Alvey issued resolutions calling for a convention and advocating the right of states to secede, Williams wrote. Those in favor of the Union wrote their own resolutions declaring that the ballot box, not revolution, was the remedy. But Washington County held about as much political clout in the 1860s as it does today, Clemens said. So when the Maryland legislature convened in Fre-derick to debate secession, the majority felt it was not in their power to remove the state from the union, Stephens said. “They felt the only way for Maryland to make that decision was elect citizen delegates to a convention,” she said. “That convention never happened.” Even those who agreed with secession were fearful that seceding from the Union would make their state a battle-ground, Stephens said. Clemens said lawmakers knew that Maryland’s proximity to the federal government in Washington, D.C., meant that it could be held in the Un-ion by force. When Union troops seized Federal Hill in Baltimore on April 19, 1861, their fears were confirmed and secession was no longer an option for Maryland, Stephens said. “Indeed men’s minds were strangely unsettled and it was a long time before they finally set-tled down to conviction,” Williams wrote of Washington County. “It was realized that when the hour for the parting of the ways arrived it would be an hour of sadness, rather than of hatred; of regret and sympathy, rather than of wrath and vengeance,” he wrote. Bearss called Maryland “a border state,” a place where sentiments were divided, where brother would fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, where the North and the South would converge in bloody battle.


PAGE 10 OUR CAMP JOURNAL VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

Stephens said that once war was de-clared, many chose to join the Union and fight for Maryland. Others were drafted. Some crossed the Potomac River to Harpers Ferry to join the Army of Northern Virginia, she said. Some, like Bradley Johnson of Freder-ick and Luke Tiernan Brien of Ur-bana, became officers in the Confeder-ate army, she said. Others never made it to the South. A young Williamsport man, Dewitt Clinton Wrench, wanted to fight for the Confederacy, Clemens said. To join the Confederacy after the war started, men had to steal away across the Poto-mac River, but when Wrench tried to leave Williamsport, Clemens said, he was beaten to death in the streets. In Hagerstown and Frederick, Southern sympathizers were rounded up as spies, Stephens said. Some, she said, were hanged. The shot that counts “There were other first shots in the Civil War, but the shot that counts is the shot that was fired at Fort Sumter, at 4:30 a.m. on the morning of the 12th day of April,” Bearss said. Until the end of 1861, the war had not seriously distressed the people of Wash-ington County, Williams wrote in 1906. “The presence of the army, whilst offen-sive to many of the people, had been rather to the advantage of the county in furnishing an excellent market for all kinds of products,” he wrote. Stephens said residents became oppor-tunists of sorts, selling to whichever army occupied their county at the time. She told the story of a 6-year-old girl named Virginia Thomas, the daughter of Christian Keefer “CK” Thomas of Frederick County, whose farm would be at the center of the battle at Monocacy. While staying at the Thomas farm in August 1864, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant asked Virginia whether her parents


supported the Union or the Confeder-acy, Stephens said. Virginia told Grant that when the Yankees were here, her father was a Yankee; when the Rebels were here, he was a Rebel. “That is how people felt in this state, it was the nature of being where the ar-mies were marching, where there was constant military presence,” Stephens said. “No one wanted to upset an army capable of destroying their families and farms.” Washington County was “a battlefield. It was overrun by both armies,” Wil-liams wrote. “Vast quantities of prop-erty were destroyed. The population were divided in sentiment, and each portion ascribed to the other the losses and indignities they suffered.” Resi-dents of central and western Maryland would become so accustomed to troops marching through their towns, taking their livestock and fighting on their farms that they would become callus to the horrors of war, Stephens said. The horror of Antietam On Sept. 14, 1862, the Battle of South Mountain took place, a precursor to a battle that would rage three days later in Sharpsburg and would become known as the bloodiest day of the Civil War. An account in the issue of the Herald of Freedom and Torch Light with two dates — Sept. 10 and Sept. 24 — told of horrors witnessed during the Battle of Antietam: “Many were de-prived of an arm, leg and eye, still sur-viving, impa-tiently awaiting their turn for medical assistance. The real horror can better be imagined than de-scribed, and a visit to the hospital where amputations are being made will fully impress the visi-tor with its startling horrors.” By day’s end, more than 23,000 were dead, wounded or listed as missing.

“No human being who has never wit-nessed such a scene can picture in his mind the horror of that field,” accord-ing to an account Williams relates in his book. The whole cornfield, “... was dotted with the dead, single and in heaps, and the air was filled with the groans and the lamentations of the wounded and dying, calling for help and begging piteously for water.” Homes, town halls and churches be-came hospitals, mothers became under-takers. “The remains of the dead, who fell at the battle of Antietam, continue to be removed by their friends. Last week we saw two ladies riding from that vast graveyard in a one-horse vehicle, both being seated upon the coffin which contained the remains of a relative,” the Hagerstown paper reported in its Nov. 5, 1862, edition. During the Battle of Monocacy in Fre-derick County in July 1864, citizens sat on fences and watched the battle rage, Stephens said. Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace, who went on to write “Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ,” even sent a soldier to tell the spectators to go home lest they get hurt, she said. When the soldier re-turned, his message to Wallace was that the people refused. “They were so used to battle, so used to armies that they were going to stay,” Stephens said. As accustomed as the state had grown to war, many families lost everything when war spilled over our borders, ac-

cording to the Herald of Free-dom and Torch Light. “We have hitherto read of and contemplated the ravages of war at a distance, but alas! a large por-tion of our fertile county has fallen a victim to them, and we now see and feel them in

all their intensity,” an article on the aftermath of Antietam said. “The beau-tiful district of country over which the great battle of Wednesday raged pre-sents a melancholy picture of devasta-tion. A number of houses and barns


PAGE 11 OUR CAMP JOURNAL VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

Civil War Re-enactors; America’s Living Historians.

“ Burnside Bridge

& Up Comes Hill ” Sunday, September 16th

2:00 p.m. On the Confederate right, General Burnside and the 11,000 men of the IX Corps were preparing to cross the Anti-etam on the Rohrbach’s Bridge, later known as Burnside’s Bridge. On the other side of the Antietam were 550 men from 3 Georgia Regiments under General Toombs to contest their cross-ing. The terrain was on the Georgians’ side. Steep hills and wooded bluffs towered over the bridge making it a good defen-sive position. A dozen artillery pieces formed on the heights just to the rear of Toombs’ men, as well as artillery just east of Sharpsburg, added to the Con-federate defense. The small width of the bridge made it hard to cross and easy to defend. Twice the IX Corps tried to take the bridge but the Confederate fire was too intense. On the third try, and only after a prom-ise of whiskey rations, was a foot hold gained. Ammunition was running low for the Georgians. After holding the position for over 3 hours they started to make an orderly withdrawal. Burnside drove his men across the bridge and prepared to launch an assault heading towards the town of Sharpsburg. A lack

the “Bloody Lane” at the 150th Anti-etam/Sharpsburg Reenactment.

“ U.S. Cavalry Skirmishers Looking for Provisions ” Sunday, September 16th

11:00 a.m. The Union Cavalry, scouting ahead, encounter Confederate vedettes. They quickly push back the outnumbered Confederates. Reinforcements from both sides arrive and take the field in force. The two sides charge, reform and charge again. Horse drawn artillery takes the field on both sides trying to tip the scale. Sabers clash, pistols fire and cannons roar trying to claim the field. Come out on Sunday, September16th at 10:00 a.m. and experience this Cavalry engagement at the 150th Antietam/Sharpsburg Reenactment.


of ammunition delayed the attack while the Confederates gathered every avail-able artillery piece to defend what little they had left on their right. The thin grey line was pushed back to the edge of Sharpsburg. All looked to be lost until the arrival of A.P. Hill’s Light Divi-sion. After marching 17 miles from Harper’s Ferry, Hill’s Division arrived in 8 hours to save the day. Although tired, hot and thirsty, the men of the Light Division went into battle hitting the IX Corps on its flank and stalling their attack. They pushed them back towards the Antietam but were too spent to continue the attack.

sincere appreciation. All we can do now is try to return to some resem-blance of what life was like before all these difficult times began, al-though we know that things will never be ‘normal’ ever again. What I do know is that we’ll be looking forward to the 150th Antietam, and being able to see the members of the 7th MD once again. Thank you to everyone for your love and support, our words are simple, but the feelings behind them are more complicated than I hope some of you will ever be able to imagine.


were destroyed, fences scattered as if a tornado had swept them away, hun-dreds of acres of corn trampled down and devoured, and wreck, ruin and desolation meet the eye at every turn.” To look upon the battlefields 30 years after the war, however, was to see the marks of destruction had disappeared, Williams wrote in his book, pub-lished in 1906. “Several of the most conspicuous buildings in Sharpsburg including the old Lutheran and Epis-copal churches were greatly damaged by cannon balls. All these marks have disappeared,” he wrote. “The little Dunkard Church, which was so shat-tered that people could ride on horse-back through the breaches in its walls, has been repaired and painted so that all marks of the injuries it received have been obliterated.”


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