Antietam Muster Side-Trip(s) - Thursday Early Arrivals

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This is for Thursday - Early Arrivals - Our own James N. is going to do a WONDERFUL tour for us!

The golden yellow arrows and boxes at right show the route I intended to take plus the main stops (the boxes) on Thursday. The lighter yellow arrow and boxes would be a possible side trip for that Friday morning. In between the two is the route to the Kennedy Farm where John Brown planned his raid several months before; this *might* be worked in first thing on Thursday - a quick dash there and back the same way before setting out up 67 along South Mountain.

I've called the Maryland State Parks regional headquarters in Boonsboro (they administer most of the areas we would visit) and was told the good news that they had just reopened all facilities this past weekend! The only small problem is that they're understaffed and so no longer maintain personnel at all sites, but have what she termed a "ridge runner" between them. She also said that it's not until the END of October that park facilities close for the season, though she called October "off season", saying that because of that a ranger can probably give us a private presentation. I intend to send the person whose name she gave me an E-mail and try to make arrangements for that or at the very least to let us into the museums at Washington Monument and at Gapland in Crampton's Gap.

Before setting out Thursday morning I thought I might give a short description of the campaign in the War Room we always set up, or in the hotel lobby area. A side trip to the Kennedy Farm would only take a half-hour-round trip or so. I figure we can easily spend an hour or two at Gapland State Park and Burkettsville. Afterwards, before getting to Fox's and Turners' there's a creamery (with very good ice cream cups & cones!) near McClellan's headquarters outlook east of the gaps. Fox's has a trail to the N.C. Monument those ambulatory enough will no doubt want to take, plus the readily accessible monuments to Garland and Reno; I also want to give a talk about some of the more grisly aspects of the battle that happened here. I figure on at least about another hour or so here. You know there's little to see IN Turner's Gap, though the lady I talked with said they can probably open Dalghren Chapel for us if we're interested. Washington Monument would be last if things play out right, and probably take another hour or two, depending on the museum there I haven't actually seen. Of course South Mountain Inn opens for dinner on Thursdays at 5pm if that's where we decide to go. If for some reason we were to finish up before 5 at Washington Mon. we *might* run up Alt. US 40 to Hagerstown and visit the Rose Hill Cemetery where a lot of the Confederate dead from Antietam were ultimately buried.

The secondary side trip at left to Shepherdstown would visit several sites that are quite close together for the time allotted: The small battlefield and Boteler's Ford, about which I (or someone else) can describe pretty quickly there (this battle marked the end of the Antietam Campaign); the town cemetery containing more of the Confederate dead from Antietam, plus graves of Stonewall Jackson's aide and biographer Henry Kyd Douglas and at least a couple of Confederate Generals; just across the Potomac, Douglas' family estate Ferry Hill, an accessible NPS site; and a little up the road Grove Farm where Lincoln visited McClellan and they were photographed (a private residence - view at a distance from the road only); and a little farther in the outskirts of Sharpsburg, the site of Lee's headquarters for Antietam.

south-mountain-trip-jpg.jpg
 
This is for Thursday - Early Arrivals - Our own James N. is going to do a WONDERFUL tour for us!

The golden yellow arrows and boxes at right show the route I intended to take plus the main stops (the boxes) on Thursday. The lighter yellow arrow and boxes would be a possible side trip for that Friday morning. In between the two is the route to the Kennedy Farm where John Brown planned his raid several months before; this *might* be worked in first thing on Thursday - a quick dash there and back the same way before setting out up 67 along South Mountain.

I've called the Maryland State Parks regional headquarters in Boonsboro (they administer most of the areas we would visit) and was told the good news that they had just reopened all facilities this past weekend! The only small problem is that they're understaffed and so no longer maintain personnel at all sites, but have what she termed a "ridge runner" between them. She also said that it's not until the END of October that park facilities close for the season, though she called October "off season", saying that because of that a ranger can probably give us a private presentation. I intend to send the person whose name she gave me an E-mail and try to make arrangements for that or at the very least to let us into the museums at Washington Monument and at Gapland in Crampton's Gap.

Before setting out Thursday morning I thought I might give a short description of the campaign in the War Room we always set up, or in the hotel lobby area. A side trip to the Kennedy Farm would only take a half-hour-round trip or so. I figure we can easily spend an hour or two at Gapland State Park and Burkettsville. Afterwards, before getting to Fox's and Turners' there's a creamery (with very good ice cream cups & cones!) near McClellan's headquarters outlook east of the gaps. Fox's has a trail to the N.C. Monument those ambulatory enough will no doubt want to take, plus the readily accessible monuments to Garland and Reno; I also want to give a talk about some of the more grisly aspects of the battle that happened here. I figure on at least about another hour or so here. You know there's little to see IN Turner's Gap, though the lady I talked with said they can probably open Dalghren Chapel for us if we're interested. Washington Monument would be last if things play out right, and probably take another hour or two, depending on the museum there I haven't actually seen. Of course South Mountain Inn opens for dinner on Thursdays at 5pm if that's where we decide to go. If for some reason we were to finish up before 5 at Washington Mon. we *might* run up Alt. US 40 to Hagerstown and visit the Rose Hill Cemetery where a lot of the Confederate dead from Antietam were ultimately buried.

The secondary side trip at left to Shepherdstown would visit several sites that are quite close together for the time allotted: The small battlefield and Boteler's Ford, about which I (or someone else) can describe pretty quickly there (this battle marked the end of the Antietam Campaign); the town cemetery containing more of the Confederate dead from Antietam, plus graves of Stonewall Jackson's aide and biographer Henry Kyd Douglas and at least a couple of Confederate Generals; just across the Potomac, Douglas' family estate Ferry Hill, an accessible NPS site; and a little up the road Grove Farm where Lincoln visited McClellan and they were photographed (a private residence - view at a distance from the road only); and a little farther in the outskirts of Sharpsburg, the site of Lee's headquarters for Antietam.

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Wonderful news. I can't wait.
 
James N. Ill be happy to add on at Crampton's Gap. That's one battle I happen to know a little something about. :wink: Cobb's brigade you know. And it's small so I can keep up with who was where, generally when, and basically what they were doing.
Any idea how they traveled to Crampton's gap? I read something that they passed through Sandy Hook.
 
James N. count us in for both Thursday & Friday trips. I've never been to the South Mountain battle sites so really looking forward to this. Are you leading both the Sth Mountain and Shepherdstown trips.?
Yo James N. How early do you intend to start that Thursday and Friday morning campaign? I'm in. You're hitting the sites I wanted to hit.
James N. Ill be happy to add on at Crampton's Gap. That's one battle I happen to know a little something about. :wink: Cobb's brigade you know. And it's small so I can keep up with who was where, generally when, and basically what they were doing.
The information in the first post is the verbatim prospectus I submitted to Tina in order give an idea of what I'd like to do - nothing's written in stone at this point. I especially welcome additional input from other members like @lelliott19 - in fact, I'm hoping she would have pertinent information to relate about the hospitals at Keedysville as well, after her recent interesting thread on the subject! Others who feel competent to talk about various aspects of the battles there or even John Brown at the Kennedy Farm should speak up and volunteer (@Stone in the wall ?); otherwise, I'm afraid it's me all the way!

Unlike some previous Gatherings or Musters, this time Mike @mkyzzzrdet has made reservations for us at the venue in Charles Town so hopefully we will be able to get off to a reasonably early start for @bdtex. If the hotel is again offering breakfasts (@NH Civil War Gal ?) we could eat in one of the meeting rooms for a (hopefully - you know how I can be once I get an audience!) short orientation, then hit the road, probably first for the Kennedy Farm detour. I hope - but haven't investigated further as of yet - one of the Maryland Park rangers can meet us in the park at Gapland and give us a presentation there. There are no facilities at Keedysville or anything other than ice cream at the creamery but there should be some sort of convenience stores or fast-food facilities in Middletown where we can find some sort of lunch or snacks before hitting the "main attractions" of Fox's and Turner's Gaps and the Washington Monument.

You all will have to decide if South Mountain Inn is where we want to "wind up" and when; as noted elsewhere, it opens for dinner as early as five on Thursdays. If we do stop there as I'd prefer, it would involve a drive back to Charles Town on a yet-to-be-decided route, almost certainly in the dark.

As for Friday morning's side trip, it remains more of a suggestion pending on additional input from the organizers. In its favor, the locations I would visit are: 1) not very far from Charles Town, making it possible to go, see them, and return in time for the "official" opening of our event; 2) in a relatively compact area; and 3) all more or less directly related to the Antietam Campaign. IF we decide to do this, I would prefer another short breakfast orientation about the Shepherdstown battle before leaving our hotel.

I welcome suggestions and additions to the proposed schedule!
 
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When your done, Dennis Frye has several great books you might like on Harpers Ferry and Sharpsburg.
He was the Chief Historian at H-F, and President of Battlefields Preservation. Born locally, ancestors owned Poffenburger Farm at time of battle.

I've been watching some of his and Garry Adelman's Youtube video's. Really good and informative.
 
Important South Mountain Update!

I have just gotten off the phone with Maryland State Park Ranger/Supervisor Steve Robinson who has agreed to join us to conduct the tour! He will be meeting us at 10 am at Gapland State Park in Crampton's Gap to open the two small museums there plus describe the action and war correspondent George Alfred Townsend. In addition to my planned itinerary, he will also guide us to a farm site north of Turner's Gap recently-acquired by the National Trust and otherwise not yet interpreted or open to visitors where Meade's Division of Hooker's First Corps outflanked the Alabama Brigade of Robert Rodes! He also said he can make other stops along the route to point out sites of other incidents.
 
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Important South Mountain Update!

I have just gotten off the phone with Maryland State Park Ranger/Supervisor Steve Robinson who has agreed to join us to conduct the tour! He will be meeting us at 10 am at Gapland State Park in Crampton's Gap to open the two small museums there plus describe the action and war correspondent George Alfred Townsend. In addition to my planned itinerary, he will also guide us to a farm site north of Thornton's Gap recently-acquired by the National Trust and otherwise not yet interpreted or open to visitors where Meade's Division of Hooker's First Corps outflanked the Alabama Brigade of Robert Rodes! He also said he can make other stops along the route to point out sites of other incidents.
Outstanding!
 
Important South Mountain Update!

I have just gotten off the phone with Maryland State Park Ranger/Supervisor Steve Robinson who has agreed to join us to conduct the tour! He will be meeting us at 10 am at Gapland State Park in Crampton's Gap to open the two small museums there plus describe the action and war correspondent George Alfred Townsend. In addition to my planned itinerary, he will also guide us to a farm site north of Thornton's Gap recently-acquired by the National Trust and otherwise not yet interpreted or open to visitors where Meade's Division of Hooker's First Corps outflanked the Alabama Brigade of Robert Rodes! He also said he can make other stops along the route to point out sites of other incidents.
Excellent news!! Hat's off to you James :thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
In addition to my planned itinerary, he will also guide us to a farm site north of Thornton's Gap recently-acquired by the National Trust and otherwise not yet interpreted or open to visitors where Meade's Division of Hooker's First Corps outflanked the Alabama Brigade of Robert Rodes! He also said he can make other stops along the route to point out sites of other incidents.
James, just a little confused when you say Thornton's Gap , should this be Turners Gap. Only questioning it as I'm reading about it at the moment.
 
James, just a little confused when you say Thornton's Gap , should this be Turners Gap. Only questioning it as I'm reading about it at the moment.
Thanks for catching that; it's been corrected. I just relapsed back to Stonewall in the Shenandoah I suppose - Thornton's Gap is there in the Blue Ridge near Luray!
 
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Important South Mountain Update!

I have just gotten off the phone with Maryland State Park Ranger/Supervisor Steve Robinson who has agreed to join us to conduct the tour! He will be meeting us at 10 am at Gapland State Park in Crampton's Gap to open the two small museums there plus describe the action and war correspondent George Alfred Townsend. In addition to my planned itinerary, he will also guide us to a farm site north of Turner's Gap recently-acquired by the National Trust and otherwise not yet interpreted or open to visitors where Meade's Division of Hooker's First Corps outflanked the Alabama Brigade of Robert Rodes! He also said he can make other stops along the route to point out sites of other incidents.
Thanks James.
 
This all sounds great. Being new to all this I set up my plans to arrive Friday and then changed them to Thursday. So as we get closer maybe I can get your number NH Civil War Gal so I can catch up with the group. I should be there by lunch Thursday. Since I'll still be in the area Monday maybe I'll go see what I missed. Then I head south to see my kids in TN with Civil War stops and driving the parkway on the way. Next muster I'll plan to come earlier.
 
the town cemetery containing more of the Confederate dead from Antietam, plus graves of Stonewall Jackson's aide and biographer Henry Kyd Douglas and at least a couple of Confederate Generals;
That was already very high on my list.
 
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