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

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.
Rose Hill Cemetery is not officially on the unofficial itinerary?
 
Rose Hill Cemetery is not officially on the unofficial itinerary?
I wrote that and I'd purposefully left it variable, depending solely on when we finish up at Washington Monument State Park. South Mountain Inn opens at 5 PM for dinner, but if we finish around then and the majority don't mind travelling on to Boonsboro it's fine with me if we're a little later dining. It probably wouldn't take long at all to visit the cemetery - if I can find it quickly!
 
I wrote that and I'd purposefully left it variable, depending solely on when we finish up at Washington Monument State Park. South Mountain Inn opens at 5 PM for dinner, but if we finish around then and the majority don't mind travelling on to Boonsboro it's fine with me if we're a little later dining. It probably wouldn't take long at all to visit the cemetery - if I can find it quickly!
I may go there Wednesday afternoon if I arrive early enough. One way or another, I'll visit it on this trip.
 
This morning (9-21-21) I just received this follow-up E-mail response:

Hello Mr. Neel,

I still have your group on my calendar for October 7. The itinerary of meeting at Gathland State Park at 10:00 am, and then visiting Fox's Gap, Turner's Gap, and Washington Monument is still good. Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns or changes. Otherwise, I look forward to meeting you on the 7th.

Steve


mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.png
Steve Robertson
Park Ranger
South Mountain Recreation Area
Department of Natural Resources
21843 National Pike
Boonsboro, Maryland 21713
[email protected]
(301)791-4656
Website | Facebook | Twitter
 
Could you possibly post the itinerary for Thursday as it stands now? I'm having trouble keeping up.
It's the same as always with the exception that we'll "play by ear" inclusion of the Kennedy Farm and Hagerstown (side trips to the side trip :D) and the tour will be led by Maryland State Parks Ranger Steve Robertson who is more knowledgeable about the battle than I am. He also knows a place near the gaps where we can eat lunch so no other plans are necessary.

... 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. [T]here's little to see IN Turner's Gap, though ... 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.

I still need to contact South Mountain Inn about dinner reservations.
 
It's the same as always with the exception that we'll "play by ear" inclusion of the Kennedy Farm and Hagerstown (side trips to the side trip :D) and the tour will be led by Maryland State Parks Ranger Steve Robertson who is more knowledgeable about the battle than I am. He also knows a place near the gaps where we can eat lunch so no other plans are necessary.

... 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. [T]here's little to see IN Turner's Gap, though ... 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.

I still need to contact South Mountain Inn about dinner reservations.
Thank you James. What time would we need to leave on Thursday morning? Harpers Ferry is Friday morning right?
 
Thank you James. What time would we need to leave on Thursday morning? Harpers Ferry is Friday morning right?
No, according to Tina the ferry is AFTER we meet for the "official" kick-off at 1 pm. I want to leave ASAP on Thursday (8-8:30-ish) and that's why the detour to the Kennedy Farm is to be decided.
 
No, according to Tina the ferry is AFTER we meet for the "official" kick-off at 1 pm. I want to leave ASAP on Thursday (8-8:30-ish) and that's why the detour to the Kennedy Farm is to be decided.
Ok. In the Official Muster thread it says this:

"Friday, October 8th​: (optional)

James N. We will be at Harpers Ferry but I will be back at the hotel to check people in for the Official Start! I have tons of maps and goody bags to give out!"

So you will not be at Harpers Ferry on Friday morning?
 
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.

View attachment 404016
I just printed that map. The right side is Thursday and the left side is Friday morning. Got it.
 
Ok. In the Official Muster thread it says this:

"Friday, October 8th​: (optional)

James N. We will be at Harpers Ferry but I will be back at the hotel to check people in for the Official Start! I have tons of maps and goody bags to give out!"

So you will not be at Harpers Ferry on Friday morning?
I too am confused by @NH Civil War Gal Tina's schedule for Friday and thought she was going to decide about that and let me/us know. Since the original plan is to go there Friday afternoon after the Official Start, I had originally suggested going to Shepherdstown Friday morning instead. Tina?
 
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