Baltimore Heritage

The desperate fighting at the Battle of Antietam in Sharpsburg Maryland on September 17, 1862 remains the bloodiest day in American history with 23,000 casualties. The fighting also became a turning point in American history – giving President Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation that changed the course and aim of the war. We are thrilled that Mr. Nicholas Redding, the still-relatively-new executive director of Preservation Maryland and a Civil War historian, has agreed to lead a tour of Maryland’s most pristine battlefield: Antietam. This caravan tour will visit the key sites of the battle, explore the often untold preservation story of the dramatic landscape, and conclude with a visit to the National Cemetery. For the full Civil War enthusiasts, Mr. Redding will also lead an optional trip to the site where Lincoln met with General George B. McClellan and posed for the now infamous photo (above).

We’ll begin the tour at the National Park Service visitor center (5831 Dunker Church Rd, Sharpsburg, MD) at 10 am and conclude at 12:30 pm. Antietam is located approximately an hour and a half from downtown Baltimore. Participants should bring a bottle of water and wear comfortable clothing and shoes for a little walking at each stop.