I have had a passion for the American Civil War since I was twelve years old when I watched the movie Glory for the first time. Ever since that moment I wanted to connect with the lives of the soldiers who lived during America’s Civil War. Being a native Marylander it was fascinating to learn about how the soldiers from across the nation gathered near a rural farming town located in my home state to fight the bloodiest single day in American history. Ten years after I first watched Glory, I became an intern at Antietam National Battlefield when I graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor’s degree in history.

I worked at Antietam for eleven months and spoke to over 1,000 visitors during my programs there. This experience gave me the opportunity connect visitors to the battlefield itself and share the personal stories of those who fought, died, and survived. From the early hours of The Cornfield that saw one casualty every second, to the tragic slaughter in the West Woods, to the simultaneous attacks of Bloody Lane and Burnside Bridge. These locations are incredible to see in person and after seeing them with my own eyes I was inspired to research other factors about the battle. For example, how did the terrain impact the fighting, what information did the commanders know as the events unfolded and how did these events influence the outcome of the Maryland Campaign?

It would be my honor to be your guide on one of the battlefields that changed the course of American history forever and to visit these locations to see how the events unfolded where they happened, explain why they happened, and honor the memory of those who experienced one of the deadliest battles in United States history.