Antietam Battlefield Guides is very pleased to announce that Daniel Vermilya, one of our battlefield guides, has been named the first recipient of Save Historic Antietam Foundation’s Dr. Joseph L. Harsh Memorial Scholarship award. This award was created in honor of the late historian, Dr. Joseph L. Harsh, a man whose work on Antietam has redefined how many understand the battle and the campaign. Dan, who also works as a seasonal ranger at Antietam, will be researching the strength, composition, and experience of the Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Antietam.

We would also like to congratulate Susan Rosenvold of the Pry House Field Hospital Museum on being awarded the Save Historic Antietam Foundation (SHAF) Sesquicentennial Award for Scholarship. Susan will be conducting research on the areas where Clara Barton worked during the Battle of Antietam. These two research projects, funded by SHAF, will lead to presentations by each award recipient at a SHAF seminar on Antietam on September 8, 2012. Please join us in congratulating Dan and Susan. We look forward to their research on these important Antietam topics. The press release from SHAF for these awards can be found below:

Save Historic Antietam Foundation Inc. (SHAF) is proud to announce the recipient of its first Dr. Joseph L. Harsh Memorial Scholarship.  The winner’s research will be presented at a free seminar at Antietam National Battlefield sponsored by SHAF on September 8, 2012.  This award was created in honor of Dr. Harsh, a professor at George Mason University, an award-winning author on Confederate strategy in the Maryland Campaign and member of SHAF.  The purpose of the Scholarship is to further knowledge on the battle of Antietam and Maryland Campaign, and is open to all applicants.  The first award recipient is Daniel Joseph Vermilya of Kirtland, Ohio.  Dan is a seasonal ranger at Antietam National Battlefield. His topic will be “The Strength, Composition, and Experience of the Army of the Potomac at the battle of Antietam,” which will also be submitted to SHAF as a publishable article.   Dan’s research will be based on primary sources, and will be conducted extensively at the Antietam Battlefield library and the National Archives.

            There were several very strong applications, and the selection process was quite difficult.  After long deliberation the selection committee decided to also fund a proposal by Susan Rosenvold, the Director of Operations and Education, Pry House Field Hospital Museum at Antietam National Battlefield.  Susan is an authority on the life and services of Clara Barton, and her proposal was to identify and locate the places on and around the Antietam Battlefield where Barton worked and cared for the wounded.  Susan listed an impressive number of sources she intends to consult to complete her project, and she, too, will present her findings at the SHAF Seminar in September.  The results of her research will also be published.   Because of the merits of her proposal and the experience she brings to the project the selection committee decided to award Susan a special SHAF Sesquicentennial Award for Scholarship. 

Additional information on the research papers and the free September 8, 2012 Antietam seminar will be posted this spring on SHAF’s website (www.shaf.org).

Further information can be obtained from Tom Clemens, President of SHAF, 301-432-2522 or at Antietam@verizon.net.