Hope
Cpt. James Hope
NPS – Antietam National Battlefield
After the incredibly bloody and brutal Battle of Antietam, Captain James Hope of the 2nd Vermont Infantry was positioned near the high plateau which the Antietam Visitor Center sits on today. From this position, Hope had an amazing 360 degree view of the aftermath of the Battle. A professional artist, Hope would sketch the scenes that he saw. Years after the war he would recreate them in a series of paintings that offer us so much more than period photographs ever could. After falling into neglect after his death, the National Park Service was able to purchase and save Hope’s wonderful paintings. They have been on display in the Antietam Visitor Center ever since. On your next visit to the Battlefield take the time to quietly study these large, powerful images, and see through the eyes of a veteran who witnessed the scenes first hand.
“Aftermath at Bloody Lane”
NPS – Antietam National Battlefield
“A Fateful Turn”
NPS – Antietam National Battlefield
Anniversary Weekend 2012: the 150th!
Over the past weekend, the Rangers, Volunteers, and Guides at Antietam National Battlefield were heavily involved in the events and programs of Antietam’s 150th Anniversary. I am sure I can speak for all when I say it was something that we will never forget. Excellent care was taken to provide visitors with a perfect mix of education and entertainment, without ever sacrificing the dignity and honor due to such a place as Antietam, and on such an occasion. Truly fantastic. We hope you enjoyed your visit, and had a chance to meet all of our guides while you were out and about the battlefield. We look forward to seeing you again very soon.
Below is a video of the first artillery shots on Monday, September 17, 2012, during the 6:30am Ranger lead “Cornfield Walk”. Involved in the firing of one of the cannon were Antietam Guide Jim Rosebrock, and Guide candidates Jim Buchanan and Dave Maher. Note how the roar of the cannon keeps rolling long after the guns had fired. Visitors, and Rangers, in the Cornfield at that moment commented on how powerful and moving the walk was, especially with the added acoustics of artillery; just as it would have been 150 years before.
150 Years Ago…
Antietam Battlefield – Sept. 17, 2010
photo by David R. Maher
…just north of the Pennsylvania border, Louis Richards was encamped with the 2nd Pennsylvania Emergency Militia. In the early morning hours, he could hear, “A dull gruff belch, at irregular intervals, accompanied by a sense of concussion, [which] told the story of the distant conflict. This inspired strange and solemn feelings. Human lives were being offered up as a sacrifice upon the altar of our country, and thousands of homes would sit in dread suspense until it should be known upon whom the fatal blows had fallen.”
In the rolling farmland of western Maryland, two American armies waged brutal war on each other. After 12 hours of combat, the day finally came to a merciful end, and 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing; America’s bloodiest single day.
The “dull gruff belch” of artillery has long passed, and today we gather on and off of the Antietam Battlefield to remember those who have gone before us, in our country’s darkest days.
Welcome to the official site for the Antietam Battlefield Guide Association. The Antietam Guides are a group of historians dedicated to providing outstanding interpretive tours of the Antietam Battlefield, as well as other sites related to the Maryland Campaign of 1862. The Antietam Guides are booked through the Antietam National Battlefield Museum Store. This site offers a listing of our battlefield guides, as well as updates about our programs, what our guides are up to, and information about Antietam National Battlefield. We hope to see you at the park soon!
Antietam Battlefield Guides 