Specialty Tour (3 hours): Specialty tours are standalone tours that are well researched and offer a very specific and detailed topic. They generally do not cover an overview of the entire battle/campaign like our standard tours do.

1-10 people: $120.00

11-29 people: $220.00

30+ people: $265.00

The Farmsteads of Antietam: Chris Vincent

The Antietam National Battlefield is said to be one of the most pristine and beautifully restored Civil War battlefields. When you look across the landscape little has changed since that fateful day of September 17, 1862. The preserved fence lines, fields and woodlots help us understand the ebb and flow of the battle. The details of the Battle of Antietam are well known to students of the Civil War, but as you survey the battlefield, you see scattered across the countryside the proof that battles are not fought in a vacuum. Several farmsteads dot the landscape as well. We tend to forget about the civilians that were caught up in the events swirling around the homes where for generations families lived, worked, played, and died.  Who were the Poffenbergers, Millers, Pipers and Otto’s? What did the farmstead look like? What happened to the families and their farms?

During this 3-hour guided tour of the historic Farmsteads of Antietam, visitors will learn about the families, their history, the farmsteads and how they recovered from the battle.

Civil War Sharpsburg: Chris Vincent, John Schildt

The residents of Sharpsburg not only witnessed the bloodiest day in American history, but they faced the day-to-day hardships on their doorstep for duration of the Civil War. Before the war, the Sharpsburg was thriving community of merchants, clerks, labors, farmers, and several canal men. Many of those who called it home were of English, German, Scots Irish, and Swiss descent, as well as Methodist, Lutheran, and Dunkers. They were caught up in the social, economic, and political issues of the time.  Sharpsburg became a hotbed of turmoil during the Civil War. Three major military campaigns would pass through the region, almost ¾ million soldiers. The Union garrisons in the area lead to numbers of small unit incursions by the combatants. For the civilians living in the wake of these man-made disasters, the effects of the military actions lasted weeks, months and even years. During this 3-hour guided tour of historic Sharpsburg, visitors will learn about the residents of Sharpsburg, examine how tragedy and hardship touched their lives, discuss how the impact the battle and the war effected the civilians, reflect on their experiences, and see the legacy of can still be seen today.

Antietam’s Bloody Cornfield: Brad Gottfried

Antietam’s Cornfield was among the bloodiest areas in American history. Over 25,000 troops fought for this ground for over two and a half-hours, resulting in almost 8,500 casualties. The field changed hands at least five times during that period. The actions here are so complex that they warrant a separate tour.

This three-hour specialty tour will begin with a drive to the North Woods to review George McClellan’s and Joseph Hooker’s attack plans. A brief stop at the Miller farm will examine the topography, and the tour will follow the route of James Ricketts’ movements to the contested areas. The remainder of the tour will be on foot to see and hear about the fighting in and around the Cornfield. Among the areas visited will be: the initial Confederate positions on both sides of Hagerstown Pike and a thorough description of the fighting in the Cornfield/East Woods. The tour route will also venture across Hagerstown Pike to discuss the fighting between a portion of Doubleday’s division and the Stonewall Division. The site of Joseph Mansfield’s mortal wounding will also be visited. The tour will make use of maps, photos, and other graphics to fully illustrate the action, units, and soldiers who fought here.