Spring Battlefield Hikes

Date: March 8, 2012
Contact: Antietam Battlefield, 301 432-5124

March

Saturday, 17^th, Battlefield Hike- "He Like a Soldier Fell" Irish Brigade at Antietam- Meet the ranger at the New York State Monument, for a two hour, two mile hike. The program will begin at 1:30 pm and will explore the role of the Irish Brigade at Antietam.

Sunday, 25^th, Battlefield Hike- "Seven Hours' Continuous Fighting" George Greene's Division at Antietam- March 2012, marks the 150^th Anniversary of the monumental clash between the U.S.S. Monitor and the U.S.S. Merrimack. Commander of the Federal XII Corps at Antietam, Gen. Joseph Mansfield, observed the epic naval battle while XII Corps division commander, Gen. George Greene's son, Lt. Samuel Dana Greene commanded the U.S.S. Monitor that fateful day.Join the ranger at the visitor center for this two hour, two mile walk that will explore the role of Greene's Division at Antietam. The hike will begin at 1:30 pm.

Saturday, 31^st, Battlefield Hike-The Opening Guns- This hike will be a study of the role artillery played on the morning of battle. Meet the ranger at the visitor center at 1:30 pm. This hike will last approximately two hours.

April

Sunday, 8^th, Battlefield Hike-"The Terrible Nature of the Conflict" Lawton & Early at Antietam- In the spring of 1862, Gen. Stonewall Jackson captured headlines with his brilliant string of victories in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. While the famed Stonewall Division received much historical attention, this hike will focus on Jackson's other hard-fighting division, under Alexander Lawton and the role these soldiers played at Antietam. Meet the ranger at the visitor center at 1:30 pm. The program will cover about two miles and will last two hours.

Saturday, 14^th, Battlefield Hike- "Met with a Tremendous Volley" French's Division at the Sunken Road-Meet the ranger at the visitor center at 1:30 pm for this two hour, two mile hike.The program will explore the role of French's Division in their costly struggle for the Sunken Road.

Sunday, 22^nd, Battlefield Hike- "An Obstinate and Sanguinary Contest" Burnside and the Ninth Corps at Antietam- From February to June of 1862, Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside orchestrated a brilliant, independent land/sea operation campaign along the shores of North Carolina.Many of the units that fought under Burnside in the Tar Heel State also served under him at Antietam, assaulted the famed Lower Bridge, and later participated in the final attacks of the day.Join the ranger at Stop 9, Lower Bridge, for this two hour, two mile hike which begins at 1:30 pm.

Sunday, 29^th, All Day Battlefield Hike- This hike will cover the whole field in two parts. Meet the rangers behind the visitor center at 9:30 a.m. for the morning hike which will explore the Cornfield, West Woods, and Sunken Road.Following a lunch break, the afternoon hike will begin at Auto Tour Stop #9, The Lower Bridge, at 1:30 p.m. This hike will cover the Union attempts to capture the bridge, as well as the final attack on the Confederate line.The program will conclude near the bridge at approximately 4:30 p.m. The morning hike is 3 miles and the afternoon 2.5 miles.