“...a set of farm buildings in our front were set on fire to prevent them being made use of by the enemy.”Confederate General Roswell S. Ripley 
Stop 1 - Mumma FarmThe story of the Mumma and Roulette families demonstrates how they, as well as others in the community, suffered severely when the opposing armies converged on Sharpsburg.
Before the battle, Samuel and Elizabeth Mumma and their ten children fled the farm. As dawn broke on September 17, 1862, Confederate commanders feared Federal soldiers might capture the Mumma Farm and use the buildings as cover to fire at their men. Because of this, soldiers from North Carolina were instructed to set the home on fire. Throughout the morning of the battle, combatants from both sides wrote of the smoke and fire billowing from the home. To receive compensation from the government, families had to prove that the damage suffered was caused by Union soldiers. Since the fire was started by Confederates, the Mummas received no money for their losses. With the help of other local families, the Mummas rebuilt their home and continued to live on their 186 acre farm until they sold it in 1885. Over the years it changed hands a few more times until the National Park Service purchased the property in 1961. The trail continues at the outbuildings, heading east toward the Roulette Farm |
Last updated: February 20, 2021