October 3-5, 2025
The Antietam Institute is proud to host our fifth annual Fall Conference. This year’s theme is “Beyond the Battle: Civilians, Casualties, and Remembering the Bloodiest Day in American History” – a three-day event with a focus on the aftermath of the battle from the civilians and veterans’ perspective.
Friday afternoon and evening feature three exciting speakers, an informal reception and dinner together, and the keynote address by When Hell Came to Sharpsburg author Steve Cowie; Saturday includes all-day Antietam battlefield excursions, lunch at the Park, and dinner and speaker afterward; and the conference will conclude on Sunday after two additional field excursions that morning.
Two dinners and a lunch are included in the full conference registration fee and all participants will receive a detailed information booklet with maps and other illustrative materials.
The indoor events of the conference on Friday and on Saturday evening will be held in the Storer Ballroom in the Student Center on the campus of Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV, with Saturday and Sunday’s outdoor excursions at Antietam National Battlefield Park and in the nearby towns of Sharpsburg and Shepherdstown.
Outdoor excursions will involve considerable walking over sometimes irregular, hilly terrain.
Antietam Institute merchandise will be available for sale on Friday from 12:30 to 8:00 pm and Saturday from 5:00 to 6:30 pm. We are also taking orders for the new Antietam Institute fleece jackets and the popular Institute rain jackets. Fill out the order form at the merchandise table.
Registration opens on April 12.
This is a members-only event and advance registration is required: members must login before registering online.
Space is limited, so register early! There will be room for only 70 participants on each of the Saturday and Sunday outdoor excursions, with space for 125 attendees at the Friday talks indoors.
The complete Conference fee is $350 and partial-conference options are available.
Conference Schedule
Friday October 3
12:30 – 1:20 pm Registration/Check-in at the Storer Ballroom in the Student Center, Shepherd University [google map]. Parking available in Lots A, B, and C.
1:20 Welcome and Introductions
1:30–2:30 “One Vast Hospital: The Advances of Medical Care Before and During the Maryland Campaign” – Tracy McIntire
On September 18th over 23,000 American casualties lay scattered in the fields, valleys, and hills in Washington County. Army and civilian volunteers established hospitals in houses and barns here in Washington County and beyond. One newspaper account described nearby Frederick as “one vast hospital.” This talk will focus on the state of medicine and care prior to the battle, and how one man’s plan helped guide the response of doctors, nurses, and other caregivers on September 17th.
2:30-3:30 “A Most Disagreeable Task: Burial of the Dead” –
Steven Stotelmyer
During the Civil War, the treatment of soldiers killed in action largely depended on which army held the battlefield after the guns fell silent. At Antietam, that responsibility fell to the United States Army of the Potomac. Under the best of circumstances, it was not pleasant duty, and Antietam certainly was not representative of the best of circumstances. Union dead were buried first, usually by friends and comrades. Consequently, many Union dead retained their identities. After the “Boys in Blue” were laid to rest, the burial details turned their attention to the enemy. At Antietam, whole regiments were put to work burying the Confederate dead. To prevent the spread of disease the Union burial details lined up the dead Confederates and mostly buried them where they fell. The Union burial details didn’t know them and much less didn’t care; they had friends and comrades killed by these men. Consequently, a large percentage of the Confederate dead remain unknown. Steve’s talk will focus on the treatment of the battlefield dead, the recently discovered Elliot map, the creation of the Antietam National Cemetery, and its Confederate counterpart in Hagerstown.
3:30–4:30 “Memory in Bronze and Stone: Monuments at Antietam National Battlefield ” – Brian Baracz
Primarily built by veterans of the battle and states to commemorate their sacrifices here, the monuments are typically located where the troops fought during the battle. There are ninety-six monuments at Antietam. Learn about the stories behind some of these monuments.
4:30–5:30 Informal Reception/Authors book sale
Authors include Steve Stotelmyer, Brad Gottfried, Jim Rosebrock, Steve Cowie, and John Schildt.
5:30–6:30 Dinner
6:30–7:30 Keynote Address – “”A Sad Spectacle of Death and Destruction:” The Battle of Antietam and Its Impact on Sharpsburg Village” – Steve Cowie
The town of Sharpsburg suffered terrible hardships before, during, and after the battle. Artillery fire ravaged the village, while military forces plundered homes, converted churches into hospitals, and spread deadly diseases to the townsfolk. This presentation investigates how the battle and its aftermath wreaked emotional, physical, and financial havoc on the residents of Sharpsburg village—ordinary folk thrust into harrowing circumstances—who struggled for years to recover from their devastating losses.
Saturday October 4
8:30–9:00 am Meet at the Visitor Center overflow parking lot, Antietam National Battlefield [google map].
Attendees will be divided into three groups, one for each tour. Groups will switch tours at noon after lunch, and again at 2:00 pm.
9:00 am-11:00 am, 12:00-2:00 pm, and 2:00-4:00 pm Battlefield Excursions
“Courage Under Fire: The Impact of Antietam on the Civilians of Sharpsburg” – Tom Clemens
On September 14, 1862, Sharpsburg resident, Theresa Kretzer wrote, “The people were too frightened. We’d go out the front door and stand waiting to see what would be next to come”. The Battle of Antietam came next. Dr. Tom Clemens will lead a walking tour thru downtown Sharpsburg. We will visit a number of houses that were here during the battle and discuss the families that lived there and their experiences on America’s Bloodiest Day. Highlights include visiting the “War Wounds House” (Gloss/Boyer), Tolson’s Chapel, the Kretzer house and the German Reformed Church.
“”Thousands of poor, suffering dying men”: Hospitals of Antietam” – Dana Shoaf
“Thousands of poor, suffering dying men,” Maj. William Child, a surgeon in the 5th New Hampshire wrote this in a letter to his wife, after witnessing the carnage at Antietam.
In less than 12 hours, more than 17,000 soldiers were wounded at the Battle of Antietam, a mass casualty event that would tax even our modern healthcare system. This tour will visit the sites of four post-battle hospitals, some rarely visited, and discuss the successes and failures of the system Surgeon Jonathan Letterman developed for the Army of the Potomac to improve the efficiency of the removal and care of the wounded. Numerous primary accounts by surgeons and patients will bring life and human interest to the tour.
“Ravages of War: Farmsteads of Antietam” – Chris Vincent
The opening of Ken Burns epic documentary series, “The Civil War” began with, “homes became headquarters, American churches and schoolhouses sheltered the dying, and huge foraging armies swept across American farms and burned American towns. Americans slaughtered one another wholesale, right here in America in their own cornfields and peach orchards, along familiar roads and by waters with old American names.”
No where was this truer than here at Sharpsburg. The battle was only one day but for the civilians living in the wake of this man-made disaster, the effects of the battle lasted for weeks, months, and even years. During this excursion we will visit some of the farmsteads to understand what it was like for the Millers, Poffenbergers, Mummas, Pipers, and others that lived through the bloodiest day in American history.
11:00–noon Lunch at the Visitor Center overflow parking lot, Antietam National Battlefield
5:30–6:30 Dinner at Shepherd University’s Storer Ballroom
6:30 State of the Institute – Chris Vincent
7:00 “The New Visitors Center Film: Behind the Scenes” – Keith Snyder
Keith Snyder, retired Chief of Resource Education and Visitor Services presents a program on the making of the park film “Remembering Antietam.” Keith served as one of the executive producers for the 25-minute production. The three-year project was filmed both inside and outside the park. It premiered on Veterans Day 2024 and is shown in the visitor center theater every day.
Sunday October 5
9:00 am Meet at Ferry Hill Place [google map]
Attendees will be divided into two groups, one for each tour. Groups will switch tours after 2 hours.
9:00 am–11:00 am and 11:00 – 1:00 pm Field excursions
“Shepherdstown: One Vast Hospital” – Kevin Pawlak
Wounded soldiers by the thousands escaped the horrors of the Antietam battlefield and sought refuge in the private homes and public buildings of Shepherdstown. Though miles from the battlefield, the small town’s population multiplied, bringing war’s awfulness to Shepherdstown’s civilians. This tour will tell the harrowing story of wounded Confederate soldiers and the townspeople who struggled to save the lives of the Confederate casualties of America’s bloodiest day.
“Following Lincoln’s Footsteps” – Dennis Frye
President Lincoln wondered. How would the victory at Antietam manifest? What should come next? Lincoln had ideas. To ensure Gen. McClellan understood the President’s intentions, Lincoln came to visit the Union commander during the first week of October 1862. Sites associated with Lincoln’s sojourn remain today. We will follow in Lincoln’s footsteps and discuss this transformative time in Civil War history.
1:00 Wrap-up session
Keynote Speaker
Steven Cowie earned a degree from California State University, Long Beach. As part of the Los Angeles film industry, he wrote spec screenplays and sold his award-winning short film Lola to the Sundance Channel. A lifelong student of the Civil War, Cowie dedicated fifteen years to researching the Battle of Antietam and its impact on civilians. He has written for Civil War Times, North & South Magazine, and The Antietam Journal, and he is the author of When Hell Came to Sharpsburg.
Speakers & Tour Leaders
Brian Baracz is a ranger at Antietam National Battlefield with over 20 years of experience at the park. Over the years, he has written many articles, on a wide range of topics regarding the Maryland Campaign. Brian received his degree in history from UMBC. He grew up in Cleveland, OH and now lives in Frederick, MD.
Dr. Tom Clemens holds a Doctorate in College Education-History from George Mason University, Professor Emeritus from Hagerstown Community College. He is a Tour guide for the Maryland Campaign for the past 30 years. Tom is the Editor of Ezra Carman’s Maryland Campaign of September 1862, 3 Vols. 2010, 2012, 2016. Author of numerous essays and magazine articles, appeared in several documentary films as on-screen historian, including the orientation film in the NPS Visitor Center. Tom has just completed The Carman Papers: The Maryland Campaign of 1862, the correspondence between Antietam veterans and Ezra A. Carman which is expected to be available this fall.
Dennis E. Frye is the author of 11 books and 129 articles and is Chief Historian Emeritus for his more than three decades of leadership at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Dennis’ most recent books have been award-winners. Confluence: Harpers Ferry as Destiny and his title Harpers Ferry Under Fire have been acclaimed for original scholarship, stimulating writing and provocative interpretation. Dennis’ work in Antietam Shadows: Mystery, Myth & Machination has earned a reputation for questioning the conventional wisdom of the 1862 invasion. Dennis is a leading preservationist and is a co-founder and past president of today’s American Battlefield Trust and co-founder and first president of the Save Historic Antietam Foundation (SHAF). Dennis has led battlefield tours for the Smithsonian, National Geographic, the New York Times and dozens of academic institutions and Civil War organizations. Dennis also has made numerous appearances on national television in programs featuring Antietam, Harpers Ferry and John Brown.
Kevin Pawlak is a Historic Site Manager for the Prince William County Historic Preservation Division. He is on the board of Directors for the Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association, Save Historic Antietam Foundation, and of the Antietam Institute. Kevin Pawlak is an Antietam Battlefield Guide and editor of The Antietam Journal. He is the author of seven books on the Civil War including, Shepherdstown in the Civil War: One Vast Confederate Hospital and the co-author of To Hazard All: A Guide to the Maryland Campaign.
Tracey McIntire earned her BA in English at Rivier College in Nashua, NH. She is Lead Educator at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, site manager of the Pry House Field Hospital Museum, and an interpretive volunteer at Antietam National Battlefield. She is also an active Civil War living historian, where she portrays a woman soldier in various guises.
Keith Snyder has worked for the National Park Service since 1985 at four National Parks. He recently retired as the Chief of Resource Education and Visitor Services at Antietam National Battlefield. He is a graduate of Shepherd University and received his master’s degree from the U. S. Army War College. He retired from the United States Air Force and Air National Guard in 2016 after 40 years of service.
Dana Shoaf is the Director of Interpretation at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. Prior to joining the museum in November 2023, he served for 15 years as the editor of Civil War Times magazine. He has spent his life pursuing his historical passions. After graduate school, he began his career working for Time-Life, Inc., as a writer and researcher on the Voices of the Civil War series and has published articles and essays on Civil War topics. His most recent essay, “Let the Son of a Bitch Die”: An Abandoned Graveyard Reveals a Sad Story of Murder, was published in Final Resting Places: Reflections on the Meaning of Civil War Graves by the University of Georgia Press. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, Shoaf has been interviewed on National Public Radio and appeared on C-Span. He also gives battlefield tours and has led tours for Gettysburg College’s Civil War Institute. He and his wife are currently restoring a stone house built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, where they reside with three indulged cats and a doted-upon dog. Dana received his B.A and M.A. in history from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and undertook Ph.D. work at Kent State University.
Steven R. Stotelmyer is a native of Hagerstown, Maryland. He first visited Antietam National Battlefield as a child and has been fascinated with it ever since. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Frostburg State College and a Master of Arts from Hood College in Frederick, MD. Before retirement, he was employed as a teacher, surveyor, and civil engineer. In 1989 Stotelmyer was a founding member of the Central Maryland Heritage League, a non-profit land trust which helped preserve some of the South Mountain Battlefield. During his tenure with CMHL he discovered significant information regarding the Battle of South Mountain and the Legend of Wise’s Well. This led to the publication of The Bivouacs of the Dead: The Story of Those Who Died at Antietam and South Mountain (Toomey Press, 1992). In 2019 Stotelmyer authored Too Useful To Sacrifice, Reconsidering George B. McClellan’s Generalship in the Maryland Campaign from South Mountain to Antietam (Savas Beatie, 2019). Recently Steve wrote From Frederick To Sharpsburg; People, Places, and Events of the Maryland Campaign before Antietam (Antietam Institute, 2023). Currently, Steve is a National Park Service Volunteer as well as a NPS Certified Antietam and South Mountain Battlefield Tour Guide.
Christopher Vincent retired after a 24-year career in the U.S. Army as a senior non-commissioned officer with light infantry units including combat tours during Operation Desert Storm and Kosovo with the 10th Mountain Division. He earned a master’s degree in Military History from the American Military University. Chris was drawn to Sharpsburg because his great-great-grandfather served during the Maryland Campaign with the 132nd Pennsylvania Volunteer infantry Regiment. He and his wife Amy also own two businesses in Sharpsburg. His research is primarily focused on the farmsteads of Antietam and the impact the campaign had on the civilians of Sharpsburg. Chris was certified as an Antietam National Battlefield Guide in 2015 and has served as the Chief Guide since 2019. Chris was the founder of the Antietam Institute and served as president from 2021-2025.
Accomodations
The following establishments are convenient to the battlefield:
Inn at Antietam (Sharpsburg)
Jacob Rohrbach Inn (Sharpsburg)
The Bavarian Inn (Shepherdstown)
Thomas Shepherd Inn (Shepherdstown)