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Education Philanthropy

Confederate “Greybacks” Donated

The Antietam Institute recently helped facilitate the donation of four Confederate notes to the Sharpsburgh Museum of History. We received an email in late April from Mr. Larry Lauer stating that he had a number of Confederate notes and wanted to donate them to an organization for preservation. The notes he had were $100, $50 $10 and $5. They were dated from 1861 ($50) 1862 ($100) 1863 ($5) and 1864 ($10).

Mr. Lauer said the the notes had been given to him by an aunt in 1965 when he was 16 years old. April 9th of that year was the centennial anniversary of the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox. The centennial was a “big deal nationally with lots of activities around it”, he stated. Mr. Lauer was very interested in the Civil War reading books by historian Bruce Catton, who wrote “A Stillness at Appomattox” and others. His aunt also gave him a few older books about the Civil War to encourage his interest. Mr. Lauer donated a 1965 5¢ Appomattox commemorative stamp as well. It was one of the five Civil War Centennial Series stamps issued between 1961 and 1965.

Although he is not a collector, Mr. Lauer researched the notes and said from his understanding the bills from 1861 ($50) and 1862 ($100) are rarer because fewer of them were printed then in the later war years. All of the bills were printed in Richmond on rice paper which is thin and brittle. They are hand signed by different people and some are numbered and dated by hand.

The Confederate paper money was called “Graybacks” to distinguish them from the Union bills which were called “Greenbacks”. When the Army of Northern Virginia marched north, they gave these “Graybacks” to locals when they confiscated food and live stock to support the army on the move. These payments were essentially worthless, because they could not be redeemed for gold until after the war. The Union armies did the same thing. Maryland, being a border state, had soldiers from both armies fighting and marching through the region throughout the war, so both “Graybacks” and “Greenbacks” were not uncommon in local areas.

Once the Confederate notes arrived, the Institute coordinated with Ed Beeler, Executive Director of the Sharpsburgh Museum of History, to receive them. The museum will display the notes in a new exhibit interpreting the Civil War that emphasizes the struggle and hardships the civilians of Sharpsburg faced during the war.

We want to thank Larry Lauer for his generous donation to the Sharpsburgh Museum of History and are thrilled that the Institute was able to assist in making this happen. We look forward to seeing the exhibit at the museum.

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Philanthropy

Scholarship Donation

In late, rainy September 2022, a small group of Princeton University Alumni came to the Antietam National Battlefield with a special guide, Professor James M. McPherson.  They have previously been on a tour of Gettysburg with Professor McPherson and at the end of that tour, McPherson answered their question of what battlefield should we tour next: Antietam was his immediate answer.  The group all stayed at Antietam Institute’s corporate member the Inn at Antietam, and for with owner Miriam Cunningham, it was a bit of reunion with the professor, having previously worked with McPherson at the American Historical Association.

Back Row: Stephen McMaster, Clayton Ramsey, Josh Pollack, Jimmy Teti
Front Row/Couch: Christina McMaster, Jim McPherson, Len Teti

Instead of taking a speaker’s fee, McPherson suggested that the group donate to an organization in his name.  They were all taken by the work done by the Institute, the conferences, the journals, the Brigades of Antietam book all being discussed and perused.  It was decided that they would help support the Institute’s scholarship at Shepherd University, generously donating $2000 which will be matched to the $2000 the Institute provides.  This scholarship was awarded for the first time to Kierstyn Williams in 2022.  The goal of the Institute to maintain this scholarship with Shepherd University and increase it as funding allows.  The scholarship is to encourage and inspire future study of the American Civil War and the Maryland Campaign.   The Institute thanked the groups for their generosity and commitment to the study of history. 

Professor James M. McPherson and Institute Board Member, Miriam Cunningham

If you would like to donate to the Institute’s scholarship fund, click on

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Philanthropy

Antietam Institute Donates Funds for Artillery Marker Refurbishment at Antietam National Battlefield

This past week we were honored to present Superintendent Susan Trail and the Antietam National Battlefield a $1,000.00 donation to support the refurbishment of the sixteen artillery display plaques that mark key artillery positions across the Antietam battlefield. 

(Photo: L-R Keith Snyder, Chris Vincent, Susan Trail, and Miriam Cunningham)

This donation was presented in accordance with our mission to encourage and foster the study of the Battle of Antietam and the 1862 Maryland Campaign.

As part of the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Antietam, the National Park Service in 2012, installed interpretive markers at sixteen locations where artillery batteries played significant roles in the fighting on September 17. The markers have been in place for twelve years and are showing much wear and tear from the elements.

Along with the Institute’s donation to refurbish the markers, Jim Rosebrock, author of The Artillery of Antietam and Institute Vice President, reviewed the narratives on the markers and suggested several updates which have been incorporated into the information that will be displayed on the new markers.  The updated markers are expected to be in place by the battle anniversary in September 2023. 

For more information on the artillery markers on the field: http://npshistory.com/brochures/anti/antietam-artillery.pdf

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Philanthropy

American Battlefield Trust donation for restoration of Antietam

Just before the 160th Anniversary of the Battle of Antietam the American Battlefield Trust transferred a 7.6 acre tract to the National Park Service. Many of you know this property as the Katie Poffenberger farm which lies just opposite the Visitor Center and south of the Dunker Church. The Trust had originally purchased this property in 2016. Since that time, many of you have assisted the Save Historic Antietam Foundation (SHAF) in clearing much of the non-historic trees out of the old pasture field.

Katie Poffenberger buildings (Staff photo)

This area is critical to understanding the fighting that took place there on September 17, 1862 around mid-day as men from the Union XII Corps held the ground just west of the Dunker Church. They would be force back by Confederates from Joseph Kershaw’s Brigade and then the 27th North Carolina and 3rd Arkansas regiments attacking across this field.

Map of the Battlefield of Antietam, Sept. 17th – 12:00-12:15PM (LoC)

On July 12, the Antietam Institute sent a $2,500 contribution to the American Battlefield Trust (ABT) specifically targeting removal of non-period structures on the Katie Poffenberger farm on the Antietam battlefield. The ABT had launched a campaign to raise funds for removal of structures from three different battlefields, one of which was this property at Antietam. The Institute’s donation was for 10% of the total cost of building removal and property reclamation for the Antietam Battlefield portion. The Finance Committee worked directly with Mr. Tom Moore, Lead Philanthropic Advisor for the ABT, who was most enthusiastic in receiving our donation. David Duncan, President of the Trust, sent a gracious letter thanking the Antietam Institute for its commitment and for working as a partner with shared preservation goals.

Historic photograph taken by Alexander Gardner following the Battle of Antietam, featuring the land transferred to the National Park Service. Huntington Library (ABT)

Even though this property belongs to the NPS, the ABT has committed to bringing it back to its wartime appearance. The removal of non-historic structures will be made possible through our donation and grants from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority and the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area.

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Philanthropy

Philanthropic Goals for 2022

The Antietam Institute Board of Directors approved its 2022 operating budget in February, including decisions for philanthropic donations. These donations will support the goals and objectives of the organization as found in our by-laws. The recipients for 2022 are:

  • The Burkittsville Preservation Association – The Antietam Institute presented a one-time $2,500 donation on February 26 toward restoration of the Willard Shafer farmhouse and barn. The Shafer House was the headquarters for Major General William B. Franklin, commander of the Union Sixth Corps on September 14, 1862 during the battle of Crampton’s Gap. Once restored, the circa 1830 farmhouse will house a museum dedicated to the Burkittsville area’s history during the Civil War. A video about the project produced by the Institute can be seen here
  • Town of Sharpsburg Interpretive Plaza – The Institute has committed to a $2,000 annual contribution for three consecutive years for the development of an interpretive plaza in the green space at the corner of Main and Church Streets. Initiated by the Town of Sharpsburg, this project will tell the story of Sharpsburg and the people who have lived there, even prior to the founding of the town in 1763.
  • Civil War Trails – the Institute has approved funding for a one-time $2,600 payment for development of a Civil War Trails – Antietam Campaign marker in a to-be-determined location. Adding to the existing 33 markers associated with the Antietam Campaign, the new interpretive site in or around Sharpsburg would enable visitors to learn something unique to the town or the battlefield.

Also, our goal of creating a scholarship has become a reality. In collaboration with Shepherd University Foundation and the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War (GTMC), we are excited to announce that the first annual Institute scholarship will be awarded this fall. The recipient will be recognized at our Fall Conference in October. Additionally, our internship program will continue into its second year. This year’s GTMC intern will assist our Digital Archive team in adding more digital copies of historical and contemporary material to our Historical Research Center.

Your dues allow the Institute to financially support bona fide historical efforts in education, preservation and research. Keep an eye out for future announcements!

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Philanthropy

Burkittsville Preservation Association Donation

Among the Antietam Institute’s objectives are the support of other groups and nonprofit organizations with goals related to ours. On February 26, 2022, members of the Antietam Institute Board of Directors were honored to present the Burkittsville Preservation Association with a check for $2500 to support the restoration of the Hamilton Willard Shafer Farm, site of Major General William Franklin’s Sixth Corps headquarters during the Battle of Crampton’s Gap on September 14, 1862. The pristine view from the farm is virtually the same that General Franklin would have found it 160 years ago.

Shafer House

The ultimate goal of the Burkittsville Preservation Association is to transform the farm into a center for the interpretation of the history, culture, and architecture of the Burkittsville community. The Antietam Institute looks forward to identifying other opportunities to support and encourage the preservation and interpretation of this historic property with our friends at the Burkittsville Preservation Association.

In the photo (l-r) are Mac Bryan and Jim Rosebrock from the Antietam Institute and Paul Gilligan, Karen Koch, and Ronald Dustin from the Burkittsville Preservation Association. Also present from the Antietam Institute were Jim Buchanan and Randy Short.

After the presentation, the members of the Institute were given a tour of the house and we had a chance to talk with Paul Gilligan, of the Burkittsville Preservation Association.