Honor Guard – Antietam Institute

The third annual appreciation event for members at the Honor Guard/Lifetime ($1,000) level was held on August 19. Antietam Park Ranger Keith Snyder kicked off the event with a walking tour of the Antietam National Cemetery. Keith led us on remarkable walk thru the National Cemetery recounting its history and stories of some of America’s fallen heroes buried there. To thank Keith for an unforgettable day we presented him with a copy of Scott Hartwig’s new book, I Dread the Thought of the Place: The Battle of Antietam and the End of the Maryland Campaign. After the program, we wandered next door to the Inn at Antietam for some food, wine, and fellowship. The Inn is owned by one of the Institute’s Corporate Members.

Committee Chair, Laura Marfut introduces Park Ranger Keith Snyder for the start of the Cemetery program.

Keith points out the grave of Fireman Patrick Howard Roy, USN. Killed by terrorists in October, 2000 while serving aboard the Navy ship USS Cole. Patrick grew up in Keedysville, Maryland, just a few miles away. Although the cemetery closed in 1953, Roy’s family was given special permission to bury him here. He was only19 years old.

May A. Lundberg from West Virginia. She was a nurse during WWI, and is the only female veteran buried in Antietam National Cemetery.

Keith discusses how the soldiers were buried on the field after the battle. Using one of the Alexander Gardner photos of the Burnside Bridge, Keith identifies four New York soldiers that were reinterned into the cemetery.

Keith talked about Private Austin G. Michael who enlisted in the Maryland National Guard on June 5, 1917 and arrived in France on June 15, 1918 with the Blue and Gray 29th Division, Company “B” of the 115 infantry Regt. He was Killed in Action during combat operations in the Center Sector, Meuse-Argonne, France, on October 17, 1918, just ten days short of his 20th birthday.

Of the 4,776 Union graves at Antietam National Cemetery, 1,836 or 38 percent of the dead remain unidentified. More than 250 post-Civil War dead are also buried here. Veterans and their spouses from the Spanish American War, World War I and II, and the Korean War. We want to thank Keith for an excellent program.

Members gathered for a reception at the Inn at Antietam, one of our corporate members.

Institute President, Chris Vincent provided a brief state of the institute to the members and upcoming events, publications and philanthropic projects.

It was a wonderful time at the Inn at Antietam. Thanks to Miriam, Will & HAMISH, their dog.

The second annual appreciation event for members at the Honor Guard/Lifetime ($1,000) level was held on September 10. Noted historian and author Kevin Pawlak kicked off the event with a tour of the Battle of Shepherdstown. The excursion included a stop at the Osbourne Farm, an historic property encompassing the majority of the battlefield, yet rarely seen by the public and only recently rescued from developers. Wine, food and music at Antietam Creek Vineyards, located along the final attack route on Branch Avenue and owned by one of the Institute’s Corporate Sponsors, followed the tour.

Starting the tour at Ferry Hill Place, the childhood home of Henry Kyd Douglas

Kevin Pawlak provided an excellent tour of the Battle of Shepherdstown and the conclusion of the Maryland Campaign. Here are some highlights of the tour at the Shepherdstown Ford and the Osbourne Farm.

Group photo at the Osbourne Farm
L to R: Bill Lowe, Lucas Cade, Mike Crume, Darin & Jan Wipperman, Erin Short, Chris Vincent, Jim Rosebrock. Jim Buchanan, Kevin Pawlak, Laura & Ed Marfut, Joe Stahl, and Sharon Murray. Randy Short photographer. Also attending the event at the winery were Miriam Cunningham, Amy Vincent and Julie Cade

It was a wonderful time at Antietam Creek Vineyards. Thanks to Joan, George and Kim.