Stonewall Jackson – Antietam Institute

Slaughter along a Stone Wall: Gregg’s South Carolina Brigade during the Maryland Campaign – Benjamin L. Cwayna

As Lee’s victorious army pivoted away from the bloody field at Manassas and crossed over the Potomac, a simmering feud between Stonewall Jackson and his staff on one side and A.P. Hill and his South Carolina Brigade on the other, took center stage. Multiple arrests, accusations, innuendo, and other high drama played out as the army approached its most critical fight of the war along the banks of the Antietam. With so much on the line that Fall, egos and critical decisions both on and off the field would help define a campaign and set in motion a series of events that saved Lee’s army in an obscure 40-acre cornfield. Join us on August 3, as Benjamin L. Cwayna presents – “Slaughter along a Stone Wall: Gregg’s South Carolina Brigade during the Maryland Campaign.“

Benjamin L. Cwayna is an attorney in private practice and a prominent leader in the Civil War reenacting and living history community. For many years, Ben commanded the 12th South Carolina/4th Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Inc., a nationally recognized reenacting organization. He has been featured on the “Addressing Gettysburg Podcast” with Matt Callery. He has dedicated his life to preserving the memory of the Civil War through living history demonstrations, presentations, and tours on numerous battlefields. A graduate of Michigan State University and Michigan State University College of Law, Benjamin resides with his son, Grant, in Grand Ledge, Michigan. An active member of the community, Cwayna is a member and past president of the Grand Ledge Rotary Club, a volunteer coach, and participant in numerous other civic organizations. Ben is the author of The Invincible Twelfth: The 12th South Carolina Infantry of the Gregg-McGowan Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. published by Savas Beatie in 2025.

Come join leading historians and scholars as they discuss intriguing topics about their latest works and research on the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War during our Civil War Summer Lecture Series. See the complete 2026 schedule.

These indoor programs are held in McKinley Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. The church is located at 209W Main Street with a small parking area off the alley. More parking is available on Main and Hall Streets. These lectures are free and open to the public. Each week, we hold a drawing in which the proceeds support the Save Historic Antietam Foundation. Be sure to check our Facebook page for updates and changes to the schedule.

The Most Terrible Experience during the War: Stonewall Jackson’s Winter Campaign to Bath, Hancock, and Romney – Timothy R. Snyder

On July 27, local author Timothy R. Snyder will take a critical look at Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s controversial Bath-Romney Campaign, conducted in the winter of 1862. During the expedition, Jackson failed to achieve his objectives. Severe winter weather, an aggressive Union commander, and disgruntlement from a large portion of his command thwarted his plans. In the end, the Confederate high command intervened and reversed Jackson’s troop dispositions, which caused him to resign. The presentation will examine Jackson’s preparations and leadership during the campaign and the soundness of his decision to leave the majority of his army at Romney.

Timothy R. Snyder has a master’s degree in history from Shippensburg University. He is the author of Trembling in the Balance: the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal during the Civil War, which was published in 2011, and his most recent book, Stonewall Jackson’s Winter Operations: The Raids Against the C&O Canal and the Bath-Romney Campaign, which was published this year by Savas Beatie. He lives in Hagerstown, MD.