On June 16, Civil War historian and author, Sarah Kay Bierle will be discussing the subject of her up coming book during her talk – “Directed to Take Command”: Winfield S. Hancock & Antietam’s Sunken Road.
In the midst of the Federal attacks toward the Sunken Road on September 17, 1862, during the Battle of Antietam, the First Division of the Second Corps lost their commander, Major General Israel B. Richardson, at a critical point of their battle hopes and carnage. General McClellan personally directed Brigadier General Winfield S. Hancock to take command of the division. He rode into a tenuous battlefield situation and took charge of the largest command he had led up to that time. Hancock’s previous military experiences—both in peacetime and war—had been shaping his leadership style. As events unfolded at the heart of Antietam battlefield that day, Hancock met the challenges and dangers in ways that surprised the troops now under his command and yet obeyed the orders he had been given. This program will take a deeper look at Hancock’s life and leadership, the situation he inherited at Antietam, and his report of the actions and decisions in the aftermath of the capture of the Sunken Road.
Sarah Kay Bierle graduated from Thomas Edison State University with a BA in History and works in the Education Department at American Battlefield Trust. She has spent years exploring ways to share quality historical research in ways that will inform and inspire modern audiences, including school presentations, writing, battlefield tours, and speaking engagements. She has published five books, and her forthcoming books in 2025 are a biography of John Pelham published by Savas Beatie and a book about military decisions at Chancellorsville with the University of Tennessee Press. She is currently drafting a biography and leadership study about Winfield S. Hancock.
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 2025 schedule.
These indoors 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 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.