Planning Underway For 145th Anniversaries of Battles of South Mountain
and Antietam, Scheduled for 2007
Western Maryland Heritage Foundation To Commemorate 145th Battle
Anniversaries
Reenactment of South Mountain & Antietam Battles Planned
(BOONSBORO, MD) - Planning is now underway for the 145th Anniversary
Reenactment of the Battles of South Mountain and Antietam. The Western
Maryland Heritage Foundation (WMHF) is hosting the event the weekend of
September 7-9, 2007, in Boonsboro, Maryland.
"September Storm - The War Comes To Maryland" will recreate ****tions of
the battles of South Mountain and Antietam. Thousands of reenactors are
expected to participate in the weekend-long event, sponsored by the
Hagerstown-Wa****ngton County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).
"Remembering our history and heritage is im****tant," said CVB President
and CEO Tom Riford. "The CVB is pleased to be involved in the planning
and financial sup****t of this 145th Anniversary event. We think that
the anniversary reenactments will not only be successful,
but will achieve positive awareness of the Maryland Campaign of 1862."
"South Mountain Battlefield State Park was Maryland's first battlefield
state park and includes several national historic monuments and
markers. Antietam is known as the bloodiest single-day in American
history and the battlefield is known as America's most pristine
battlefield," Riford said.
The WMHF, the CVB, and employees of South Mountain State Battlefield
are working together to plan historically accurate yet safe battlefield
depictions that will serve to educate the public while honoring the
veterans who served so bravely during that tumultuous time in our
Nation's past.
"Our focus on high quality programming will ensure that we accurately
depict the sacrifices made on our behalf," said Chris Anders, Chairman
of WMHF. "Too often we forget just what our forefathers did to preserve
the liberties we enjoy today and those our children will
enjoy tomorrow."
By commemorating both the Battle of South Mountain and the Battle of
Antietam, the event will depict more of the Maryland Campaign of 1862.
"For years, the significance of the Battle of South Mountain has been
overshadowed by the larger and more well-known Battle of Antietam,"
said Assistant Manager of South Mountain State Battlefield Al Preston.
"Now more people are starting to recognize that this battle was the
turning point of the Maryland Campaign. There is a new awareness for
the Battles of South Mountain and Antietam as the real High Tide of the
Confederacy."
Commemorative events for the Battle of South Mountain are planned at
South Mountain State Battlefield for Friday, September 7, 2007, leading
up to the reenactment on September 8 and 9, 2007. Commemorative events
for the Battle of Antietam are scheduled to take place at Antietam
National Battlefield September 14 through the 17.
"September Storm - The War Comes To Maryland" is completely a volunteer
effort. All proceeds will benefit preservation and interpretation of
the South Mountain State Battlefield. WMHF has hosted many events in
the past, including the Summer of '62 Reenactment last
year, and the 140th Anniversary Reenactment of Monocacy in 2004.
The Maryland Campaign of 1862 was the Confederates' first invasion of
the North. This move onto Northern soil resulted in the Battle of South
Mountain, fought September 14, 1862, and culminated in the Battle of
Antietam, three days later on September 17, 1862. Over 29,000 Americans
fell as casualties of these actions and the Confederate troops
retreated back onto Southern soil. The American Civil War continued for
several more years until Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in
1865.
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For further updates on this event and information about the
Hagerstown-Wa****ngton County Convention and Visitors Bureau, go to
www.marylandmemories.com.
For more information about the Western Maryland Heritage Foundation,
headquartered in historic Boonsboro, Maryland, got to www.wmhf.org or
call 301-432-0103.
For more information about the South Mountain State Battlefield Park,
go to
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/western/southmountain.html.
For more information about Antietam National Battlefield, go to
www.nps.gov/anti.
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