Events Calendar
January 16 - September 19
"Circuit of the Summer Hills: Mourning the Losses of the Civil War" - In his newspaper column, "A Bivouac of the Dead," Ambrose Bierce, who fought in the Civil War, conjures images of the extreme human losses during the conflict when he writes, "Give them, these blameless gentlemen, their rightful part in all the pomp that fills the circuit of the summer hills." This exhibition will reflect on how artists portrayed the war, both outright, as in portraits, as well as in the use of subtle iconography, such as the sunset over the "summer hills." Many of the paintings were produced shortly after the end of the war and can be read as responses to the atrocities of the Civil War and a desire to create a unified American identity to move the country forward while still mourning the loss of so many lives. Works of art such as "The Portrait of James Dixon Roman," by an unknown artist and "Mountain Gap," painted in 1875 by Adalbert Johann Volck (1828-1912), shown above, will be featured. This exhibition is co-curated by Dr. Elizabeth Johns and Assistant Curator, Jennifer Smith and is sponsored in part by Rest Haven Cemetery and Funeral Home.
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts
Hagerstown City Park
Hagerstown, MD 21741
(301) 739-5727
Website
August 1
Voted one of the top 60 paddling streams in North America by Canoe & Kayak Magazine editors, Antietam Creek is the perfect venue for recreational kayaking. Beyond its natural beauty, you will float under Burnside Bridge on Antietam Battlefield, one of the most famous sites in Civil War History. Our qualified instructor will give historical interpretation at the site, as well as help you navigate the riffles and ledges of this beginner whitewater stretch. After your trip, dinner will be served at the casual Stone Soup, a bistro-style restaurant featuring the area's best in local, fresh ingredients.
River & Trail Outfitters
604 Valley Road
Knoxville 21758
(888) 446-7529
Website
August 6
Every Friday from April 30 through September 3, a ranger will conduct an afternoon ranger program at 1 p.m. The programs will vary and will address various aspects of the Battle of South Mountain, the Civil War, and weapons and uniforms of the average soldier. Programs may also consist of tours of the battlefield from Washington Monument or a hike to Fox's Gap from Turner's Gap. Please come prepared with bottled water and comfortable shoes. Since these programs change weekly, please call the Battlefield Office for more detailed information at 301-432-8065.
Washington Monument State Park
Park Museum
(301) 432-8065
August 13
Every Friday from April 30 through September 3, a ranger will conduct an afternoon ranger program at 1 p.m. The programs will vary and will address various aspects of the Battle of South Mountain, the Civil War, and weapons and uniforms of the average soldier. Programs may also consist of tours of the battlefield from Washington Monument or a hike to Fox's Gap from Turner's Gap. Please come prepared with bottled water and comfortable shoes. Since these programs change weekly, please call the Battlefield Office for more detailed information at 301-432-8065.
Washington Monument State Park
Park Museum
(301) 432-8065
August 14 - 15
Join John A. Miller, interpreter at the South Mountain State Battlefield, as he conducts an hour long talk about Major General Robert E. Lee's second invasion of the North. The talk will cover South Mountain before and after the Battle of Gettysburg and will begin at 1 pm on August 14th and 15th at the Washington Monument Museum. Included will be a brief tour of the Cumberland Valley from atop the Washington Monument.
South Mountain State Battlefield
6620 Zittlestown Road
Middletown 21769
(301) 432-8065
August 20
Every Friday from April 30 through September 3, a ranger will conduct an afternoon ranger program at 1 p.m. The programs will vary and will address various aspects of the Battle of South Mountain, the Civil War, and weapons and uniforms of the average soldier. Programs may also consist of tours of the battlefield from Washington Monument or a hike to Fox's Gap from Turner's Gap. Please come prepared with bottled water and comfortable shoes. Since these programs change weekly, please call the Battlefield Office for more detailed information at 301-432-8065.
Washington Monument State Park
Park Museum
(301) 432-8065
August 21
Join the Monterey Pass Battlefield Association as they present “A Union Picket Post.” During the raids of 1864, the Confederate Army had many picket posts set up along South Mountain in order to observe Union troop movements. It was because of this that the Union Army set up their own picket posts. Talks will include the “Average Union Soldier" which will provide the spectator with information on those Union troops who served in the Department of the Susquehanna as well as a battlefield interpretive program entitled “The Raids of 1864” which resulted in the Battle of Monocacy and the burning of Chambersburg. Also included in this event will be “Gifts from Home”, a program given by the Citizens of the Cumberland Valley on how care packages were prepared by civilians during the Civil War and sent to soldiers in the field. This event opens to the public at 10:00 am and ends at 4:00 pm.
Hawley Memorial Presbyterian Church
Blue Ridge Summit, PA
August 27
Every Friday from April 30 through September 3, a ranger will conduct an afternoon ranger program at 1 p.m. The programs will vary and will address various aspects of the Battle of South Mountain, the Civil War, and weapons and uniforms of the average soldier. Programs may also consist of tours of the battlefield from Washington Monument or a hike to Fox's Gap from Turner's Gap. Please come prepared with bottled water and comfortable shoes. Since these programs change weekly, please call the Battlefield Office for more detailed information at 301-432-8065.
Washington Monument State Park
Park Museum
(301) 432-8065