Heart of the Civil War

Culture & Cocktails: The Many Faces of the Miller House
2025-06-14 18:00 UTC | Miller House Museum, 135 W Washington St, Hagerstown, MD, 21740, United States
Join the Washington County Historical Society in celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the Miller House at a special fundraising Culture & Cocktails on Saturday, June 14, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.
WCHS Curator Abigail Koontz will present, “The Many Faces of the Miller House,” a historical talk to celebrate the Miller House 200th that will share an overview of the Miller House’s many residents and eras, from the original Price family in 1825, to the house’s “Lost Years” of the Civil War, and to the present.
This C&C event will take place outside in the Miller House Garden. Doors open at 5:00 PM. Live acoustic music, raffle baskets, and refreshments will be offered in the Miller House Garden leading up to the talk. Talk begins at 6:00 PM.
The drink of the evening will be Dr. Victor Miller Jr.’s “Miller House Punch,” a recipe from the WCHS archives!
The C&C program is generously sponsored by the James & Mary Schurz Foundation. Tickets are $55.20 per person. Please register at the link.
Special Note: WCHS Culture & Cocktails programs typically occur on the 2nd Friday of each month; however, this special C&C fundraiser will take place on a Saturday evening in the Miller House Garden. Rain date will be scheduled for the following Saturday, June 21, at the same time. Ticket proceeds will entirely support the 200th Anniversary Miller House Capital Campaign.

One Vast Hospital – Civil War Walking Tour in Downtown Frederick
2025-06-14 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-06-08 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-06-07 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-06-01 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-05-31 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-05-25 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-05-24 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-05-18 10:30 - 12:00 and 12 more dates | National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick, 21701, United States
Saturdays and Sundays from April through September
Walk in the footsteps of doctors, nurses, soldiers and civilians who cared for 8,000 wounded soldiers in Downtown Frederick.
Join NMCWM docents for a walking tour of Downtown Frederick focused on the city’s role as a makeshift hospital in the final months of 1862 every Saturday (10:30 a.m.) and Sunday (2:00 p.m.) from April through September.
Tickets are $15 and include admission to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in addition to the walking tour. Tickets are free for Museum members, but you must still reserve your spot. Reservations will be accepted on a first come first served basis.
In September 1862, a newspaper correspondent from the Philadelphia Inquirer referred to Frederick as “one vast hospital.” In the aftermath of America’s bloodiest day at Antietam on September 17, 1862, over 8,000 wounded soldiers, Union and Confederate, were brought to make-shift hospital wards in Frederick’s churches, schools, hotels, and private homes. From the diaries and letters of the surgeons, soldiers, and civilians who were there, this guided walking tour will explore the locations of the city’s Civil War hospitals in churches, schools, and public buildings. Many of those same buildings still make up the historic district today.

Summer Lecture Series: Soldiers from the 29th Mass - Joe Stahl and Matt Borders
2025-06-09 19:00 - 20:00 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 W Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD, 21782, United States
Who were the 29th Massachusetts? How did they end up with the Irish Brigade at Antietam? We will look into several of the individual soldiers and their stories. Who were these men fighting alongside the New York Irish? How did they do at Antietam? What impacted their fight? Looking at the images of these soldiers you will see the faces of men who were there on September 17, 1862. Join the Antietam Institute on June 9 to hear author and battlefield guides, Joe Stahl and Matt Borders present – Soldiers from the 29th Massachusetts, the forgotten Irish Brigade Regiment.
A graduate of Michigan State and Eastern Michigan University, Matthew Borders holds a BA in United States History with a focus in the American Civil War and a MS in Historic Preservation. Following graduation he taught at Kalamazoo Valley Community College before accepting a position with the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program. He worked as the historian for the ABPP for six years, during which time he became a certified battlefield guide at Antietam National Battlefield and Harpers Ferry National Historic Site. He is also the President of the Frederick County Civil War Round Table and a founding member of the Antietam Institute.
Joseph W. Stahl grew up in St. Louis and received BS, MS, and MBA degrees from Missouri University of Science and Technology and Washington University. After retiring from the Institute for Defense Analyses, he became a volunteer and NPS Licensed Battlefield Guide at Antietam and Harpers Ferry. Joe has authored more than two dozen articles and is co-author of several books, including: Identification Discs of Union Soldiers in the Civil War, Faces of Union Soldiers at Antietam, Faces of Union Soldiers at South Mountain and Harpers Ferry and the Faces of Union Soldiers at Fredericksburg.
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 the Antietam Institute’s 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 the Antietam Institute holds a drawing in which the proceeds support the Save Historic Antietam Foundation. Be sure to check their Facebook page for updates and changes to the schedule.

The Warrior Identity: Union Veterans, Civil Commitment, and Survivor Obligation
2025-06-07 15:00 - 16:00 | National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick, 21701, United States
Join the National Museum of Civil War Medicine for their Saturday Speaker Series. Dr. Stephen A. Goldman, author of the groundbreaking book, “One More War to Fight: Union Veterans’ Battle for Equality through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Lost Cause,” will discuss how, over four incredible years, raw Northern volunteers evolved into professional soldiers and sailors to rival the finest in the world. In a process that continues to this day, pride in their comrades and units, and what they endured and accomplished together, constituted major components of an evolving, powerful warrior identity.
Stephen A. Goldman, M.D. is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, a historian who has treated and worked with those who have been to war, and the only physician to serve on the Abraham Lincoln Institute Board of Directors.
This presentation is free with museum admission.

Summer Lecture Series - "The Final Attack at Antietam" - Robert M. Dunkerly
2025-06-02 19:00 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 W Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD, 21782, United States
The Antietam Institute is kicking off the 10th season of the Civil War Lecture Series on June 2nd with first-time speaker – Robert M. Dunkley speaking on “The Final Attack at Antietam.” The fighting at the lower part of the Antietam battlefield has long been neglected by historians and preservationists. This program explores how the final attack and counterattack unfolded, using eyewitness accounts and terrain analysis. We will also discuss the area’s preservation history, and why it has been overlooked.
Robert M. (Bert) Dunkerly is a historian, award-winning author, and speaker who is actively involved in historic preservation and research. He holds a degree in History from St. Vincent College and a Masters in Historic Preservation from Middle Tennessee State University. He has worked at fourteen historic sites, written over a dozen books, and numerous scholarly articles. His research includes archaeology, colonial life, military history, and historic commemoration. He is a past President of the Richmond Civil War Round Table, and serves on the Preservation Commission for the American Revolution Round Table-Richmond. He has taught courses at Central Virginia Community College, the University of Richmond, and the Virginia Historical Society. Dunkerly is currently a Park Ranger at Richmond National Battlefield Park. He has visited over 500 battlefields and over 1000 historic sites worldwide. He enjoys exploring local bookstores, battlefields, and breweries, not necessarily in that order. Bert’s upcoming book is “The Lower Battlefield of Antietam: The Final Attack” published by History Press.
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 the Antietam Institute’s 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.

Frederick in the Civil War: A Bus Tour of the Historic City
2025-06-01 14:00 - 17:00 | National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick, 21701, United States
Step back in time aboard a vintage 1966 double-decker bus for a fascinating one-hour journey through Downtown Frederick, exploring the city’s critical role in the Civil War and the evolution of battlefield medicine.
Departing from the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, this guided tour is led by a professional docent who will share gripping stories of local hospitals, heroic caregivers, and the medical innovations that emerged from wartime necessity. As you roll through historic streets and landmarks, you’ll gain insight into the challenges faced by doctors, nurses, and soldiers alike during one of the most pivotal periods in American history.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
Explore Frederick’s Civil War history through a medical lens aboard a restored 1966 double-decker bus
Hear expert narration from a professional museum docent
Visit key sites where wounded soldiers were treated
A unique educational experience in the heart of historic Frederick
Every ticket includes admission to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine
DEPARTS FROM: The National Museum of Civil War Medicine
TICKET PRICE: $39 per person (includes admission to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine)
HOW TO BOOK: Spots are limited — join for an unforgettable ride through the past — where history meets healing.

Tour Event Test
2025-05-06 08:00 - 17:00 | Brewer’s Alley Restaurant and Brewery, 124 North Market Street, Frederick, 21701, United States
This is a test of making a “Tour” category event.

Gravesite Dedication Ceremony
2025-05-03 11:00 - 12:30 | St. Lukes Winters Lutheran Church, 701 Green Valley Rd, New Windsor, MD, 21776, United States
William Wagner of Uniontown, MD was wounded and captured at the battle of Chancellorsville, VA. The 3rd MD Regiment of Civil War Reenactors are commemorating his service to our great nation today.
The dedication ceremony is free and open to the public. Please RSVP by April 20, 2025 to Lisa Woolfson at 443-762-1260.

Academy Alive
2025-04-28 - 2025-05-03 | Seton Shrine, 339 S Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD, 21727, United States
Monday April 28 through Saturday May 3
Encounter historical interpreters, many of whom portray actual students from Mother Seton’s time! Don’t be shy: you are encouraged to speak with them, but don’t be surprised if their knowledge doesn’t exceed the year 1818.
-Learn how to become a historical interpreter and take on a character of your own creation!
-Try on costume pieces and learn how to deliver a monologue.
-Try our hands-on demonstration of knitting and cross stitch
-Play outdoor recreational games of the past!
-Discover places of the past by exploring maps and drawing them.
-Play some games with our Junior History Interpreters as they teach you how to have “recreation” at Mother Seton’s school.
Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for ages 7-18, age 6 and under are free. Please register at the website link above.

Event test two
2025-03-04 - 2025-03-31

Event test one
2025-03-04 - 2025-03-31
