About Me

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I am a lifelong student of military history with particular interest in the Battle of Antietam. I work for the federal government in Washington DC and have two young adult children who I love very much. I currently volunteer at Antietam and devote much time to the study of this battle and the Maryland Campaign. I enjoy collecting notable contemporary quotations by and about the men of Antietam. Since 2013 I have been conducting in depth research on the regular artillery companies of the Union Army and their leaders. I hope to turn this into a book on this subject in the future. My perspective comes from a 28-year career in the U.S. Army. Travels took me to World War II battlefields in Europe and the Pacific where American valor ended the tyranny of Nazism and Empire. But our country faced its own greatest challenge 80 years earlier during the Civil War. And it was the critical late summer of 1862, when Robert E. Lee launched the Maryland Campaign. It is an incredible story of drama, carnage, bravery, and missed opportunities that culminated around the fields and woodlots of peaceful Sharpsburg MD. So join me as I make this journey South from the North Woods.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Antietam Snowstorm

An early winter storm dumped several inches of snow on the Sharpsburg Maryland area yesterday in the midst of the annual luminary preparations. This photo was taken while the snow was flying on Smoketown Road looking south at the East Woods. The plowed field and pasture north of the Cornfield are to the right.
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3 comments:

  1. Dylan HydeDecember 6, 2009 at 11:44 AM

    Great shot, Jim. I found myself thinking yesterday about how magnificent the field must look in the snow. Thanks for sharing! I was also very happy that the illumination went ahead, as planned. Many thanks to all the volunteers for making that happen. All under a bright moon, too. What a night.

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  2. Jim BuchananDecember 6, 2009 at 1:22 PM

    I was out on the field for only two and a half hours and nearly froze my feet off. My awe and thanks to those volunteers who were out much longer struggling to place and light candles. Job well done!

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  3. Jim RosebrockDecember 8, 2009 at 8:39 PM

    The snow sure made it beautiful. I had a tour with a professor and two very interested and enthusiastic students from WVU. I have never given my opening talk behind the Visitor's Center in a driving snowstorm - that is until Saturday. A beautiful day. The volunteers were stalwart working through the weather to create the beautiful effect of the luminaries. Thanks to them and the Antietam Battlefield Rangers for their great effort.

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