"Traveling to Antietam, questions" Topic

What are my options rail and flightwise? I'm guesing I would end up in DC and have to drive down?

In August a new monument is being dedicated to the University Greys and I want to attend the ceremony.

Where are you coming from?

I gather you are across the pond from us. Unfortunately rail travel in the U.S. blows, so best bet would be to fly in to DC and drive down, there a several battle fields along the interstate you could visit-Fredericksburg,Petersburg, Bull Run. You should also try and tie the trip into Historicon-our largest show of the year being held in Fredericksburg this year July 19th-21.

You can also fly into Baltimore, smaller airport with less hassle. Rental car is pretty much required out that way, train service anywhere outside the DC to Philly route is spotty at best (might not even exist)

There is a regional airport in Hagerstown, MD. I imagine it would cost a bit more to fly into there, but it would save you an hour's driving. Plus to get to avoid the Beltway.

I'd go for Baltimore over Dulles if at all possible – MUCH quicker to get through Immigration on most occasions I've experienced.

The Fredericksburg and Petersburg Battlefields are south of the DC area.Antietam is to the Northwest of the city. Depending on your airport arrival, you would travel quiet a bit out of your way to visit them if you are going up to Antietam. However, on the main routes to Antietam you pass directly by the Monacacy Battlefield and depending on route, Harpers Ferry. Also Gettysburg is relatively close. I live north of DC and have several times done the circuit of Monacay – Gettysburg – Antietam – Harpers Ferry in a single long day.

I don't know of any public transport options for you once you are on the ground here. But, if you rent a car and drive, it is definitely an easy 1 to 1.5 hour drive to Sharpsburg Maryland from Dulles Airport with no beltway driving required. Fredericksburg and Petersburg are the opposite direction from DC (both are well to the south with usually very thick traffic getting there) but if you want to see other Civil War sites, Manassas is close to Dulles. Gettysburg and Harpers Ferry are both easy drives from Antietam as well (about an hour to Gettysburg and half an hour to Harpers Ferry).

Opps, dangit, I'm from Mississippi

Baltimore is the better airport if you are going to visit Antietem and Gettysburg. Don't use DC unless you have no other choice.

DAF is absolutely correct. BWI is faster and with fewer hassles. It's also an easier drive to Antietam.

nochules is correct that Hagerstown is more expensive, but unless you've driven in the area, or simliar locations like the 105 in LA, Boston, or NYC – don't ruin your trip by putting yourself in that stress.

It is possible to get fairly close to Antietem by train. The old Norfolk & Western line through town has been freight only for decades, but the nearby former Baltimore & Ohio line still carries passengers for both Amtrak and for MARC (commuter rail) through Harpers Ferry. The problem is that you are probably going to have to get to the rail line from the airport, hope they are running a train that is remotely close to putting you in Harpers Ferry when you want to be there, and then you are going to have to rent a car to make the last few miles to Sharpsburg. It would be far easier to fly in and then rent a car to get out there.

As to where to fly into, I prefer Dulles over Baltimore Washington International, but reasonable minds can differ. Avoid Washington National. It is good for downtown DC and close in suburban travelers, but for someone headed NW Dulles is closer and BWI has better access to roads headed in that direction. If your family wants to do DC while you are headed to Sharpsburg, disregard this comment.

Where to stay is trickier. Parking might be an issue depending on what is going on when you visit Antietem, so staying local might have advantages. Problem is that Antietem battlefield is a little too big to walk. My son and I found it to be about the right size to visit by bike. If parking isn't going to be a problem, you might want to consider Frederick or Hagerstown MD or Leesburg VA or possibly Gettysburg PA as the motel choices may be better.

I'll join the chorus saying avoid Washington National Airport. If you come into Baltimore Washington you can rent a car and drive a bit north to 695, head west, hook up to US 70 West and head on the Hagerstown (about 1 1/4 hour drive). Follow the signs to Sharpsburg and you will be going right down the Funkstown Pike.

If you fly into Dulles, also an excellent choice, you can head out towards Leesburg, take Rt 15 across the river to Rt40 West. That will take you through the South Mountain battlefield. Follow the signs towards Boonsboro and on the Sharpsburg.

As for places to stay. Frederick is a good sized city with plenty of places to say and an outstanding museum of Civil War medicine (also close to the Monacacy battlefield). Hagerstown is closer and has plenty of inexpensive places to stay. Eat at the Schmankerl Stube restaurant if you like German food.

Harpers Ferry is worth the visit while you are there. The drive is about 40 minutes, but the directions are a bit tricky.

I could go on. As you can guess, I have been to Antietam a couple of times. Hope this helps.

Bwi is the best way to get to Frederick, Hagerstown and Antietam via I70 West.

Hagerstown has plenty of Hotels and Motels and restaurants.
Frederick is a better location to go to Antietam, Gettysburg, Monocacy, Leesburg, Manassas and Harpers Ferry. If you need a guide at Antietam, call the bookstore at 1-866-461-5180 and get a guide through them.

I think the best place to stay for Antietam is the "Inn at Antietam,"in the town of
Sharpsburg.

Beautiful battlefield. Still pretty much the way it was during the battle.With the exception of the tower in the Bloody Lane..

Bob

If you have the time, consider flying into Baltimore, then taking AMTRAK to Harrisburg, PA. You can rent a car there and tour the National Civil War Museum:

nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

It's then a short drive (about 3-45 minutes depending upon traffic) down to Gettysburg.

From there, you can travel about an hour (again, depending upon traffic, etc) down to Antietam.

If you want, Harper's Ferry is another half hour or so south, and then it's on to Frederick and the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.

civilwarmed.org

Thus, it's fly into Baltimore, take Amtrak to Harrisburg from the Airport terminal station ($63-$118 one way depending upon which train you select) and work your way south over a few days visiting Museums plus Gettysburg, Antietam and Harper's Ferry.

It's very doable, with plenty of places to stay and easy driving through some beautiful countryside.

Afterward, you can drop the car off in Frederick, and take the train up to Baltimore, or drive back to Baltimore Airport and drop it off there. Many options for you to consider.

Yes, the battlefield is in great shape. Note how shallow the sunken road in Bloody Lane is. Imagine crouching or laying in it for hours. Note also how the thing is in a dip in the ground, and how close the skyline is in the Union direction.

Imagine lots of frustrated, angry Yankees on that skyline and you'll see why the Confederate reinforcements got shot to bits trying to get into the lane. The Union men could pick off the new troops without exposing themselves to fire from the front line.

It's the sort of terrain detail rarely modeled on the table top.

It's the sort of terrain detail rarely modeled on the table top.

That's probably because it's very tough to do correctly. The topography of Antietam is up and down in all directions, and that makes it very tough to fully capture without making terrain specifically for that particular fight.

Here's a sample that shows the dramatic elevation changes near Burnside's Bridge:

As for traveling there once you are in the area, I much prefer coming from the south on Rte 15, heading west to Harpers Ferry and coming through Shepardstown. It gives you a feel for the time, that you lose coming via Interstate from BWI.

I visited the park about 5 years ago on a business trip to Roanoke, VA. I flew into RR Int. and drove about 45 min to Sharpsburg. It was a bad day for touring the field as it was very overcast and a bit foggy. My boss and I paid a $50 USD (total) fee for a tour and I'll say it was money very well spent. I wish I could remember the gentleman's name, but he was just that- a gentleman and he knew the history of the battle very well. When I am at Gettysburg next summer I plan on paying for a tour as well. Be sure to visit the cemetery as it holds some fascinating history. Enjoy your visit.

Do NOT TRUST GPS to get you to Petersburg if that is an option. It will take you to 5 Forks which isn't bad but not much to see. Petersburg requires map reading. The POI in most GPSes is wrong.

Sharpburg is a great battlefield. Enjoy it!

I flew into RR Int. and drove about 45 min to Sharpsburg.

I'd love to see how you did that! It's around 70 miles from Ronald Reagan/National Airport to Sharpsburg by the shortest/quickest route according to Mapquest! You'd have to driving over 90 mph to get there in that time… Impressive! :)

Problem is that Antietem battlefield is a little too big to walk.

I have walked the entire thing several times no problem, and my daughters walked the whole thing with me last year.

They usually have a big event there the day before the 4th, with music and fireworks. Really nice.

If you decide on Fredericksburg, you can also get to Salem Church, Chancellorsville, and The Wilderness, all in a row. Fredericksburg Battlefield is a good walk, though it is easier to drive the Confederate lines. Chancellorsville is a series of walks of varying distances. The National Park Service recommends driving to the different spots and being very careful when doing that. Traffic is nuts. Use their tips for getting from one place to the next. It avoids trying to cross a 4 lane highway with people at speed.

Driving in the DC area is not as bad as people sell it to be. Right now though you want to avoid the west (Virginia) side of the beltway because they are adding more lanes and in order to do that they take away lanes. Rush hour stinks, but the rest of the day is not bad. Maryland supplements their budget with speeding enforcement, so watch out for that (Delaware does tolls. Maryland employs State Troopers). You have to be a real stand out to get stopped in Virginia.

Problem is that Antietem battlefield is a little too big to walk.

I have walked the entire thing several times no problem, and my daughters walked the whole thing with me last year.

It can be done, but I don't think walking is the best way to do Antietem. IIRC the basic driving tour runs about 8 miles, and you'd need to add all of the various trail miles to that.

If you start out from Manassas, you can follow the entire 2 1/2 week campaign from Groveton, to 2nd Bull Run, to Ox Hill (Chantilly) to Antietam.

If you add up the casualties from those actions (Union = 23,701; Confederate =19,416), they nearly equal those of Gettysburg (Union = 23,055; Confederate = 23,231). These numbers don't incude the 12,000 captured Union troops from Harper's Ferry.

A nice animated site showing Antietam troop movements: link

I'd love to see how you did that! It's around 70 miles from Ronald Reagan/National Airport to Sharpsburg by the shortest/quickest route according to Mapquest! You'd have to driving over 90 mph to get there in that time… Impressive! :)

It was probably longer. Again, it's been a while. I do know it took longer than it should have. I remember not trusting the Hertz GPS because it seemed like it had me go the wrong direction about 15 minutes from RR.

If I recall, there is a tablet memorializing Longstreet's corp on the south side of the Cornfield. I remember reading it and turning north to overlook the CF. it was a chilling feeling to look at that and know but not be able to imagine what happened there and the madness that took place. I remember reading Landscape Turned Red and a reference to the sound of ramrods whipping through the corn that were not pulled out of the muzzles before muskets were discharged.

Into the Cornfield…

That's cool. Did you make corn stands that are removable? How did you make your corn?

Thanks! I've shown some pictures of the Cornfield game we ran this past Cold Wars on here before, so some folks might recognize them. The field is 5 feet by 2 1/2 feet, and is made up of 180 2"x5" removable individual bases, each containing five stalks of corn, for a total of 900 stalks.

I found an online source that provided information how to do this kind of corn stalk. I posted it here before: link I modified it somewhat, but basically stuck to what the article says. Best time to buy the materials is (not surprisingly) around Christmas. I picked up a heat gun from Sears for only $16 USD, and used masonite bases out of odd sized scraps I found at the local Home Depot (in their lumber cutting area) for a few bucks each. The whole field cost me well under $100 USD to make. The labor was pretty intense, and incredibly and repetitively boring, but well worth the final result.

Another picture showing the field after it had been fought over for a while.
link

Slideshow of all of the pictures I've collected of the game: link

We will be running it three times at Historicon next month.

Great Cornfield. What scale is it?

Fooled ya! You've seen it before, it's just taken from a different angle! The picture I previously posted you may remember:

It's 28mm, but the corn is tall enough to be acceptable for 40mm as well. I'd bet that the same technique could also work with with 54mm figures. Better in fact, because you wouldn't have to trim the Xmas tree garland as much, or at all, saving a lot of messy work!

What is your email address (if you don't mind sharing it)? I'd like to ask you some more questions about your board and don't want this to get off topic.

I have a yahoo.com email address that is my TMP user name @ yahoo . com.