I joined all the park tour at Antietam on Saturday. At several points such as

Sunken Road and the Cemetery, a moment of silence was taken in respect of our

recent tragedy. I will try to keep my emails short by summarizing each hike

in a separate posting.



I spent Friday night at the new Sleep Inn, which is on Route 65 (just south

of outlets, behind Wendy's). From there it is a short trip south to the park.



I began the day at 6:30 AM when I parked my car at the Cornfield. I then

hiked up to the North Woods where the first tour was set to begin. From

previous experience, I deemed it better to have my car waiting where the hike

ends, as there was only a short break before the next hike began.



I met fellow-member David Lutton and joined Ranger Keith Snyder and a group

of about 25 people. Fog above the Potomac and Antietam made referencing those

waterways quite easy. We followed a mowed path along original edge of North

Woods, then south thru East Woods. The path then headed west along the

northern edge of the Cornfield before heading straight south thru the

Cornfield. Keith said this path is now a permanent tour path and he will soon

have completed a tour guide that one can use to follow this trail.



Keith noted the first shot may have come from Nicodemus Heights, but I recall

someone noting a marker stating the Balt Lt Artillery fired it. Can someone

clarify if and where such a marker is? I saw none along the Pike.



We hiked over to the Dunker Church and out to the 125th PA monument.



Tom Shay - Cressona, PA

Tom;



Correct me if I should be wrong, but IIRC, the Balto. Light had a

iron mountain howitzer in the West Woods that supposedly fired

the first shot of the battle on the morning of September 17th.



Your humble servant,

Gerry Mayers

Co. B, "Tom Green Rifles",

Fourth Regiment, Texas Volunteer Infantry



"I know of no fitter resting-place for a soldier than the field

on which he has nobly laid down his life."     --General Robert

Edward Lee





----- Original Message -----

From: <rotbaron@...>

To: <TalkAntietam@yahoogroups.com>

Sent: Monday, September 17, 2001 12:09 PM

Subject: [TalkAntietam] Antietam tour report: Hooker's atttack





> I joined all the park tour at Antietam on Saturday. At several

points such as

> Sunken Road and the Cemetery, a moment of silence was taken in

respect of our

> recent tragedy. I will try to keep my emails short by

summarizing each hike

> in a separate posting.

>

> I spent Friday night at the new Sleep Inn, which is on Route 65

(just south

> of outlets, behind Wendy's). From there it is a short trip

south to the park.

>

> I began the day at 6:30 AM when I parked my car at the

Cornfield. I then

> hiked up to the North Woods where the first tour was set to

begin. From

> previous experience, I deemed it better to have my car waiting

where the hike

> ends, as there was only a short break before the next hike

began.

>

> I met fellow-member David Lutton and joined Ranger Keith Snyder

and a group

> of about 25 people. Fog above the Potomac and Antietam made

referencing those

> waterways quite easy. We followed a mowed path along original

edge of North

> Woods, then south thru East Woods. The path then headed west

along the

> northern edge of the Cornfield before heading straight south

thru the

> Cornfield. Keith said this path is now a permanent tour path

and he will soon

> have completed a tour guide that one can use to follow this

trail.

>

> Keith noted the first shot may have come from Nicodemus

Heights, but I recall

> someone noting a marker stating the Balt Lt Artillery fired it.

Can someone

> clarify if and where such a marker is? I saw none along the

Pike.

>

> We hiked over to the Dunker Church and out to the 125th PA

monument.

>

> Tom Shay - Cressona, PA

>

>

>

>       Yahoo! Groups Sponsor

>             ADVERTISEMENT

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of

Service.

>

>

Baltimore Lt. Art. and plaque are, (were?) in the West Woods clearing, pastthe

maps on the walkway.

Not an underground Spring house at Locher, it is a root cellar, dry.



rotbaron@... wrote:



> I joined all the park tour at Antietam on Saturday. At several points such as

> Sunken Road and the Cemetery, a moment of silence was taken in respect of our

> recent tragedy. I will try to keep my emails short by summarizing each hike

> in a separate posting.

>

> I spent Friday night at the new Sleep Inn, which is on Route 65 (just south

> of outlets, behind Wendy's). From there it is a short trip south to the park.

>

> I began the day at 6:30 AM when I parked my car at the Cornfield. I then

> hiked up to the North Woods where the first tour was set to begin. From

> previous experience, I deemed it better to have my car waiting where the hike

> ends, as there was only a short break before the next hike began.

>

> I met fellow-member David Lutton and joined Ranger Keith Snyder and a group

> of about 25 people. Fog above the Potomac and Antietam made referencing those

> waterways quite easy. We followed a mowed path along original edge of North

> Woods, then south thru East Woods. The path then headed west along the

> northern edge of the Cornfield before heading straight south thru the

> Cornfield. Keith said this path is now a permanent tour path and he will soon

> have completed a tour guide that one can use to follow this trail.

>

> Keith noted the first shot may have come from Nicodemus Heights, but I recall

> someone noting a marker stating the Balt Lt Artillery fired it. Can someone

> clarify if and where such a marker is? I saw none along the Pike.

>

> We hiked over to the Dunker Church and out to the 125th PA monument.

>

> Tom Shay - Cressona, PA

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Tom,



I just wanted to ditto your comments on the anniversary hikes this year.  I

think that NPS rangers Mike and Keith did a great job.  Included on the

Monday afternoon hike was a tour of the interior of the Sherrick home.  This

was a first for me.  Mike said that the Sherrick's never returned to their

home after the battle but was unsure as to why.  They must have been a

prosperous family the house was pretty substantial.



The Locher cabin was also a highlight for me. I hope the NPS has plans to

further stabilize the structure if for no other reason than its aesthetic

value to the park.



One question that came up during the Burnside bridge tour concerned

artillery and its use during the attack.  Both Mike and Keith said that in

their reading of the action here both sides remember being under sustained

artillery fire.  But other than mention a section of Crook's artillery, they

could not find reference to other artillery units engaged on this portion of

the field.  I remember reading somewhere that as many as 7 US batteries were

firing on the narrow front presented by the Georgians.  If that was indeed

the case, was the 9th Corp so poorly served with their artillery support or

was the rebel position that good?

I find it hard to believe that many guns would not have had a much greater

effect on the Georgians.



David Lutton

----- Original Message -----

From: <rotbaron@...>

To: <TalkAntietam@yahoogroups.com>

Sent: Monday, September 17, 2001 12:09 PM

Subject: [TalkAntietam] Antietam tour report: Hooker's atttack





> I joined all the park tour at Antietam on Saturday. At several points such

as

> Sunken Road and the Cemetery, a moment of silence was taken in respect of

our

> recent tragedy. I will try to keep my emails short by summarizing each

hike

> in a separate posting.

>

> I spent Friday night at the new Sleep Inn, which is on Route 65 (just

south

> of outlets, behind Wendy's). From there it is a short trip south to the

park.

>

> I began the day at 6:30 AM when I parked my car at the Cornfield. I then

> hiked up to the North Woods where the first tour was set to begin. From

> previous experience, I deemed it better to have my car waiting where the

hike

> ends, as there was only a short break before the next hike began.

>

> I met fellow-member David Lutton and joined Ranger Keith Snyder and a

group

> of about 25 people. Fog above the Potomac and Antietam made referencing

those

> waterways quite easy. We followed a mowed path along original edge of

North

> Woods, then south thru East Woods. The path then headed west along the

> northern edge of the Cornfield before heading straight south thru the

> Cornfield. Keith said this path is now a permanent tour path and he will

soon

> have completed a tour guide that one can use to follow this trail.

>

> Keith noted the first shot may have come from Nicodemus Heights, but I

recall

> someone noting a marker stating the Balt Lt Artillery fired it. Can

someone

> clarify if and where such a marker is? I saw none along the Pike.

>

> We hiked over to the Dunker Church and out to the 125th PA monument.

>

> Tom Shay - Cressona, PA

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

>

>