CIVIL WAR EVENTS
In 1861, Maryland was a divided state in a divided nation. Feel the power of the Civil War at these events in this sesquicentennial year of the conflict.
Gilmor’s Raid
June 1-3
Jerusalem Mill Village announces its 8th Annual Civil War Weekend Encampment; commemorating CSA Major Harry W. Gilmor's 1864 raid across Baltimore and Harford Counties and on the General Store (now popularly known as McCourtney's), located here in the village. The raid was part of an overall campaign conducted by Major Gilmor to disrupt Union transportation and communication.
Jerusalem Mill Village
Kingsville
Baltimore County
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Barbara Fritchie Phenomenon
June 1 – Dec. 31
She showed up in films, plays, and music, often portrayed as a young woman instead of the nonagenarian that she was in 1862. This exhibit examines the marketing of Barbara Fritchie and the use of her name and image to promote consumer products from the 1920s through 2000. To see a copy of the poem that kicked off the phenomenon, click here.
Museum of Frederick County History
Frederick
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Blue and Gray Days
June 9-10
Point Lookout State Park, Scotland, off Route 5. A Civil War living history presentation of life for both the Union and Confederate Troops stationed at Point Lookout. Admission. HC. 301-872-5688.
Point Lookout State Park
St. Mary’s County
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Washington County First Call Weekend
June 16-17
Washington County will kick off the initial First Call with an emphasis on the 150th Anniversary of the Maryland Campaign, Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the north, including the Battle of South Mountain and the Battle of Antietam.
City Park
Hagerstown
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"Valley of the Shadow" Art Exhibit
June 16, 2012 - July 28, 2013
Take a step back in time as we relate the stories of the men who valiantly fought, the women & children on the home front and the art, music, and literature that rallied a country divided. Special programs.
Hagerstown
Washington County
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Corbit’s Charge Commemoration
June 23-24
FREE Admission
Activities include: Tour Civil War Living History Encampment, Ceremony at Corbit’s Charge Monument, Guided Tours of Battle Site, Several Civil War Era Musical Concerts, Period Artisans Performing Their Craft, Visit with Abraham Lincoln, Period Children Events & Games and View the Daily lives of Soldiers and Civilians of 1863.
Westminster
Carroll County
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Retreat Through Williamsport Weekend
July 13-15
Enjoy lectures,Civil War music, soldier camps & sutlers, arms & artillery demonstrations, walking tours, campfire programs, and more.
Williamsport
Washington County
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By Train:
150th Anniversary Civil War Exhibit
Through May 1, 2015
The Civil War was the first major conflict where railroads played a prominent role, and the B&O was the major line that straddled a divided country. Between April 19, 1861 (The Baltimore Riot of 1861) and April 21, 1865 (Lincoln’s funeral train leaving Baltimore for Illinois), the B&O stood as witness and participant in the greatest conflict the United States has ever faced. The story that the B&O Railroad Museum can tell better than any other organization on earth is the story of how railroads and railroaders shaped the course of American history during at pivotal moments of the conflict.
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum
Baltimore City
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Divided Voices, Maryland in the Civil War
Through May 6, 2015
The impact of the war on the people of Maryland will be told in personal terms in “Divided Voices: Maryland in the Civil War.” The largest Civil War exhibit in the museum’s 167-year history will occupy over 5,000 square feet and tell the story of a tragedy in three acts: the romantic war, the real war and the long reunion.
Maryland Historical Society Museum
Baltimore City
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Charity Afire Civil War Exhibit
Through December 31, 2014
Offers compelling insights about the casualty & compassion from the hearts of sister nurses who were as angels of the battlefield. There are numerous accounts written by the Daughters of Charity who served at various sites. Tues-Sun 10am-4:30pm
Seton Heritage Ministries
National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
339 South Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg 21727
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Baltimore
Civil War 150 is a collection of events and exhibitions that mark the 150-year anniversary of the start of that turbulent era.
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Check out our Calendar of Events for a full selection of Civil War events.
Past:
The B&O Railroad During the Civil War
October 1, 2011
This lecture will cover the exciting events in the history of the B&O railroad from the Pratt street riot in 1861 to Lincoln’s funeral train. Presented by Dave Shackelford, Chief Curator of the B&O Railroad Museum and noted Maryland Historian. Free!
Mount Clare Museum House, Baltimore City
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Songs and Stories of the Civil War
October 8, 2011
Experience the Civil War through a multi-sensory program. Period music and pictures, coupled with readings from personal letters evoke the emotions of this time of American conflict. Presented by Judy Cook. FREE. Arrive early, space is limited.
Surratt house Museum
Clinton Prince George’s County
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Civil War Comes to St. Mary’s
October 15-16, 2011
Experience wartime in the Old and New Worlds with living history activities that provide a glimpse of two Civil Wars on the land and the sea - the American Civil War and the English Civil War. Military drilling, cannon & weapons firings, music shows, naval demonstrations and hands-on experiences. Admission. 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Historic St. Mary’s City
St. Mary’s County
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Medical Women of the Civil War (lecture)
October 15, 2011
Many women served as vivandiers, nurses, physicians and lay healers both on the home front and the battlefield. Learn what it was like for women serving in the medical capacity during the Civil war. Medical artifacts will be on exhibit. Presented by Lesley Wood, Medical Historian. Free! Mount Clare Museum House, Baltimore City
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Children’s Experience Weekend
October 22-23, 2011
Enjoy a kids-day-out at the Pry House Field Hospital Museum with hands-on activities and programs focused on how children lived during the mid-eighteenth century. Staff and children dressed in period attire will lead games and a craft.
Pry House Field Hospital Museum
Antietam National Battlefield
Keedysville Washington County
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Civil War in Your Attic: Preserving the Legacy of Maryland and the Civil War
Nov. 12, 2011
The Maryland History and Culture Collaborative, Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage and representatives from many local institutions, including the Nabb Research Center, are working to identify and digitize original documents related to the Civil War.
Nabb Research Center
Salisbury, Wicomico County
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‘Personal Accounts of the Civil War Experience’
Through November 12, 2011
This exhibit will bring to life the personal side of war through the objects and stories of the people who personally witnessed and participated in the war. The objects on display represent both sides of the conflict, and have come to us directly from their descendants with their individual stories. These artifacts, having never before been on public display, include family silver buried during the conflict, Cavalry brasses, Robert E. Lee, Governor Hicks, and Gilmore family items, furniture, Masonic aprons, flags and letters and diaries written by the soldiers.
Mount Clare Museum House Baltimore
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Antietam Memorial Illumination
December 3, 2011
The Annual Antietam National Battlefield Memorial Illumination in honor of those soldiers who fell during the Battle of Antietam. 23,000 Candles - One for Each Soldier Killed, Wounded or Missing at the Battle of Antietam. In the event of poor weather, the Illumination will be rescheduled for Saturday, December 10, 2011.The Illumination opens to the public at 6:00 p.m. The main entrance to the event is Richardson Avenue off Maryland Route 34.The driving tour through the park is approximately 5 miles long.
Antietam National Battlefield
Sharpsburg
Washington County
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Frederick County Civil War Roundtable: Bad Doctors
January 19, 2012
Speaker:Terry Reimer, Author, Director of Research, National Museum of Civil War Medicine, Topic: Bad Doctors: Military Justice Proceedings Against 622 Civil War Surgeons.
Frederick
Frederick County
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Antietam Station Open House
Jan. 22, 29 and Feb. 5
Hagerstown Model Railroad Museum
Sharpsburg
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McClellan's Peninsula Campaign
Jan. 31 and Feb. 7 (two sessions)
6:30 - 9:45 PM. On the 150th anniversary of the Peninsula Campaign of 1862, explore the major battles and smaller skirmishes that made up this campaign, the largest military operation of the American Civil War. It used amphibious operations and saw the rise of many famous Civil War generals.
Carroll Community College
Westminster
Carroll County
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A House Divided: The Civil War at Hampton
Through February 1, 2012
In honor of the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, Hampton NHS will present a new exhibition on life during the Civil War for the Ridgelys and everyone who lived on the Hampton estate.
Hampton National Historic Site
Towson
Baltimore County
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Abraham Lincoln: Music and Dance of His Time
Feb. 12
Enjoy an entertaining afternoon of music and dance for the entire family featuring a performance of the dramatic oratorio “For The People” by Gettysburg College composer John “Buzz” Jones.
Frederick Community College
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Civil War Walking Tour
April 7, 21, 2012
Guided walking tour of downtown Frederick focused on Civil War history.
Frederick County Museum of History
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The Civil War: The Black Experience
April 9, 2012
7:00 p.m. The Civil War was a tumultuous time in our nation's history, particularly for African Americans. Join local historian Mike Eckard as he discusses the black experience during this time, including subjects such as the Emancipation Proclamation, the abolitionist movement, and the wartime experiences of African American women and soldiers. Mr. Eckard will also bring artifacts for display.
Westminster Branch Library
50 W Main St
Westminster
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Shiloh Program
April 14, 2012
Gail Stephens, author of Shadow of Shiloh, will talk about “the first big bloody battle of the Civil War,” ironically named Shiloh, which means “Place of Peace.” The Battle of Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862, pitted U.S. Grant against A.S. Johnston, the great military hope of the Confederacy.
Monocacy National Battlefield
4801 Urbana Pike
Frederick
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The Wig Wags: Communication During The Civil War
April 14 & 15, 2012
During the battle of Antietam in September of 1862, Washington Monument was an important link in the communication line with Washington, DC. Come learn about the monument’s use by the Signal Corps and see demonstrations of how messages were sent with signal flags. 10:00 – 4:00 both days.
Washington Monument State Park
6620 Zittlestown Road
Middletown
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The Ironclads: Civil War Technology That Changed History With David Booz
April 19, 2012
Almost anyone interested in the American Civil War knows about the “Monitor and the Merrimac.” How many ironclads were there in the Civil War? What impact did they have on the war? Did both sides build more ironclads than just the Monitor and the Merrimac (which was officially the C.S.S. Virginia)? Find out what really happened with this new form of technology and how both sides made major advancements in naval science as they struggled to control the rivers and coastlines.
Carroll Community College
1601 Washington Rd.
Westminster
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Frederick County Civil War Roundtable: Antietam Considered
April 19, 2012
Speaker: Dennis Frye, Chief Historian, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Topic: Antietam Considered: Challenging Historians' Perspectives. 7:30pm
National Museum of Civil War Medicine
48 E Patrick Street
Frederick
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Thunder on the Mountain
April 21-22, 2012
Learn about the important role artillery played in the Battle of South Mountain.
Fox's Gap
South Montain State Battlefield
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Women and the Civil War in Maryland
April 27, 2012
Join the University of Maryland Libraries' Special Collections for a day of scholarly presentations featuring keynote speaker and noted historian, Thavolia Glymph. Open to the University of Maryland community and the general public. RSVP required.
Hornbake Library
University of Maryland
College Park
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Battlefield Hikes
May 5, 2012
Explore the battlefield and discover how the battle unfolded! National Park Service rangers will conduct three hikes taking visitors to three different areas of the battlefield, highlighting the events that transpired on July 9, 1864.
All hikes are FREE and cover a distance of less than two miles each.
Monocacy National Battlefield
Frederick County
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Civil War Walking Tour
May 5, 2012
Guided walking tour of downtown Frederick focused on Civil War history. 11am
Museum of Frederick County History
24 E Church Street
Frederick 21701
(301) 663-1188
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Civil War Living-History Reenactment
May 5-6, 2012
Witness Living History in the remaking as various regiments occupy the grounds surrounding the family Farmhouse. Guests may visit the camps. Artisans will demonstrate skills from the 1800s.
Carroll County Farm Museum
Westminster
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Walking Tour of the Cemetery
May 12, 2012
Meet the ranger in the National Cemetery at 11:00 a.m.
Antietam NAtional Battlefield
Keedysville
Washington County
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