The Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland is where the Battle of Antietam took place on…read moreSeptember 17, 1862. This is considered to be the bloodiest single day in American history with over 23,000 casualties. The site includes lots of landmarks and monuments. Today, it is preserved as a peaceful park where visitors can learn about the battle by walking or driving around the sites. It had a pivotal role in leading to the Emancipation Proclamation. We took the driving tour which had numerous sites where you could see monuments and buildings that describe key parts of the battle. More than one person had suggested that we should go and see the cemetery. I will tell you I am very glad that we did. It was hard for us to find as I missed a turn on the driving tour of the battlefields. It is relatively easy to find as it is on the south side of Main street just on the east side of the city of Sharpsburg. It is located on the south side of the majority of the antietam battlefield sites and memorials. There is parking right along the street and entrance is right off the street. There is a church with restrooms right inside the gate. The restrooms were open but the church was not when we visited. It is not very large for the amount of civil war soldiers that died during the battle. You can walk it fairly quickly but I would suggest taking a little time here to honor the fallen. I particularly liked the sayings that equal a poem when put together. It's mostly well kept with the grounds well maintained except for a pavilion that looked a little overgrown. There is a walkway that circles a statue called the Private Soldier Monument. This is a large granite statue of a Union infantryman facing north toward the battlefields. Overall, I found the visit a very moving place for the fact that a lot of those buried are unknown soldiers and I definitely recommend it for anyone visiting the area to learn about the battle and the civil war history.

Located at the bottom of the hill between Berkeley Springs WV and Hancock MD at the foot of the…read morePotomac River bridge. This marker points out the border between the two states with some factual information about each. The marker has the WV seal on both sides. It reads, "Maryland. Named for Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I, who gave a royal charter to Cecil Calvert, second Lord Baltimore, 1632. First settled at Saint Mary's City in 1634. It is one of the thirteen original colonies." And on the other side, "West Virginia. Morgan County. 'The Mountain State'--western part of the Commonwealth of Virginia until June 20, 1863. Settled by the Germans and Scotch-Irish. It became a line of defense between the English and French during the French and Indian War, 1754-1763." There is nowhere to stop on this side of the road. [Review 15553 overall - 48 in West Virginia - 1057 of 2021.]

This roadside marker on US-11 (Winchester Avenue) stands in front of the John Evans property and…read morecommemorates an event from the Colonial era when this part of West Virginia was still known as Virginia. The 400 acre property was purchased by Evans (a Welsh Baptist) from William Penn who had originally purchased the land from Lenni Lenapes in 1683. The marker reads, "Fort Evans, built here, 1755, was attacked by Indians, 1756. The men were absent but Polly Evans, whose husband, John, had built the fort, led the women in its defense. The Big Spring here was noted camping ground of both armies, 1861-1865." There is little information online about the attack though an extensive history of the property, its defense from a proposed mill and damage from arson are on https://friendsofpawccp-org.doodlekit.com/home/john-evans-house. [Review 15120 overall, 622 of 2021, number 39 in West Virginia.]

I did not have an opportunity to visit the Fort but I did spot this historical marker in Clear…read moreSpring that points the way. The fort is about 6 miles from here, so this is less a historical marker and more of a billboard advertisement. The fort does look way cool https://www.yelp.com/biz/fort-frederick-state-park-big-pool and it's bookmarked for a future visit to this spot on the Potomac River. The marker reads, "Fort Frederick. Maryland State Park. Colonial stone fort built 1756 for Province of Maryland by Governor Horatio Sharpe to protect frontier against French and Indians after Braddock's defeat. Detention camp for British prisoners 1776-1783. Occupied 1861-18862 by Union troops. George Washington was here July 1756 and June 1758." [Review 15129 overall, 631 of 2021, number 605 in Maryland.]

North of Berkeley Springs but before the Maryland border, this marker on the west side of the…read morehighway points out some of the earliest colonial history of this area. The marker reads, "Lovers' Leap. Beautiful panorama of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. It overlooks the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal which was started by George Washington and associates in order to improve communication with the West." Unfortunately, there does not appear to be any long term parking here and the brush towards the Potomac River appears to be private property. [Review 15548 overall, 1052 of 2021, number 46 in West Virginia.]

This marker on the outskirts of the city of Mercersburg tells us of the history of the man the city…read moreis named after. It reads, "Dr. Hugh Mercer. A physician and surgeon, practiced in the Conococheague Settlement 1750-1765, and lived in this locality during that time. A personal friend of Washington, a general in the Revolutionary Army, he received his death wounds at the Battle of Princeton, January 1777. A brave soldier, a skilled physician and a loyal American." Online, there is more information. Hugh Mercer (16 January 1726 - 12 January 1777) was a Scottish soldier and physician who participated in the Seven Years' War and American Revolution. He initially served with the Jacobite forces of Bonnie Prince Charlie, and with the British forces during the Seven Years' War, and later became a brigadier general in the American Continental Army. Mercer was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and was present at the Battle of Culloden when Charles' army was defeated on 16 April 1746. As a fugitive in his homeland in 1747, Mercer fled Scotland after months in hiding. He bought his way onto a ship and moved to America. There are rumors that Mercer exclusively originated Washington's plan to cross the Delaware River and surprise the Hessians at the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776, and he was certainly a major contributor to its execution. Because of Mercer's courage and sacrifice, Washington was able to proceed into Princeton and defeat the British forces there. He then moved and quartered his forces to Morristown in victory. Succeeding generations of Mercer's family have distinguished themselves. Famous direct descendants of Hugh Mercer were his grandson Virginia governor John Mercer Patton, his sons Confederate Lt. Col Waller T. Patton and Col. George Smith Patton, who in turn was an ancestor of General George S. Patton, Jr. [Review 15580 overall - 570 in Pennsylvania - 1084 of 2021.]

So gorgeous! The history of this battlefield is unlike any other. The preservation the NPS and…read moreothers have helped put into this park is incredible. I loved that they had the driving option available and you can connect it with an audible, especially on a hot day, it is such a large area I don't know how a person could walk it! It's $20 a vehicle, and so worth it.

Visiting Antietam was a wonderful experience and the battlefield is very well-preserved. There's a…read morewealth of information available here and we learned a large amount about the battle that we hadn't known. The NPS has done a great job here and we really enjoyed being able to visit.

This marker is located on Washington Street near the center of the town of Berkeley Springs and in…read morefront of the Berkeley Springs State Park. The marker reads, "Centennial Time Capsule. This official West Virginia Centennial Time Capsule was dedicated October 12, 1963 as Morgan County's contribution to the State's Centennial celebration. It contains historical documents, personal messages to be distributed in 2063." There is street parking adjacent. [Review 15545 overall, 1049 of 2021, number 44 in West Virginia.]