Tag: historical dioramas
The Battle of Antietam Creek
July 19, 2011A quiet tributary flows from its source in southern Pennsylvania, winds its way through Washington County, Maryland, and finally joins the Potomac River just south of Sharpsburg. It is spanned by three picturesque stone arch bridges, foot-worn but well-preserved relics of the farmers’ routes to Sharpsburg markets. The tributary is Antietam Creek; the southernmost bridge is Rohrbach’s Bridge (since renamed Burnside’s Bridge); and, with a total of 22,717 documented casualties, they were the setting of the bloodiest day of fighting in American history, The Battle of Antietam (also known as The Battle of Sharpsburg in the South). Afterward, the Union buried 2, 108 of their soldiers and the Confederacy buried 1,546 of theirs.
The battle began as an invasion, part of General Robert E. Lee’s larger Maryland Campaign, and the first of his attempts to take Northern soil. He was confident after a string of Confederate victories in Virginia and he hoped to further demoralize the Union army, as well as restock his own forces’ scant provisions. He lost the element of surprise, however, when Union General George B McClellan accidentally intercepted his battle orders and moved to repel them. Historians believe the battle could have been a death blow to the Confederacy, given McClellan’s advantage, but he squandered the opportunity. Paranoid, he estimated the opposing army to be composed of 120,000 men (compared to the actual 38,000) and consequently his leadership was fear-driven and defensive against a force the Union outnumbered two to one.
Heavy losses on both sides led to an unspoken stalemate, neither side pressing forward to their original objective. The battle has been considered tactically inconclusive, but nonetheless a major turning point in the war. Stonewall Jackson’s victory at Harper’s Ferry and the Northern retention of Antietam spurred Lincoln to announce the executive order that would become the Emancipation Proclamation, altering the purpose of the war to one of abolition, and thereby eliminating European support of the Confederacy. Abraham Lincoln relieved General McClellan of command, following his ineffective generalship in Antietam and his failure to pursue Lee’s forces afterward. Burnside’s Bridge continues to be one of the Civil War’s most photographed bridges.
To learn more about this historic landmark, including how you can visit it, call 1-877-680-TOUR or visit our website!
History of the Soldier’s National Museum
March 8, 2011The Soldier’s National Museum has a history steeped in both the good and the bad. And, like all good stories, it has a happy ending. Do you have your cup of coffee? Great, now settle in and let us tell you all about this national landmark.
The Soldier’s National Museum was originally the headquarters for Major General Oliver O. Howard, the commander of the Union Army’s 11th Corps. Additionally, it contained a unit of sharp shooters firing on the Confederates hiding on the south side of town. After the Civil War ended, the loss of over 51,000 lives resulted in a large number of orphans. In response, a board was created and the Soldier’s Orphanage was established in 1866. The doors officially opened on November 20th accepting 22 children.
The first few years went well as there was adequate funding. The children were well taken care of and each year, to commemorate the lives lost, they would lay flowers on the graves of the soldiers. This tradition continues to the present day. By 1869 the facility was overcrowded so an expansion of the facility took place to accommodate the growth. One year later Rosa J. Carmichael was hired as a teacher and disciplinarian much to the chagrin of the orphans. The next few years proved to be horrible as allegations of child abuse, at the hand of Rosa, surfaced. While she was arrested and fined, the abuse continued until the Sheriff closed down the facility.
In the 1950’s Cliff Arquette, aka, Charlie Weaver, purchased the building and established Cliff Arquette’s Soldiers Museum. The museum features hand carved wooden soldiers in battle dress. In 1997 more than 40 Dioramas were added featuring over 5,000 military miniatures, actual headgear, and weapons. All of these additions took over 35 years to accumulate from all over the world. The dioramas highlight many wars including Custer’s Massacre, The Revolutionary War, WW1 and WW2.
The Soldier’s National Museum has seen many different types of days, both happy and sad, however, it ultimately succeeded by becoming a goldmine of historically accurate information through spectacular Dioramas. We invite you to visit us so we can share more information and stories surrounding this national landmark.