Antietam National Battlefield, Gettysburg, & Catoctin Mountain: A Look at the Past - Frederick MD Weekend Getaway

Preview: Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. . . . Thus began one of the greatest speeches in American history: Abraham Lincoln’s address at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on November 19, 1863. As the U.S. Park Service brochure notes, Lincoln’s eloquence four and a half months after the battle “transformed Gettysburg from a scene of carnage into a symbol, giving meaning to the sacrifice of the dead and inspiration to the living.” Gettysburg National Military Park is the centerpiece of a weekend escape to north-central Maryland and south-central Pennsylvania. The battle of Gettysburg holds a particular fascination for many, not only because it is considered to be the decisive battle of the Civil War, but because the carnage there was so extensive. In the first three days of July 1863, some 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured. Gettysburg was the war’s costliest battle for both sides, and the bloodiest event on American soil in history. On your way to Gettysburg, you really should take a short detour to Sharpsburg, Maryland, and the less-crowded Antietam National Battlefield. There, the National Park Service brings the past to life with lectures, tours, war relics, and an excellent film reenacting the epic September 17, 1862 battle between Union and Confederate troops. In that day-long battle, 23,100 people were killed and wounded—more than on any other single day of the Civil War. One historian describes the guns of Antietam “slashing at rows of men and corn,” and as you walk through the battlefield you can imagine what it must have been like. On the way home from Gettysburg, you’ll enjoy a stop at Catoctin Mountain, where a national park and a Maryland state park combine to offer hiking, swimming, canoeing, and some of the prettiest scenery Maryland has to offer. Highlights include: Civil War battlefields and recreational parks The detailed itinerary in this chapter is a driving tour that features extensive recommendations for sightseeing attractions, recreational activities, lodging, restaurants, shopping, and more.
© Copyright John Fitzpatrick & Holly Burkhalter published by Insiders' Guide all rights reserved.


Duration: 2 Nights
Best Time to Go: Year-round
This travel guide comes from:
Quick Escapes: Washington, D.C. Guide Book