Civil War historian Ed Bearss focuses on one of the war’s great crises. The Union Army, defeated at Manassas, had retreated to Washington. Determined to carry the conflict into the North, Gen. Robert E. Lee pressed his advantage, crossing the Potomac River into Maryland at White's Ferry in September 1862.
Follow Gen. George B. McClellan's army as it went in search of Lee’s troops. Taking the route of Gen. William Franklin's left wing, the tour stops at White's Ferry, where the cavalries clashed; passes Sugarloaf Mountain, site of a signal station; and continues to Urbana, where Jeb Stuart bolted from a dance to lead an encounter with Union cavalry.
Then trace the route of Franklin's wing to the site of the battle for Crampton's Gap, and visit Fox's Gap, where Union Gen. Jesse Reno was killed, and Turner's Gap, where the Iron Brigade earned its nom de guerre. The final stops are Boonsboro and Pleasant Valley, where the armies confronted each other on September 14 and 15.
Lunch is included at a local restaurant.
8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. by bus from the Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C St., S.W., with a pick-up stop at I-270, exit 6B, Best Western Rockville Hotel (1251 W. Montgomery Ave.) at about 8:55 a.m.
The Best Western Rockville Hotel does not assume responsibility for the safety of cars and you are parking at your own risk.
Dress for battlefield walks.
