Writer and historian Howard Zinn admonishes us not to approach history “dispassionately”. The Maryland campaign of 1862 will involve a Union Corporal finding lost orders of the enemy, an officer promising whiskey to troops if they capture a bridge and a Confederate General rushing his soldiers to the field of battle to effect an ending you might think only a Hollywood screenwriter could imagine. I find Mr. Zinn’s advice is easy to follow in the light of such drama. Enthusiasm in relating these events is not easily restrained.

Being a guide at Antietam is both an ambition realized for me as well as a humbling responsibility. Having studied the battle for more than thirty years, I know that we shouldn’t just consider all of the competing ideas and possibilities; in order to have a coherent picture what happened there, we must also challenge conventional assumptions and conclusions.

Visitors usually do not want a “one size fits all”
type of tour. Therefore, I regard each tour as
a unique opportunity, and, while standing
where the battle lines were drawn on this
wonderfully preserved and maintained site,
try to evoke images of the intensity of the
fighting at Antietam.

William is a lifelong resident of the
Sharpsburg area. He and is wife, Carolyn,
live “just behind Confederate lines”near
the battlefield. You can book a tour with
him by calling the Antietam Museum
Bookstore at 301-432-4329 or
866-461-5180. Of course, you can email
William at: williamsagle@aol.com