Harpers Ferry
At the bottom of the “hole” where the Shenandoah River flows into the Potomac River is the village of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia (which was Virginia in 1862). Towering over this confluence are Maryland Heights, Loudoun Heights, and Bolivar Heights. It all makes for wild, scenic beauty, but the town becomes virtually indefensible if enemy cannons are placed on the heights. In September 1862, Stonewall Jackson did exactly that.But Jackson was late. He was unable to meet Robert E. Lee’s stringent timetable for capturing Harpers Ferry, and the unprecedented loss of Lee’s Special Orders 191 – which detailed the Confederate invasion plan – compromised the operation and endangered the Confederate army. Often overshadowed by Antietam, the battle never would have occurred without Stonewall’s actions at Harpers Ferry.This guide includes several color and black-and-white photographs and maps of the battlefields.Paperback, 103 pages
Published by the Harpers Ferry Park Association in memory of David L. Larsen, Interpreter.The diaries, letters and memoirs of the civilians and soldiers who experienced the war in Harpers Ferry have provided park interpreters an invaluable tool for transporting park visitors to the past. Here are 24 stories written by 17 interpreters, volunteers, rangers and interns that recreate six harrowing years of a town under attack.Paperback, 118 pages. Measures 6" x 9". Weighs 6.5 oz.
A collection of recipes influenced by the confluence! Take a journey back into time with your tastebuds from the late 18th century to present day! Enjoy images of Harpers Ferry past, colorful quotes, and amusing anecdotes. Filled with both historical and modern recipes, Harpers Ferry Bill of Fare will satisfy any appetite for food or nostalgia.Publisher: Harpers Ferry Park Association. Spiral bound, paperback, 92 pages. Measures 5.75" x 8.5". Weighs 7.6 oz.
Revised in 2017, this handbook contains the day-by-day narration of Brown’s insurrection, those who were involved, details of the trial, and what happened to John Brown and his men after the raid. Published on the 150th anniversary of the raid, more than a hundred photographs, maps and historic images chronicle the account. Includes suggested reading. Publisher: Donning Publishing Company. Paperback, 111 pages. Measures 6" x 9". Weighs 7.7 oz.
Read about Hall’s Rifle Works, the U.S. Armory and the mills on Virginius Island. Learn about the machines and equipment in these factories and meet the men and entrepreneurs who ran them. Find out more about the devastation of flooding and unpredictable streamflow that plagued local industry. Many historic photographs and detailed line drawings of machines compliment the text.Author: David T. Gilbert. Publisher: Harpers Ferry Park Association. Paperback, 192 pages. Measures 8.25" x 7.75". Weighs 13 oz.
When Robert Bradbury enlisted in the 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery in August 1862 he held strong convictions to do whatever he could to support the Union War effort. This series of twenty-nine letters chronicles not only Bradbury's wartime experience from the Virginia Peninsula to the Shenandoah Valley, but presents his thoughts on the war, politics, and the home front.
Join historian John Hoptak as he narrates the critical Battle of South Mountain, long overshadowed by the Battle of Antietam.
In September 1862, Robert E. Lee led the Army of Northern Virginia north of the Potomac River for the time as part of his Northern invasion, seeking a quick end to the war. Lee divided his army in three, sending General James Longstreet north to Hagerstown and Stonewall Jackson south to Harper's Ferry. It was at three mountain passes, referred to as South Mountain, that Lee's army met the Federal forces commanded by General George B. McClellan on September 14. In a fierce day-long battle spread out across miles of rugged, mountainous terrain, McClellan defeated Lee but the Confederates did tie up the Federals long enough to allow Jackson's conquest of Harper's Ferry.