Dr. Mike Nickerson, President, SBPA and Grant Smith, President, Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle gave a luncheon presentation to the Shepherdstown Area Independent Living (SAIL) group about the past, present and future of the Shepherdstown Battlefield, and an update on our valued partners’ efforts to preserve the Battlefield.

The meeting occurred at the Trinity Church at their September meeting at noon on Friday, September 22.  About 25 attendees enjoyed lunch, history and mechanisms for land preservation and conservation including land trust and farmland easements.

Pictured are Dr. Nickerson, SBPA (left) and Grant Smith, LTEP.

Questions followed about local history, battlefield artifacts, prospects for a new National Battlefield and about local families such as the Botelers (Cement Mill owners), Blackfords (Ferry operators and MD farms) and the Folks-Myers-Lowes.

The SBPA had an information table with books, maps, merchandise, pamphlets and battlefield artifacts.  Of great interest, a participant was able to identify an artifact from the Battlefield found by Dr. Nickerson that was unknown for many years.  It is a saddle horn ‘tree’ that was part of a ‘McClellan’ saddle that was in standard use by the Union Calvary during the Civil War.  How great is that?