The George Tyler Moore Center at Shepherd University sponsored a tour of the battlefield led by SBPA Board member Kevin Pawlak on November 2. Great to see the attention to the battlefield.  

The GTM Center post and a few of their pictures are below:

We were delighted to hike the bluffs of the Potomac with Kevin Pawlak yesterday for his “Up the Bluffs” tour of the Battle of Shepherdstown. It was a great day of history, views, and stories from the field as we gained new perspectives on this important engagement.

On October 12, Dr. Nickerson filmed a kestrel eating a bird on the Osbourn Farm!  We installed 2 kestrel nesting boxes last year (2024)! What a great success! 

Thanks to Battlefield volunteer Steve O’Donnell @ Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association

On September 20, the SBPA continued the Battle Anniversary by hosting a tour led by Author and Professor Tom McGrath.  Dr. McGrath led 28 hardy participants and continued where the Ford crossing tour ended by heading up the bluffs to the ridge where the Union 118th PA faced Confederate Pender’s Brigade.  Then we followed the Union retreat to the Cement Mill kilns and Mill dam. What a great hike. Great job Tom!

On the morning of Saturday, September 20, on the day of the week and date of the battle, the SBPA hosted a crossing of the Packhorse Ford.  The crossing was led by SBPA Board member Kevin Pawlak and was attended by 30 participants, who were thrilled with the crossing. 

Great job Kevin and congratulations to all the forders!

On September 16, SBPA President Mike Nickerson had the pleasure of hosting James S. Osbourn, namesake of the owner of the 1848 Osbourn Farm.  We visited the Osbourn Farm, family graves in the Elmwood Cemetery, and nearby farms owned by the family in the 1700s. The family obtained land grants from Lord Fairfax for farms on Ridge Road.

Thank you for your generous donation Mr. Osbourn!

History worth learning!

Our Battlefield Clean-Up on September 13/25:  In preparation for the events planned for the Battle Anniversary on September 20, we had a great group of volunteers.  We picked up trash, removed downed trees, mowed, weed wacked and maintained the walking trails.

Thanks to all the volunteers who participated and our donors who fund these efforts.

Read the full article at The Herald Dispatch, and visit the West Virginia Encyclopedia Online to read the write-up of the battle by Thomas McGrath, our Historic Advisory Board member.

Updated Sept 5/25

CHANGE TO EVENT TIMES!
Sept 6 Lincoln film is 7:00 pm
Sept 13 Clean-Up is 9:00 am

Mark your calendar for busy Saturdays in September!

September 6 evening from 7 – 9pm EDT

Enjoy the Stephen Spielberg film “Lincoln” at the Shepherdstown Opera House on Saturday Sept 6 from 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Sponsored by the SPBA and the Shepherdstown Opera House

for more info visit our FB event post: https://www.facebook.com/events/2180100719126351/

[image by IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36798953]

September 13 morning from 9 – noon EDT

Help with our Battlefield Clean-Up, organized by SBPA and Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission. Potomac Mills Cement Mill at River and Trough Roads

We will mow, chop, cut, clear, stomp, and yank to prep the Battlefield for visitors on September 20th.

The goals are to mow the parking area in the Riverside Park, clear walking paths, clear access to the Mill structures, and clean up the battlefield of debris. 

for more info visit our FB event post: https://www.facebook.com/events/1075337294740970/

September 20 morning starting at 9am

“Cross the Potomac River at Packhorse Ford” led by Kevin Pawlak, sponsored by the SBPA

Meet at the Riverside Park at the intersection of River and Trough Roads by 9 am for a brief meeting and car shuttles to the Maryland side of the crossing.

for more info visit our Sept 20/25: Battlefield Anniversary Events page

September 20 afternoon starting at 1pm

Battlefield Tour led by Dr. Tom McGrath:

“Collision on the Bluffs: Barnes’s Brigade at the Battle of Shepherdstown”

Meet at the Riverside Park by 1:00 pm for a 2-hour hike through Civil War history!

for more info visit our Sept 20/25: Battlefield Anniversary Events page

Follow our Facebook page to keep up-to-date on SBPA news! https://www.facebook.com/ShepherdstownBattlefieldPreservationAssociation

“Cross the Potomac River at Packhorse Ford”

led by Kevin Pawlak

Sponsored by the Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association

Join us on the morning of Saturday, September 20, 2025 to commemorate the 163rd anniversary of the Battle of Shepherdstown by crossing the Potomac River at Boteler’s Ford.

This tour will follow in the footsteps of thousands of Union soldiers who crossed the ford that morning before climbing the bluffs outside Shepherdstown and engaging the Confederate army. A historical tour guide (Kevin Pawlak) will lead the crossing and provide information about the ford’s constant use during the Civil War, especially during the Maryland Campaign.

Meet at the Riverside Park at the intersection of River and Trough Roads by 9 am for a brief meeting and car shuttles to the Maryland side of the crossing.  Bring solid footwear to cross the ford and a towel to dry off afterward.  Sign up with the SBPA so we know how many participants need to be shuttled.  The event will be modified for weather or water concerns.

“Collision on the Bluffs: Barnes’s Brigade

at the Battle of Shepherdstown”

Battlefield Tour by Author and Professor

Dr. Tom McGrath

Meet at the Riverside Park by 1:00 pm for a 2-hour hike through Civil War history!

We will follow the Union troops in action from the Ford to River Road, up the bluffs above the Cement Mill, then back to the Cement Mill kilns and the dam.

RSVP by email: SBPA1862@gmail.com or on the SBPA Facebook page

Co-sponsored by the Antietam Institute, Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission, Historic Shepherdstown Museum, and the Civil War Trails.  Your donations matter to all these invaluable organizations! 

Please consider becoming an Annual Battlefield Supporter.  100% of all donations are used to preserve the battlefield and educate the public.  We have maintenance, parking and sign upgrades coming to the Battlefield that will improve visitor safety, access and education.

The Battle of Shepherdstown is “History worth learning!” 

The George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War is hosting an event at the Shepherdstown Opera House on Thursday, August 28, 2025 starting at 5:00 pm.

“Join us as our new director, Dr. Jennifer Murray, talks about her research. Following her talk, join us across the street at the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War for a light reception and an opportunity to chat with Dr. Murray.”