Log in to Facebook to enjoy watching: The Ruins of Shepherdstown, a beautifully filmed short video clip from John Banks’ Civil War blog.

Here’s the text from this two-minute clip:

“MARYLAND CAMPAIGN: THE RUINS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN”
During the Battle of Shepherdstown (Sept. 19-20, 1862), the cement mill ruins along the Potomac — already partially standing from earlier industrial use — provided ready-made cover for Union troops.

Soldiers used the stone walls and kilns as defensive positions, shielding themselves from fire as they held a tenuous foothold on the Virginia side of the river.

(This has been West “By God” Virginia since June 20, 1863.)