“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.

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“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!”