Page Title

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

	They are already talking about coming back next year. One of the most exciting things to occur over the last several months was the finding of an original 1841 Remington contract "Mississippi" rifle that has documentation to the South Mountain Battlefield. A find such as this is rare indeed, so we were very interested in acquiring the piece. After several months of going through the procurement procedures, we just took delivery of the rifle and will be displaying it at the Washington Monument museum. The rifle was carried by a Samuel Slaton, Co. "F", 12^th Alabama Infantry, which was part of Robert Rhodes Alabama Brigade. They fought on the north end of the field, very near to Washington Monument itself, late in the day against the Federal I Corps, in particularly, The Bucktails of the 1^st Pennsylvania Reserves. The gun was retrieved from the field immediately after the battle and was taken to Boonsboro by the man who found it. The entire history of the rifle has been documented all the way up to the present day, which again is a rarity. We plan on doing more research into the 12^th, Samuel Slayton, and the "Mississippi" name that is associated with these rifles and make the rifle a centerpiece for the museum. Another event that has occurred is the purchase of a piece of Townsend's furniture from a private owner near D.C. by The Friends of South Mountain State Battlefield. It will be on display at the Gathland museum. This too will make an interesting exhibition piece and a valued addition to the Townsend collection. Ranger Al Preston


	The Civil War thundered on South Mountain at Crampton's, Fox's and Turner's gaps on Sept. 14, 1862 with Gen. Robert E. Lee's first Maryland invasion campaign. This major and decisive battle ended in a Union victory and became the prelude to the Battle of Antietam. The Underground Railroad passed along South Mountain's ridges, as well as critical transportation links to seaboard consumer markets. "Perched atop a mountain overlooking a beautiful valley, "George Alfred Townsend built Gapland, his 105-acre personal estate and the memorial War Correspondents Arch (1896). It is a challenge to gather, protect and preserve this historic land. This is our long-standing goal. We can all be a part of this effort in many ways and hopefully the heritage of South Mountain will become more secure. Bill Clipper, President


	The summer is already in full swing and things have been progressing well. We have had several Living History groups in for demonstrations and events, and those activities have been well attended. The last group in was a reenacting unit that portrays the 4^th US Artillery, Battery "B" which fought on the National Road as support for Gibbons' Western Brigade who became known as "The Iron Brigade". These folks came all the way from Wisconsin and thoroughly enjoyed their stay here.


	Next Page 1 2 3 4