Posted on by Priya Nayar

Annapolis, Antietam & Boonsboro

We started our Maryland visit in Annapolis: state capital, former temporary national capital from 1783-1784 and home to the United States Naval Academy since 1845. As we were the only ones brave enough to brace the cold weather, we had a fantastic tour of the Academy campus, better known as The Yard, with Mike our personal guide. A full two hours was spent walking through the buildings learning how the students, or midshipmen, spend their four years here living, studying and socialising before being commissioned as officers into either the Navy or Marines upon graduation.

Mike was brilliant, answering all our questions and sharing in-depth knowledge about the Academy and its history and traditions before confessing at the end of the tour that while his sons are in the Navy, he actually served in the Army 😂

Statue of Bill the Goat. The Navy mascot is a real goat and Bill XXXVI currently reigns as the 39th mascot.
The Navy fosters an on-going rivalry with the Army, particularly when it comes to sports. On display are the winning footballs from 1890.
Shell from an 16 inch gun on an American battleship. Its accuracy is such that it can hit a dime from 22 miles away. The shell weighs one ton.
The Rotunda of Bancroft Hall, with steps leading up to Memorial Hall
Statue of Tecumseh. Students toss pennies at his quiver for good luck in exams and athletic contests.
The Naval Academy Chapel
The bronze and marble sacrophagus of John Paul Jones (1747-1792). John Paul Jones was a Revolutionary War hero and is often credited with being the father of the U.S. Navy.
Halsey Field Hall houses a 200-meter synthetic track, squash and tennis courts, a weight room and a rock climbing wall

Our stopover night in Baltimore gave us the opportunity to sample Maryland crab cakes. We headed to Maisy’s and were not disappointed. Expecting cakes of crab mixed with mashed potato (like we would get at home), it turns out that Maryland crab cakes are scrumptious parcels made up entirely of crab. They were so good, one may have also been had for dessert.

Maryland crab cakes with chilli aioli

Heading north of Baltimore we stopped at Antietam National Park. It is the site of the Battle of Antietam which preceded the Battle of Gettysburg by ten months. While Gettysburg is considered the turning point of the Civil War, the battle that took place at Antietam on 17 September 1862 is also considered one of the most important of the war. The Union Army effectively stopped Confederate General Lee’s attempt to invade a Northern State and this battle led to President Lincoln issuing the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on 22 September 1862. However it was at a high cost: it remains the bloodiest battle in all American military history with over 23,000 men listed as killed, wounded, captured or missing in a 12 hour period.

Just like at Gettysburg, it was eerily chilling to stand on the site of the battle and imagine the events that took place around us. Also sobering was to think of the people of Antietam who fled their homes when the fighting commenced only to return afterwards to a war-ravaged landscape filled with thousands of soldiers who were wounded, dying or dead. It was simply beyond comprehension for us.

Dunker Church. Built in 1852, this church was a focal point for Union attacks on the morning of the battle
Antietam was the first American battlefield photographed before the dead were buried. This photo was taken two days after the battle by Alexander Gardner. The church in the background is the same Dunker Church in the photo above.
This 24 acre cornfield witnessed three hours of fighting during which the Confederate Louisiana Brigade suffered over 60 percent casualties in just 30 minutes. Union forces camped in the farmhouse in the background the night before the battle.
This was the site of the Mumma family home which the Confederate Army burned to the ground to prevent Union sharpshooters from using it. The Mummas had already fled their home to safer ground before it was destroyed. They rebuilt this house in 1863.
Sunken Road (also known as Bloody Lane). Fighting took place on this farm lane for a further three hours.
Burnside Bridge. The Union Army eventually captured the bridge and crossed Antietam Creek which effectively forced the Confederates back towards Sharpsburg.
Following the Emancipation Proclamation, the freedom of individual slaves was proven by possession of a document such as this one manumitting (releasing) them from enslavement. This manumission document belonged to a Miss Nancy Camel.

Our final stop in Maryland was just ten minutes from Antietam in a town called Boonsboro which is home to author Nora Roberts. As a Nora Roberts fan who has read her Inn BoonsBoro trilogy, it was pretty neat to see the Inn and surrounding businesses that also feature in the books.

The Inn BoonsBoro is owned and was restored by Nora Roberts. The original hotel dates back to the 1790s.
Turn The Page Bookstore is across the road from the Inn and was opened by Nora Roberts’ husband Bruce Wilder. Inside the bookstore is a haven for Nora Roberts fans
Vesta Pizzeria, owned by Nora Roberts’ son, also features in the books

Maryland you are our 30th state and you have been wonderful to us. We’re off to Washington DC now for monuments, museums and a glimpse inside the Capitol!

P&S