The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 - Blue and Gray Education Society

A BGES Civil War Field University Program

with Kevin Pawlak

Aug. 19-23, 2026; from Inwood – Martinsburg, VA

In September 1862, Confederate General Robert E. Lee had just completed a most remarkable series of maneuvers and battles that resulted in the withdrawal of Union forces under Northern Major General George McClellan from the Peninsula of Virginia where they had threatened the Rebel capital of Richmond just 3 months earlier. In addition, Southern efforts under Lieutenant General Thomas (“Stonewall”) Jackson had defeated three separate Federal columns in the Shenandoah Valley earlier that year, and together, Lee and Jackson, along with Lieutenant General James Longstreet, defeated the upstart Yankee Major General John Pope at Second Manassas.

With momentum on his side, and with the risk of the merger of the various Union forces to his north, west, and east, Lee determined to shift the focus of the war from defending his home state of Virginia to forcing the North to face his victorious army in Maryland.

Why Lee choose to invade the “Old Line State” of Maryland with a vastly smaller army than that of his foe, what his objectives were in transforming the Confederate efforts from fighting defensively to offense, where he took his forces across the Mason Dixon Line, and how they performed, as compared with the Northern response under McClellan and his legions, and how and where Union efforts ultimately repelled the Southerners are part of this detailed study of the Campaign.

Follow the armies from the banks of the Potomac River at Leesburg, Virginia, to the opening actions of the Maryland Campaign southeast of Frederick. Then, visit the Harpers Ferry and South Mountain battlefields, where the tide of the campaign shifted. Finally, walk the ground of the Antietam battlefield, site of the bloodiest single day in American history, in this tour covering many well-known but also lesser-known sites of the Maryland Campaign.

Join BGES for this exceptional program as Kevin Pawlak leads four days of exploration of this most important and often misunderstood campaign.

Itinerary

Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026 – Orientation (6–7 p.m.)

We’ll gather at the headquarters hotel for an evening orientation with Kevin Pawlak. He will introduce the campaign, distribute program materials, and set the stage for our field study.

Dinner is on your own.

Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026 (8:00 a.m.–5 p.m.)

Our first day will begin with the Confederate Army’s crossing of the Potomac River at Leesburg, Virginia, and White’s Ford.

We will visit Poolesville, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Barnesville as we detail the rebel movements into the Old-Line State.

We will end our day examining the Southern march into Frederick, Maryland, and discuss the northern populace’s reaction to the gray-clad invasion as well as the condition, spirit, morale, and effectiveness of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, including the hopes, goals, and results of Lee’s bold move.

Back to our hotel.

Lunch is included, but dinner is on your own.

Friday, Aug. 21, 2026 (8:00 a.m.–5 p.m.)

Our second day will begin in the morning with the Federal response as a “discovery” of Lee’s Plans and the disposition and strength of the Southern Army leads to a major opportunity for McClellan and his men. We will study the action at South Mountain where things heated up in the first clash of its size on northern soil in the campaign.

Afterward, we will head to Harpers Ferry and follow the movements of Jackson and Confederate Major General A.P. Hill as they surrounded and captured the largest United States Army – a force of some 12,419 men – to that point in history (and until the American army capture at Bataan in the Philippines early in World War II), an unlucky blue-clad garrison led by Colonel Dixon S. Miles. As a bonus, if you have never visited Harper’s Ferry, you are in for a real treat. The entire city (village) is a National Park replete with an 1860-era theme with shops, government buildings, and stores all set in the period where John Brown led his famous raid and was captured.

Back to our hotel.

Lunch is included, but dinner is on your own.

Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026 (8:00 a.m.–5 p.m.)

On day 3, we will focus on the bloodiest single day in American history, the September 17, 1862, Battle of Antietam, as we spend the day with former NPS Park Ranger, historian, and author, Kevin Pawlak studying the grounds of all of the important places including the Dunker Church, the Cornfield and West Woods, Burnside’s Bridge, and the Sunken Road, together with many little-known or understood places and events of the battle along the way.

Return to the hotel.

Lunch is included, but dinner is on your own.

Sunday, Aug. 23, 2016 (8:00 a.m.–5 p.m.)

On the final day we will focus on the oft-overlooked post-battle events at Shepherdstown and the Shepherdstown Battlefield where Lee remained, his battered army severely damaged but not defeated, in defiance of McClellan and his superior force. But the Federals had been severely damaged, as well. Here, we will discuss McClellan’s post-battle decisions as well as Lee’s withdrawal from Maryland and consider the results of the campaign and its impact including Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation which would result.

Lunch is provided, and we will return to the hotel by 5:00 p.m.

About the Faculty

Kevin Pawlak is a Historic Site Manager for the Prince William County Historic Preservation Division and works as a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Antietam National Battlefield. Kevin also sits on the Board of Directors of the Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association, the Antietam Institute, and the Save Historic Antietam Foundation. He is editor of The Antietam Journal. Previously, Kevin has worked or completed internships at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, The Papers of Abraham Lincoln at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, and the Mosby Heritage Area Association.

Kevin is the author or co-author of eight books on the American Civil War, including To Hazard All: A Guide to the Maryland Campaign. He has also authored Such a Clash of Arms: The Maryland Campaign, 1862.

Hotel Information

This program will be headquartered at the Hampton Inn—Inwood, 4758 Gerrardstown Road, Inwood, WV 25428 (304-229-6677). Note that Inwood, WV, is one exit south of Martinsburg, WV, on I-81. The BGES special hotel rate is $109 plus tax, with a rate cutoff date of July 29, 2026. When you call the hotel, be sure to tell them that you are booking your room with the group “Blue and Gray Education” to get the special rate.

Transportation

Note that Inwood, WV, is one exit south of Martinsburg, WV, on I-81. The servicing airport is Dulles International Airport (IAD) 64 miles from the hotel. The hotel does not provide a shuttle. It will require a rental car, Uber, or taxi to reach the hotel.

Tour Pricing

Tour Pricing
Current BGES member $975 (one-time payment, no deposit)
Non-BGES member $1025 (one-time payment, no deposit)
Deposit to reserve spot: $150
Annual membership fee: $75

Registration

The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 2026-Tour

Registration includes 4 lunches, all paid admissions, maps, the academic program, support of historian(s) and a tour director, and transportation by passenger bus or van. We will also provide snacks and bottled water.

Complete your registration by filling out the form below and making your secure payment.

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