In Episode 13 of "The Antietam And Beyond Podcast," military history book publisher Ted Savas — who's also a historian and passionate rock musician — talked with co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan about some of the more than a dozen Antietam books he has published. In the freewheeling chat, he also talked about the unheralded Virginia battlefield — a "little Shiloh," he calls it — that he helped re-discover in the 1980s. (On the battlefield, he and a friend unearthed roughly 2,000 artifacts — with the landowner's permission.) Plus, he explained the process for those who want to write a military history book. (Hint: Be in love with your project.)Visit the Savas Beatie web site here. Explore Savas Beatie's Antietam books here.The podcast is sponsored by Civil War Trails, which since 1994 has connected visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states.Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.McMillan is author of the recently released Our Flag Was Still There. Banks is author of the recently released A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here

In Episode 12 of "The Antietam And Beyond Podcast," longtime Antietam National Park Service ranger Brian Baracz talks with co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan about the 1864 battlefield burials map of S.G. Elliott. Baracz also talks about his favorite Antietam monument, why the battlefield is so special to him and much more.Explore the 1864 Elliott map — part of the New York Public Library Digital Collections — for yourself here.Read more about the map on John Banks' Civil War blog here.The podcast is sponsored by Civil War Trails, which since 1994 has connected visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states.Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.McMillan is author of the recently released Our Flag Was Still There. Banks is author of the recently released A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.

In Episode 11 of "The Antietam And Beyond Podcast," Steven Cowie — author of “When Hell Came To Sharpsburg” — shares with co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan stories of the profound impact of the Battle of Antietam on civilians in Sharpsburg, Md.  Among the stories Cowie tells is of the heartbreaking loss for farmer William Roulette of his 20-month-old daughter, Carrie May, who died of disease more than a month after the battle.Cowie’s book is the result of 15 years of comprehensive study. He unearthed a trove of previously unused archival accounts and examined scores of primary sources, including letters, diaries, regimental histories and official reports. The book is packed with explanatory footnotes, original maps and photographs. Purchase a copy of the book here on publisher Savas Beatie's web site. The podcast is sponsored by Civil War Trails, which since 1994 has connected visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states.Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.McMillan is author of the recently released Our Flag Was Still There. Banks is author of the recently released A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.

In Episode 10 of "The Antietam And Beyond Podcast," Irish historian Damian Shiels joins co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan for a fascinating discussion about the famous Irish Brigade that fought on the William Roulette farm and at Bloody Lane during the Battle of Antietam. Learn more about Irish Brigade commander Thomas Meagher, common soldiers in the unit, the "procession of death" for the Irish in 1864 and much more. Plus, no podcast with an Irish Civil War historian can go without mentioning Major General Patrick Cleburne, the famous Confederate commander who died at the Battle of Franklin.  Shiels, an historian and archaeologist, has lectured and published widely on both social military history and conflict archaeology. He established and runs the excellent Irish American Civil War web site and is author of The Irish In The American Civil War. Purchase your copy on Amazon.com. Shiels lives in Finland. The podcast is sponsored by Civil War Trails, which since 1994 has connected visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states.Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.McMillan is author of the recently released Our Flag Was Still There. Banks is author of the recently released A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.

In Episode 9 of "The Antietam And Beyond Podcast," Antietam guide Laura Marfut, a retired U.S. Army colonel, joins co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan for a discussion about the fighting in The Bloody Cornfield on the northern end of the battlefield. Learn more about artillery, Iron Brigade officer Rufus Dawes, Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood — and, yes, dangling biscuits!  Marfut graduated from the U.S. Army War College with a master’s degree in strategic studies. In 2019, she was certified as an Antietam National Battlefield guide. Marfut is also a board member of the Antietam Institute, which you can read more about here. | Join the Antietam Institute. The podcast is sponsored by Civil War Trails, which since 1994 has connected visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states.Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.McMillan is author of the recently released Our Flag Was Still There. Banks is author of the recently released A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.

In Episode 8 of "The Antietam And Beyond Podcast," professor emeritus and author Dr. Emilie Amt joins co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan for a discusssion about her book, Black Antietam: African Americans and the Civil War in Sharpsburg. In her book, the experiences of Black Americans — enslaved and free — come to life in vivid detail, often in their own words. You may purchase Amt's book here. Read her blog here.A native of Maryland, Amt is an emeritus professor of history. From 1998 to 2021 she held the Hildegarde Pilgram Chair of History at Hood College in Frederick, Md. She earned a B.A. in medieval studies from Swarthmore College and a D.Phil. in modern history from Oxford University.The podcast is sponsored by Civil War Trails, which since 1994 has connected visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states.Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.McMillan is author of the recently released Our Flag Was Still There. Banks is author of the recently released A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.

In Episode 7 of "The Antietam And Beyond Podcast," historian and author Dr. Tom Clemens joins co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan for a chat about the Battle of Antietam, battlefield preservation and much more. Clemens, a Keedysville, Md., resident, is president of Save Historic Antietam Foundation (SHAF), one of the country's foremost battlefield preservation organizations, and editor and annotator of three books on the Ezra Carman papers about the Maryland Campaign. You may purchase those books on the Savas Beatie site here. We discuss:One of Save Historic Antietam Foundation's recent great saves of battlefield property.The origins of SHAF. Veteran Ezra Carman, who served as the historical expert for the board that created Antietam National Battlefield.The greatness of Bonnie's at The Red Byrd restaurant in Keedysville, Md. (Brown gravy!)CORRECTION (3/4/2024): Clemens misspoke regarding Ezra Carman's wartime service. Carman was, in fact, present at Gettysburg during the battle.  The podcast is sponsored by Civil War Trails, which since 1994 has connected visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states.Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.McMillan is author of the recently released Our Flag Was Still There. Banks is author of the recently released A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.

In Episode 6 of "The Antietam and Beyond Podcast," historian and author Tom McGrath, a New Englander,  discusses the Battle of Shepherdstown with co-hosts Tom McMillan and John Banks. Fought Sept. 19-20, 1862, the battle on what was then Virginia soil (it became West Virginia in June 1863) was the final clash of the Maryland Campaign.We discuss:The 118th Pennsylvania and how a "Civil War badass" in its ranks became a hero.The amazing terrain of the battlefield.What you can see on the hallowed ground today (cement mill ruins and a house with a cannon ball embedded in it!) and much more. McGrath is author of Shepherdstown: Last Clash of the Antietam Campaign, September 19-20, 1862, which you can purchase here.The podcast is sponsored by Civil War Trails, which since 1994 has connected visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states.Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.McMillan is author of the recently released Our Flag Was Still There. Banks is author of the recently released A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.

In Episode 5 of "The Antietam and Beyond Podcast," Antietam battlefield guide Jim Buchanan — “The Mayor Of The West Woods” —  discusses with co-hosts Tom McMillan and John Banks this important section of the battlefield where fighting raged on the morning of Sept. 17, 1862. You'll hear mentions of generals John Sedgwick and Robert E. Lee as well as stories about common soldiers who fought in the West Woods. You'll also hear about the epic "Wounded Lion" monument, "mystery" figures in the West Woods and the muddy boots on the cover of John's latest book. Buchanan has blogged about the West Woods for years. Check out his Walking The West Woods blog. The podcast is sponsored by Civil War Trails, which since 1994 has connected visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states.Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.McMillan is author of the recently released Our Flag Was Still There. Banks is author of the recently released A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.

In Episode 4 of "The Antietam and Beyond Podcast," former relic hunter Richard Clem — “The Babe Ruth Of Storytellers” —  and avid relic hunter John Davidson discuss the hobby with co-hosts Tom McMillan and John Banks. Clem, 83, who hung up his metal detector several years ago, recalls the day he "eyeballed" bullets behind the Dunker Church on the Antietam battlefield — it was private property then — and talks about his unearthing of four Civil War soldier ID discs and much more. Davidson hunts campsites and elsewhere throughout Washington County (Md.), where he and Clem live. He talks about his favorite finds, "the hunt after the hunt" and the ethics of a polarizing hobby. (Full disclosure: Neither McMillan nor Banks are relic hunters.)WARNING: Relic hunting is ILLEGAL on National Park Service property. Public property, both state and federal, is generally not open to metal detecting and removal of artifacts. Consult your local laws. You must have permission to relic hunt on private property.FOLLOW DAVIDSON and his relic hunting on Facebook | Instagram | READ MORE about Clem and his finds on John Banks' Civil War blog. The podcast is sponsored by Civil War Trails, which since 1994 has connected visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states.Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.McMillan is author of the recently released Our Flag Was Still There. Banks is author of the recently released A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.

In Episode 3 of "The Antietam and Beyond Podcast," historian and author Alex Rossino joins co-hosts Tom McMillan and John Banks for an in-depth discussion of Special Order 191, the (in)famous and controversial "Lost Order."  U.S. Army soldiers discovered the orders  — issued by Army of Northern Virginia commander Robert E. Lee on Sept. 9, 1862, during the Maryland Campaign — wrapped in an envelope with cigars near Frederick, Md. Of course, no discussion of Special Order 191 is complete without a look at George McClellan's generalship during the campaign, which culminated with battles at Antietam and Shepherdstown. We discuss "Little Mac" and go deep into Civil War "nerd-om" with Rossino, who tells us where he believes the U.S. soldiers discovered the orders. Plus, restaurant reviews and much more!Rossino is author of three non-fiction books on the Maryland Campaign, The Tale Untwisted, Calamity At Frederick and Their Maryland. (Read his recently launched Campaign Minutes blog.) PURCHASE ROSSINO'S BOOKS FROM SAVAS BEATIE: The Tale Untwisted: George McClellan and the Discovery of Lee's Lost Orders (co-authored with Gene Thorp) | Calamity At Frederick: Robert E. Lee, Special Orders No. 191, and Confederate Misfortune on the Road to Antietam | Their Maryland: The Army of Northern Virginia From the Potomac Crossing to Sharpsburg in September 1862The podcast is sponsored by Civil War Trails, which since 1994 has connected visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states. Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.McMillan is author of the recently released Our Flag Was Still There. Banks is author of the recently released A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.

In Episode 2 of "The Antietam and Beyond Podcast," historian and author Scott Hartwig joins co-hosts Tom McMillan and John Banks to discuss I Dread The Thought Of The Place, his monumental 960-page book about the Battle of Antietam and end of the Maryland Campaign. "The best and most complete story of the Civil War's bloodiest day," historian James M. McPherson calls Hartwig's work. "Masterful," a reader writes of the recently released book. "Exhaustive," says another. Hartwig — the former supervisory park historian at Gettysburg National Military Park —  talks about his writing process, why he wrote about Antietam, A.P. Hill's legendary 17-mile march from Harpers Ferry, the fighting at the southern end of the battlefield in the 40-Acre Cornfield and much more. During the nearly 53-minute podcast — it could have lasted eight hours! — Hartwig also mentions some of the more compelling soldiers who fought at Antietam on Sept. 17, 1862. (You'll also hear brief mentions from McMillan and Banks about the "mystery dog" in the 40-Acre Cornfield and the podcast's semi-official beer and restaurant.) PURCHASE HARTWIG'S BOOKS: I Dread The Thought Of The Place | To Antietam Creek, his first book on the campaign, was published in 2012. The podcast is sponsored by Civil War Trails, which since 1994 has connected visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states.Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.McMillan is author of the recently released Our Flag Was Still There. Banks is author of the recently released A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.

In the debut episode of "The Antietam and Beyond Podcast," co-hosts and western Pennsylvanians Tom McMillan and John Banks talk about why the battle and the battlefield keep them enthralled. You'll also learn about the soldier who carved his name into the windowsill of the Dunker Church and hear about a wandering Saint Bernard in the 40-Acre Cornfield that spooked one of the co-hosts. Plus, Tom and John talk of their favorite spots at Antietam, outline the purpose of the podcast and highlight some of the future guests — Scott Hartwig, author of I Dread The Thought Of The Place, for one — and briefly mention the possibility of having a chocolate pie named for one of them. Join them for discussions of the Battle of Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history. (Also join them for the occasional discussion of Iron City Beer and Bonnie's at The Red Byrd restaurant in Keedysville, Md.)  The podcast is sponsored by Civil War Trails, which since 1994 has connected visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states.McMillan is author of the recently released Our Flag Was Still There. Banks is author of the recently released A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.