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.