NEWS
By MATTHEW UMSTEAD | matthewu@herald-mail.com | August 19, 2013
The family of a Berkeley County man whose remains were found at a shale pit in November 2012 after he threatened to commit suicide several months earlier has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the West Virginia State Police. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Berkeley County Circuit Court on behalf of Walter N. Hughes' widow, Victoria Hughes, and their three daughters, Kristal M. Hughes, Kristina Arntz and Kristie Canfield, according to court records. In addition to the wrongful death claim, the lawsuit claims that state police and the West Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner are liable for mishandling the man's remains after they were found at the shale pit. West Virginia State Police 1st Sgt. Michael Baylous said Friday he had not been made aware of the claims contained in the lawsuit and declined to comment.
NEWS
By DAVE McMILLION | davem@herald-mail.com | August 16, 2013
The nation's largest Civil War battlefield preservation group has been awarded $90,000 to help save a site near Williamsport that saw action as Confederate troops retreated from the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, officials said. The Maryland Heritage Areas Authority awarded the money to the Civil War Trust, one of 58 grants totaling $2.7 million that went to Maryland nonprofit organizations. Of that amount, $360,415 went to local heritage tourism sites, activities and organizations in Washington, Frederick and Carroll counties. The authority gives grants to expand tourism-related job creation in the state, according to Tom Riford, president and chief executive officer of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
NEWS
By JENNIFER FITCH | waynesboro@herald-mail.com | August 11, 2013
As Civil War re-enactors portraying Confederate soldiers were leaving a mock battlefield at Renfrew Park on Sunday afternoon, Zachary “Zach” Gagliardi stopped one to ask questions about the flag used in the generic battle re-enactment. The 12-year-old said he has learned quite a bit about the Civil War by visiting the Waynesboro encampment for several years. He can tell you about various models of bayonets and the way rifles took over for muskets in fighting. “Every year we learn something new,” said his mother, Tina Gagliardi.
LIFESTYLE
By TERESA DUNHAM CAVAGNARO | Special to The Herald-Mail | August 8, 2013
A documentary film with local ties brought home a prestigious Emmy Award earlier this summer. The film, “Maryland's Heart of the Civil War,” earned its Emmy recognition from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at a ceremony in mid-June in Baltimore. The historical documentary explores the Civil War's impact on the landscape and personal lives of Marylanders in the area that is being called the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area - which includes Washington, Frederick, and Carroll counties - by combining scenic shots and re-enactments with compelling commentaries from respected historians.
NEWS
Anne Weatherholt | Around Hancock | July 24, 2013
Civil War event takes place Sunday Expect to hear cannon fire in Hancock on Sunday afternoon. Don't be alarmed, though. It will be part of a special program at the summer meeting of the Hancock Historical Society, to be held in the Joseph Hancock Park on West Main Street. The guest speaker for the occasion will be Hancock Mayor Daniel Murphy, who is also president of the historical society. His topic will be “Cannons and Horses: The Nightmare That Was Civil War Artillery,” and, just for fun, his presentation will include live cannon fire.
NEWS
BY KAUSTUV BASU | kaustuv.basu@heraldmail.com | July 23, 2013
Rectifying what one organizer called a “historical oversight,” a groundbreaking ceremony for a memorial to honor African-American veterans of Lyon Post No. 31 of the Grand Army of the Republic was held Tuesday at Hagerstown's Rose Hill Cemetery. The Grand Army of the Republic was a veterans organization for those who battled for the Union during the Civil War. “Hagerstown had two posts of this organization [the Grand Army of the Republic] ... Because Maryland was mostly segregated at the time we had two posts - one for white veterans and one for black veterans,” said local historian Stephen Bockmiller, who also works for Hagerstown city government as a zoning administrator and a development review planner.
NEWS
By DON AINES | dona@herald-mail.com | July 13, 2013
A scheduled demonstration on Civil War medicine did not occur as planned at Saturday's Retreat Through Williamsport, but a number of people recognized an expert in the crowd. George Wunderlich, executive director of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Md., was at the event as a visitor on Saturday, but still found himself being pulled aside by other visitors to answer a few questions. “There are a few misconceptions about Civil War medicine, things like biting a bullet because they didn't have anesthetics,” Wunderlich said.
LIFESTYLE
July 13, 2013
Name: C.W. Whitehair Age: 64 City in which you reside: Charles Town, W.Va. Day job: Author Book title : “Mosby: The War Years” Genre: U.S. History Synopsis of book: No single Confederate officer was feared more in Northern Virginia and the lower Shenandoah Valley by the Federal army than Col. John S. Mosby, commanding officer of the 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry. His method of warfare was unconventional, which earned him a reputation as a mastermind in psychological and guerrilla warfare.
NEWS
July 11, 2013
While Gettysburg, Pa., attracted thousands of tourists during the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg last week, Chambersburg has several Civil War-related activities, too. Ted Alexander, chief historian at Antietam National Battlefield, will present a free program at the Chambersburg Heritage Center, 100 Lincoln Way East, at 1 and 3 p.m. July 20, which is Celebrate! The Arts at Old Market Day - the largest event of ChambersFest. Alexander will speak on the topic, “As They Saw the Rebels: Civilian Observations of the Antietam and Gettysburg Campaigns.” The Heritage Center also will show the film, “The Burning of Chambersburg” throughout the day between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. July 20. The 29-minute film was created by WITF in 1989 for the 125th anniversary of the burning of the town.
NEWS
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts | July 11, 2013
By Rebecca Massie Lane Special to The Herald-Mail On June 16, 2012, the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts opened “Valley of the Shadow,” a landmark exhibition of authentic art and artifacts of regional, national, and international importance to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. Focused on objects telling stories of the Maryland Campaign, particularly Antietam and concluding with the...