Introduction
Authors John Banks and Tom McMillan dive deep into the Battle of Antietam — September 17, 1862, the bloodiest day in American history — as well as into the 1862 Maryland Campaign and other Civil War topics. Join these longtime journalists, who, along with their guests, share stories, knowledge and much more about the battle and the most compelling period in American history. 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.
Latest Episodes
Essential Antietam books: From Stephen Sears to William Frassanito
In Episode 51, with the holiday season looming, co-hosts Tom McMillan and John Banks discuss a range of Antietam books — from Landscape Turned Red by Stephen Sears to ...
Historian George Rable explores Lincoln vs. McClellan and the high-stakes election of 1864
In Episode 50, historian George Rable — author of Conflict of Command: George McClellan, Abraham Lincoln, and the Politics of War — takes a deep dive with co-hosts Joh...
The untold story of Antietam’s Dunker Church: From battlefield icon to rubble and revival
In Episode 49, former Antietam National Park Service ranger Alann Schmidt joins co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan for a freewheeling discussion about the iconic Dun...
Antietam guide Gary Rohrer on the 1962 centennial, battlefield bridges and South Mountain history
In Episode 48, Antietam guide and lifelong western Marylander Gary Rohrer joins co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan for a freewheeling discussion about the battlefiel...
Gettysburg guide Jim Hessler talks about George Armstrong Custer, Antietam Lincoln photo and Libbie Custer
In Episode 47, licensed Gettysburg battlefield guide Jim Hessler, an expert on George Armstrong Custer, joins co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan for a freewheeling d...