A Talk by Town Historian Fred Wallace
Thursday, September 20th, 7pm
Edgell Memorial Library, 2 Oak Street, Framingham
In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam on September 17th, the FHC offers this lecture as part of our multi-year focus on Framingham’s rich Civil War history. Following his recent visit to the famed battlefield, Fred Wallace reconstructs a blow-by-blow account of Framingham’s General George Gordon’s role and that of the Union’s Twelfth Corps. Scenes of the location then and now will be a part of the lecture.
The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single day of the war, with approximately 24,000 casualties, north and south. Early in September of 1862, the Confederacy was riding high, having just defeated the Union forces at the second battle of Mannassas. General Lee and Confederate President Jefferson Davis decided to abandon their defensive strategy, and launch an invasion of the north. Lee’s armies crossed the Potomac into Maryland on Sept. 3rd., and headed northwest, planning to attack the capital of Pennsylvania at Harrisburg. The north was growing weary and morale was very low. If successful, it could have resulted in a negotiated end to the war, and the permanent division of the United States. General McClellan, in command of the Army of the Potomac, began to pursue Lee a few days later. The two armies met at a little town in Maryland, on the banks of Antietam Creek. Framingham’s General Gordon was in command of a brigade of the Unions’ Twelfth Corps at this critical battle. Join Fred Wallace as he reconstructs a blow-by-blow account of Gordon’s role and that of the Twelfth Corps.