The Antietam and Beyond Podcast

Antietam Institute spring symposium podcast: All-Star Civil War historians join 60th episode

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:53:32 -0500

On a special 60th edition of the podcast, an all-star lineup of guests — Scott Hartwig, Dr. Jennifer Murray, Doug Douds, Dr. Jim Broomall and Dan Welch — joins co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan for a whirlwind discussion of topics before a live audience at the Antietam Institute spring symposium in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

This podcast is sponsored by the Michigan Civil War Association and 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 Year That Made America: From Rebellion to Independence and four other books. Banks is author of A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime and numerous magazine articles about the Civil War. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.

Exploring Antietam's historic farmsteads with Chris Vincent

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:50:41 -0500

In Episode 59, Antietam Institute executive director Chris Vincent takes co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan on a tour (virtually) of Antietam farmsteads — from the Poffenbergers’ to the John Otto farmhouse — and shares details about the upcoming Antietam Institute spring symposium.

Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.

Medal of Honor stories and Antietam insights with guide Jess Rowley

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:27:30 -0500

In Episode 58, Antietam battlefield guide Jess Rowley — a former National Park Service ranger — joins co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan for a freewheeling discussion about Antietam Medal of Honor recipients, famed Union Army officer Francis Barlow and interacting with the public. Plus, we learn about a New England regiment in which each soldier received a Medal of Honor.

Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.

William Griffing on transcribing 15,000 Civil War soldier letters and his Spared & Shared site

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 20:15:28 -0600

In Episode 57, William Griffing joins co-host John Banks (with Tom McMillan off this week) for a conversation about his remarkable transcriptions of Civil War soldier letters — including many tied to Antietam — which he shares on his Spared & Shared website. “Griff” has transcribed and posted more than 15,000 letters so far — and he types every single one, one-handed.

Read more about Griffing here. Find his Spared & Shared Facebook page here.

This podcast is sponsored by the Michigan Civil War Association and 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 The Year That Made America: From Rebellion to Independence and four other books. Banks is author of A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime and numerous magazine articles about the Civil War. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.

Lee invades the North: Brad Gottfried on Antietam, Gettysburg, Lincoln and the generals

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 20:12:21 -0600

In Episode 56, prolific author/historian Brad Gottfried joins co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan for a discussion about his latest book, Lee Invades The North: A Comparison of the Antietam and Gettysburg Campaigns. In a freewheeling podcast, we hit all the big names — Lee, Lincoln, Meade, Burnside and McClellan. Plus, Gottfried dishes on guide exams and April's Antietam Institute conference.

Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.

First Corps at Antietam: Historian Darin Wipperman on Hooker, Burnside and Union command

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:44:18 -0600

In Episode 55, historian Darin Wipperman breaks down generals Joseph Hooker and Ambrose Burnside and explains the First Corps’ role at Antietam with co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan. Wipperman is the author of First for the Union: Life and Death in a Civil War Army Corps from Antietam to Gettysburg and other Civil War books. (Plus, John riffs on a pig that crossed a Duck River railroad bridge in Tennessee in 1878.)

Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.

Antietam’s forgotten front: Robert Dunkerly on Burnside Bridge, the Lower Battlefield and America’s Bloodiest Day

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 20:03:48 -0600

In Episode 54, historian Robert Dunkerly joins co-hosts Tom McMillan and John Banks for a discussion about his book, The Lower Battlefield of Antietam: The Forgotten Front of America's Bloodiest Day. Dunkerly takes us to Burnside Bridge, the 40-Acre Cornfield and beyond. Plus, he dishes on John's favorite regiment (16th Connecticut) and recounts an epic hike to the battlefield.

This podcast is sponsored by the Michigan Civil War Association and 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.

Armies of Antietam: Inside the regiments and leaders of America’s bloodiest day

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 20:02:37 -0600

In Episode 53, Jim Smith and Robert Gottschalk join co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan to discuss their new book, Armies of Antietam, a comprehensive look at the organization of both armies during the Maryland Campaign of September 1862. Their work focuses on each regiment of the Union and Confederate armies as well as biographical information on the regimental commanders. (John also sneaked in a question about Rush, Smith's favorite rock band.)

This 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, and the Michigan Civil War Association.

Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.

From Antietam to Ireland: Thomas Meagher, the Irish Brigade and an American Civil War journey

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:19:13 -0600

In Episode 52, Irishman and historian Cóilín Ó Coigligh of County Cavan gives co-hosts Tom McMillan and John Banks the lowdown on Irish soldiers who fought at Antietam, including the famous Irish Brigade commander Thomas Meagher. Plus, John and Coilin dish on their American Civil War-focused trip in August on the Emerald Isle. (Pssst: They stayed at Meagher's birthplace in Waterford — it's now a four-star hotel.)

This podcast is sponsored by the Michigan Civil War Association and 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.

Essential Antietam books: From Stephen Sears to William Frassanito

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 19:15:01 -0600

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 Antietam: The Photographic Legacy of America's Bloodiest Day by William Frassanito and more.

This 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.

Historian George Rable explores Lincoln vs. McClellan and the high-stakes election of 1864

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 19:33:28 -0600

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 John Banks and Tom McMillan into the contentious relationship between the president and general. Also, Rable takes us inside the McClellan-Lincoln presidential election of 1864, perhaps the most consequential election in U.S. history. (Plus, he dishes on his cats, named for Civil War generals.)

This 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.

This 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.

The untold story of Antietam’s Dunker Church: From battlefield icon to rubble and revival

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 19:34:19 -0500

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 Dunker Church on the battlefield. Schmidt, co-author of September Mourn | The Dunker Church of Antietam Battlefield, also dishes on the church's lesser-known post-war history (pile of rubble, convenience store). Plus. McMillan tells the story of an inscription by a veteran on the exterior of the church.

This 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.

Antietam guide Gary Rohrer on the 1962 centennial, battlefield bridges and South Mountain history

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 19:28:52 -0500

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 battlefield and his attendance at the centennial in 1962. Plus, he dishes on battlefield bridges, his family's connection to the South Mountain House (D.H. Hill HQ during battle) and gets teased about being the "mayor" of Rohrersville, Md.

This 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.

Gettysburg guide Jim Hessler talks about George Armstrong Custer, Antietam Lincoln photo and Libbie Custer

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 19:40:37 -0500

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 discussion about "The Boy General" and the Maryland Campaign. He also weighs in on that famous post-Antietam photograph of President Lincoln and George McClellan that purportedly includes Custer. Plus, he dishes on Libbie Custer!

This 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.

Civil War Breakfast Club co-hosts talk Antietam stories, generals and 'hidden' history

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:36:20 -0500

In Episode 46, Darin Weeks and Mare Fincher, co-hosts of the excellent "Civil War Breakfast Club" podcast, join co-hosts John Banks (fresh from a trip to Ireland) and Tom McMillan for a freewheeling discussion of generals (O.O. Howard!) as well as lesser-known soldiers from the Battle of Antietam. Plus, they dish on their long-running podcast, favorite Antietam spots and much more.

This 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.

Best of The Antietam And Beyond Podcast: Scott Hartwig, Tom Clemens, Dennis Frye, Troy Cool, Dana Shoaf, Jennifer Murray

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 18:36:50 -0500

In Episode 45, join co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan for a "Best Of" podcast featuring these previous guests:

Historian Scott Hartwig on researching for his epic I Dread The Thought Of The Place, a nearly 1,000-page book on the Battle of Antietam.
Dr. Tom Clemens on the Save Historic Antietam Foundation.
Historian Dennis Frye and Troy Cool on their historic houses near the battlefield.
Dana Shoaf of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine on Jonathan Letterman, "The Father of Modern Battlefield Medicine."
Dr. Jennifer Murray on George Meade, "Old Baldy" and her new role as director of the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War at Shepherd 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 The Year That Made America: From Rebellion to Independence and four other books. Banks is author of A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime and numerous magazine articles about the Civil War. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.

Antietam unearthed: Justin Martin on 'A Fierce Glory'

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 19:42:34 -0500

In Episode 44, Justin Martin — author of A Fierce Glory about the Battle of Antietam and four other books — talks with co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan about the major personalities he weaved into his terrific book (Lincoln! Letterman! Gardner!). Plus, he dishes on the great lull in the fighting on Sept. 17, 1862 (and other surprises), Quentin Tarantino and driving a stick shift.

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.

Mapping Antietam: Aaron Holley's GPS meets historic cartography

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 20:07:47 -0500

On Episode 43, Aaron Holley — an Antietam Institute board member and West Virginia University graduate — talks with co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan about fields of fire, lost roads, hidden fence lines and other information derived from his fascinating battlefield mapmaking.

Holley took the late 19th-century Ezra Carman-Emmor Cope Antietam maps and aligned them with locations on today's battlefield. Through remote and field-based work, dozens of locations were matched between those maps and actual locations on the ground. This process gives these classic maps a modern GPS usage while preserving their timeless aesthetic.

Per the Antietam Institute, "Both the base map and the Carmen-Cope maps are available to purchase and download to your phone through the Avenza app. Peruse the map on and off the field, and by using GPS, you can immerse yourself on the landscape of the battlefield. Simply download Avenza to your smartphone, create a free account and purchase this map set for only $14.99."

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.

Preservation debate: Should all battlefields be saved?

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 19:28:46 -0500

In Episode 42, co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan discuss battlefield preservation at Antietam, Gettysburg and elsewhere. Should all hallowed ground be saved?

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.

Confederate gunner John Pelham: Valor on the Antietam battlefield

Tom McMillan and John Banks — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 20:31:14 -0500

In Episode 41, author/historian/speaker Sarah Kay Bierle chats with co-hosts John Banks and Tom McMillan about Confederate artillerist John Pelham, who played a pivotal role at Antietam. Her latest book is Glorious Courage: John Pelham In The Civil War, published in May 2025 by Savas Beatie. You may not know much about "The Gallant" Pelham, but you've surely seen the remarkable circa-1858 image of him by Mathew Brady in dozens of publications. Plus, Bierle dishes on the role of "Hancock The Superb" at Antietam and more.

For more on Bierle, go 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.