Col. Dixon S. Miles was a career soldier in charge of the United States garrison at Harpers Ferry in September, 1862. With a Confederate force under the command of General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson surrounding the garrison, Miles will be forced to surrender on Sept. 15. It will be the largest surrender of American forces until the fall of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II. The talk will cover Miles pre-Civil War career, what happened at First Manassas and address who else can be held partially responsible for the loss of Harpers Ferry and why. On Monday, July 8, historian and battlefield guide, Sharon Murray will present, Dixon S. Miles Reconsidered.

As a native Idahoan, Sharon Murray moved east in 2010 to volunteer at Antietam National Battlefield. She has multiple degrees in mining engineering and history from the University of Idaho. Sharon has published a number of articles on Idaho mining history and won awards for photographs from the International California Mining Journal and the American Battlefield Trust. Sharon has been a guide at Antietam since 2014 and she recently self-published her first book, An Ornament to His Country: The Life and Military Career of Benjamin Franklin Davis.

Come join leading historians and scholars as they discuss intriguing topics about their latest works and research on the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War during our Civil War Summer Lecture Series.

These indoors programs are sponsored by the Jacob Rohrbach Inn and will be held in McKinley Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m.  The church is located at 209W Main Street with a small parking area off the alley. More parking is available on Main and Hall Streets. These lectures free and open to the public. Each week we hold a drawing in which the proceeds support the Save Historic Antietam Foundation. Be sure to check our Facebook page for updates and changes to the schedule.