I spent the day yesterday in the Shenandoah Valley – particularly with a goal of bouncing around the Cross Keys and Port Republic Battlefields in the Harrisonburg area. It was very informative and I’ll have a series of posts about these fields on the sesquicentennial occasions this coming Friday and Saturday.

BUT … today … I was at the “Coaling” on the Port Republic field – which is a high ground position originally held by the Union. It is a short walk up a steep incline to a marker near the top. As I was sitting there enjoying the vista, up pulls a tour bus. (Understand – this is essentially in the middle of nowhere!)  By the time I walked down the hill, the bus had emptied out, and there in the middle of the group, gesturing with his walking stick in that inimitable gravely voice was Ed Bearrs!!!   I had to take a picture of it, just to prove to the other guides at Antietam that I was not making up the story…. so here you go:

Posted by on June 3, 2012 in Uncategorized and tagged , .

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About Randy Buchman

I live in Western Maryland, and among my too many pursuits and hobbies, I regularly feed multiple hungry blogs. I played college baseball, coached championship cross country teams at Williamsport (MD) High School, and have been a sportswriter for various publications and online venues. My main profession was as the lead pastor of a church in Hagerstown called Tri-State Fellowship for 28 years before retiring in 2022. I'm also active in Civil War history and work/serve at Antietam National Battlefield with the Antietam Battlefield Guides organization. Occasionally I sleep.

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