Another reel from the Charles Barr 8mm film library. Captured in 1950, this film focuses on a trip to see the historic Civil War battlefields and communities of Gettysburg, and Antietam.
The film begins at the Antietam Battlefield. Charles focuses on memorials and monuments from Ohio units, his home state. Some footage from the Lookout Tower of the surrounding battlefield and scattered monuments.
Next we see footage of the Antietam National Cemetery and the magnificent Private Soldiers Monument on the outskirts of Sharpsburg, MD. Further into Sharpsburg we see footage of The Big Spring, which is a never-failing source of water that the town was built around. The spring was a well-known source of fresh waters for the natives and ultimately the new settlers as well. Charles filmed a couple of buildings in the middle of town, including The Historic Grove House. He also got a great shot of the General Edward Braddock Plaque and nearby private residence. A little outside town, Charles gets footage of some of the historic farm houses prominent in the battle, such as the John Otto Farm, and the Joseph Sherrick Farm. More in depth history of these farms can be found in these links for the Joseph Sherrick Farm and the John Otto Farm.
