‘Shepherdstown Remembers Antietam’: 161st anniversary of battle to be commemorated with local film screening

Jim Surkamp accepts the 2023 Preserving Historic Legacies Award from Historic Shepherdstown President Donna Bertazzoni, as Historic Shepherdstown Vice President Jerry Bock applauds in May. Courtesy photo
SHEPHERDSTOWN — The Shepherdstown Opera House (SOH) will be filled to the brim with history enthusiasts on Sept. 17, as they come together to commemorate the 161st anniversary of the Battle of Antietam at the film screening of “Shepherdstown Remembers Antietam.”
Local history researcher Jim Surkamp wrote and produced the film about the bloodiest day in American military history, which took place on Sept. 17, 1862 in Maryland, just across the Potomac River from Shepherdstown. According to Surkamp, this will be the first time “Shepherdstown Remembers Antietam” will have been screened in a theater. The positive response to the news of the film’s showing has led to an unexpected expansion of the event, Surkamp announced on Monday.
“The 3 p.m. showing of ‘Shepherdstown Remembers Antietam’ is sold out!” Surkamp said. “Reserve your free tickets for the added 5 p.m. showing, while they’re available.”
According to Surkamp, the film incorporates data collected over the last 30 years, including organized photographs and written recollections from local figures of note, such as Mary Bedinger Mitchell, Nettie Lee and Henry L. Snyder. The Historic Shepherdstown 2023 Preserving Historic Legacies Award recipient’s film describes the Battle of Antietam’s impact through the eyes of Shepherdstown-area residents of the time, many of whom mobilized to aid wounded and hungry soldiers.
“How many towns have their own historian-filmmaker?” said SOH co-owner Harriet Pearson, noting three local history organizations are sponsoring the film screenings. “We’re pleased that the renovated Shepherdstown Opera House can showcase Jim Surkamp’s work with the co-sponsorship of Historic Shepherdstown & Museum, the George Tyler Moore Center at Shepherd University, and the Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association.”
Pearson noted that Surkamp will be sharing even more information on this topic prior to the first film screening, on a walking tour for guests of the co-sponsoring organizations, which will start at the Entler Hotel and end at the SOH. Following both film screenings, Surkamp will remain afterward to participate in short question-and-answer sessions.
To reserve a ticket, visit https://operahouselive.com/. Doors will open a half hour before the screenings, with reserved tickets being released at 10 minutes prior to each screening. Seating is limited to 100 people.
A second 161st anniversary event will be held at the SOH later that week on Sept. 21 at 7 p.m., in the form of lecture by historian and filmmaker Steven Cowie, who will present his book, “When Hell Came to Sharpsburg: The Battle of Antietam and Its Impact on the Civilians Who Called It Home.” The free, ticketless event will be sponsored by George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War. For more information, email gtmcweb@shepherd.edu.