My Genealogy Hound

Shepherdstown, West Virginia, View from across the Potomac River, 1861-1865 historic photo

Shepherdstown, West Virginia, View from across the Potomac River, 1861-1865,  Battle of Antietam, historic photo

An historic photo view of the town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia as seen from across the Potomac River. Shepherdstown is located in far northeast West Virginia with the Potomac River serving as the border between the states of West Virginia and Maryland. Just a few miles northeast of Shepherdstown on the Maryland side is Sharpsburg near where the Battle of Antietam was fought on September 17, 1862. After the battle, the retreating Confederate troops converted the entire town of Shepherdstown into a field hospital where virtually every building and even the streets were used for a temporary place of care for the soldiers that had been wounded in battle. Near the center of this photo on the Potomac River are the pillars that supported a long covered bridge that ran between West Virginia and Maryland. This bridge and others on the Potomac River were destroyed during June, 1861 by troops commanded by Stonewall Jackson in an effort to make access by Union troops to the west more difficult. Note: West Virginia did not become a state until 1863 so at the time of these events was a part of Virginia.

This photo is from the Civil War era, 1861-1865, and was published as a stereograph view in 1880-1889.

View additional Civil War related historic photos and images

View additional West Virginia historic photos, images and vintage postcards

View additional historic photos, images and vintage postcards for other states and topics

Additional historic photos and vintage postcards (including multiple views for each location) will be added frequently so check back often. Our free weekly newsletter also announces new additions to the website. Subscribe to the free newsletter here.

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of family biographies, vintage maps and vintage postcards.

Follow My Genealogy Hound on Facebook: Follow me on Facebook