The MOST ICONIC Fence in History: Posts

The fence bordering the Hagerstown Pike was not a pleasant place to be on the morning of September the 17th, 1862. Unfortunately, the fence that stands there today is just like every other mass produced fence everywhere else in the country. It lacks the character of a true 19th Century fence.

My objective is to recreate the infamous fence on my own property. No one has split a fence rail or hewn a fence post here for at least a hundred years but I have no doubt that it was a common activity for my ancestors here in the past. Several of my relatives would have seen the fence at Sharpsburg during or immediately after the battle while the dead still lay beside it. One was born here. Another was a frequent visitor, elder brother of my great great grandfather who built the house I now call home. I can only imagine the terror he felt as his regiment retreated past this fence on that September morning.