SHAF Fall Workday 2007: Another Scene Restoration Project at Antietam
December 12, 2007
(from the December 2007 SHAF Newsletter)
It was a dark and stormy night …
No, it wasn’t that bad, but Saturday, November 10 did begin as a very overcast dreary day, with rain threatening at any minute. Nevertheless eight intrepid SHAF members met at 9:00 with four NPS Natural Resources workers for a rewarding day of scenic restoration work.
Our task for the day was the removal of trees and brush along the fence line separating the historic Mumma and Roulette farms. This fence line runs from the Bloody Lane eastward to just above the Roulette house and divides the two properties.
With as many as four chain saws running, we broke off to drag branches and sawn timber into a couple of huge burn piles. Don’t think this is easy work; some of this stuff is heavy, and we occasionally had trouble keeping up with the guys who were cutting. But there were no a complaints from our loyal laborers. The weather was just cool enough to make working more comfortable than standing around, and fortunately the rain moved off. In fact, by noon the sky was clearing.
We worked until about 3:00 p.m. and were able to open up over 100 yards of fence line. This area is right in the middle of the field and conspicuous from the Visitors Center–visitors can view the whole Bloody Lane attack field from the Observation Room.
When we were finished I could not resist driving up to the top of the hill to see the difference our labors had created. Needless to say, I went home with very sore arms and legs but with a newly-warmed heart. Working on these projects is a rewarding experience and I encourage anyone who is able to join us on our next work day.
