Civil War

Read about how the Bay and its rivers and streams played a pivotal role in many Civil War battles—both on land and water.

A statue marks a historic site at Antietam National Battlefield.
Much of the land surrounding Antietam National Battlefield has been conserved through public-private partnerships, protecting the watershed while preserving a viewscape that gives visitors a strong sense of what the area looked like during the Civil War. (Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
Confederate Army prisoners gathered in the Point Lookout prison camp.
Confederate Army prisoners gathered in the Point Lookout prison camp. (Virginia Humanities)