BGuthrie Photos: MD -- South Mountain Welcome Center (where Beltway snipers were arrested)

MD -- South Mountain Welcome Center (where Beltway snipers were arrested):

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. SNIPVC_160530_021.JPG: Dear Friends, We're having a great time here in Maryland! We ventured off the highway and explored scenic byways and back roads through the heart of Civil War country. The countryside if gorgeous. We enjoyed spectacular Cunningham Falls, tasted fabulous local wines, toured vineyards, and then went shopping in some fun little towns along the way. Tomorrow we raft the whitewater of the Potomac River. The kids can't wait! -- Wish you were here! -- The Gang
2. SNIPVC_160530_026.JPG: THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM, fought fourteen miles from here on September 17, 1862, was a pivotal Union victory, encouraging President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
3. SNIPVC_160530_035.JPG: Explore Maryland at the Crossroads of Conflict When the Civil War broke out in 1861 and divided the nation, Maryland was on the conflict's pivotal border between North and South, and braced itself for war. Battles fought on Maryland's soil were critical to the defense of the nation's capital and showed this region's citizens the brutality of the war firsthand. The long conflict engulfed homes, towns and livelihoods, leaving its mark in the area's many battlefields. Local citizens, though divided by conviction, were united by compassion. They tended the wounded in nearby churches and public buildings, converted into hospitals. Follow the area's Civil War driving trails through the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area to learn of a struggle that still haunts the nation today. Pick up your byway map and free travel guides inside the South Mountain Welcome Center. The Antietam Campaign: Retrace history along the Antietam Campaign trail, a driving tour that follows Confederate General Robert E. Lee's advance. Hoping that a bold invasion of the North would "liberate" Maryland, Lee pushed through this region in the fall of 1862. The battles that followed were some of the costliest of the entire war. Trying to secure supply and communication lines, Lee divided his army between Harper's Ferry, Hagerstown, and the three South Mountain gaps, just miles from here. When the troops at the gaps clashed with the Union, Lee was forced to pull back and look for a defensible place to regroup. He chose Sharpsburg. His army stood its ground there at the catastrophic Battle of Antietam on September 17th, 1862 -- the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. Despite massive losses on both sides, the Union won the day and ended Lee's invasion. The Gettysburg Campaign: Follow the advance of over 160,000 Union and Confederate troops on the Gettysburg Invasion Trails. During the summer of 1863, the Confederate Army was again on the move through Maryland, seeking out an offensive advantage and the ripening crops of Pennsylvania's farms. Union forces searched for them in vain, plodding north from Frederick, just east of this ridge. Hidden by the mountain range on which you stand, the Confederates marched just west of here through the Great Valley. The two armies collided at Gettysburg on July 1st, 1863, a historic battle and another Union victory. The Battle of Monocacy: In the line of fire yet again, Maryland was invaded a third time in July of 1864 when Confederate troops under General Jubal Early closed in on Washington. The only Union force in their way was a ragtag group of 2,300 men, most of whom had never seen battle. Commanded by General Lew Wallace, they spread out over 6 miles along the Monocacy River near Frederick, hoping to stall the Confederate army long enough for Washington to bolster its defenses. Though the Confederates won the battle, the fight cost precious time -- and spared the capital.
4. SNIPVC_160530_045.JPG: The Antietam Campaign: Retrace history along the Antietam Campaign trail, a driving tour that follows Confederate General Robert E. Lee's advance. Hoping that a bold invasion of the North would "liberate" Maryland, Lee pushed through this region in the fall of 1862. The battles that followed were some of the costliest of the entire war. Trying to secure supply and communication lines, Lee divided his army between Harper's Ferry, Hagerstown, and the three South Mountain gaps, just miles from here. When the troops at the gaps clashed with the Union, Lee was forced to pull back and look for a defensible place to regroup. He chose Sharpsburg. His army stood its ground there at the catastrophic Battle of Antietam on September 17th, 1862 -- the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. Despite massive losses on both sides, the Union won the day and ended Lee's invasion. The Gettysburg Campaign: Follow the advance of over 160,000 Union and Confederate troops on the Gettysburg Invasion Trails. During the summer of 1863, the Confederate Army was again on the move through Maryland, seeking out an offensive advantage and the ripening crops of Pennsylvania's farms. Union forces searched for them in vain, plodding north from Frederick, just east of this ridge. Hidden by the mountain range on which you stand, the Confederates marched just west of here through the Great Valley. The two armies collided at Gettysburg on July 1st, 1863, a historic battle and another Union victory. The Battle of Monocacy: In the line of fire yet again, Maryland was invaded a third time in July of 1864 when Confederate troops under General Jubal Early closed in on Washington. The only Union force in their way was a ragtag group of 2,300 men, most of whom had never seen battle. Commanded by General Lew Wallace, they spread out over 6 miles along the Monocacy River near Frederick, hoping to stall the Confederate army long enough for Washington to bolster its defenses. Though the Confederates won the battle, the fight cost precious time -- and spared the capital.
5. SNIPVC_160530_050.JPG: Nearby is CAMP DAVID, a presidential retreat since Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration, where leaders meet and make crucial decisions that shape our nation and world.
6. SNIPVC_160530_053.JPG: Freedom seekers on the UNDERGROUND RAILROAD crossed the Potomac River and traveled north through these mountains to reach freedom's border -- the Mason and Dixon Line.
7. SNIPVC_160530_056.JPG: THE HISTORIC NATIONAL ROAD -- "The Road that Built the Nation" -- parallels Interstate 70, connecting western settlements across the Appalachian Mountains with eastern ports since 1806.
8. SNIPVC_160530_060.JPG: Explore Maryland as the Crucible of the Nation Crisscrossed by transportation routes, home to America's earliest industries, and meeting place for national leaders, Maryland's Appalachian region has been pivotal in the growth of the country. Throughout its history, the nation has struggled with issues like independence, slavery and states' rights. Maryland -- situated between north and south and once the edge of the frontier -- became a critical crossroads and meeting ground for diverse ideas that would shape the country's character. From the courageous ordinary citizens who supported freedom on the Underground Railroad, to the extraordinary leaders who have converged here for historic presidential summits at Camp David, the region has witnessed American history at its most decisive. Discover these compelling stories with your byway map and free travel guides from the South Mountain Welcome Center. The Road That Built the Nation: This mountain range was once on the edge of wilderness, crossed only by American Indian trade routes. in the 18th century, General Edward Braddock and a young George Washington journeyed here to secure the frontier at Fort Frederick and beyond. As the nation pushed its boundary westward, the Appalachian Mountains provided to be a formidable obstacle. Washington envisioned a highway to open the west to trade and settlement, and in 1806 the National Road was authorized by Congress. The road soon became a lifeline for a young America, connecting the frontier to eastern cities like Cumberland and Baltimore and serving as gateway to the Atlantic and ports beyond. Although the wagon trains are long gone, the Historic National Road continues to serve travelers as a byway, paralleling interstate 70 and 68. A Historic National Road Map Guide, available in the welcome center, helps visitors journey through time. Race for the West: The National Road was not the only route across the mountains for long. The railroad and canal system were soon competing with the Road -- and with each other -- for profitable commerce. When the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal both broke ground on July 4, 1828, the race for the West was on. This race intensified nearby at Point of Rocks where the two competed for a critical right-of-way. The Brunswick Railroad Museum and the C&O Canal National Historical Park tell the story. In the end, the railroad eclipsed the canal as an efficient means of travel, but the automobile soon overshadowed them both. Network to Freedom: Until the Civil War ended slavery, Maryland was at the border with freedom in the North. Although Maryland was a slave-holding state, many courageous residents defied the institution by secretly assisting enslaved African Americans in their journey north. It is believed that some used the Underground Railroad, a network of sympathetic people and safe houses, to find their way along South Mountain's forested ridge, crossing the Mason and Dixon Line just 15 miles north of here. A Network to Freedom Map Guide helps visitors trace the heroic flight from slavery. The nearby Kennedy Farmhouse also played a role in the fight against slavery. Abolitionist John Brown used it as his headquarters while planning his 1859 raid on the Harpers Ferry arsenal that he hoped would arm slaves in their fight for freedom. The raid failed, but foretold the violence of the Civil War, which began sixteen months later.
9. SNIPVC_160530_070.JPG: The Road That Built the Nation: This mountain range was once on the edge of wilderness, crossed only by American Indian trade routes. in the 18th century, General Edward Braddock and a young George Washington journeyed here to secure the frontier at Fort Frederick and beyond. As the nation pushed its boundary westward, the Appalachian Mountains provided to be a formidable obstacle. Washington envisioned a highway to open the west to trade and settlement, and in 1806 the National Road was authorized by Congress. The road soon became a lifeline for a young America, connecting the frontier to eastern cities like Cumberland and Baltimore and serving as gateway to the Atlantic and ports beyond. Although the wagon trains are long gone, the Historic National Road continues to serve travelers as a byway, paralleling interstate 70 and 68. A Historic National Road Map Guide, available in the welcome center, helps visitors journey through time. Race for the West: The National Road was not the only route across the mountains for long. The railroad and canal system were soon competing with the Road -- and with each other -- for profitable commerce. When the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal both broke ground on July 4, 1828, the race for the West was on. This race intensified nearby at Point of Rocks where the two competed for a critical right-of-way. The Brunswick Railroad Museum and the C&O Canal National Historical Park tell the story. In the end, the railroad eclipsed the canal as an efficient means of travel, but the automobile soon overshadowed them both. Network to Freedom: Until the Civil War ended slavery, Maryland was at the border with freedom in the North. Although Maryland was a slave-holding state, many courageous residents defied the institution by secretly assisting enslaved African Americans in their journey north. It is believed that some used the Underground Railroad, a network of sympathetic people and safe houses, to find their way along South Mountain's forested ridge, crossing the Mason and Dixon Line just 15 miles north of here. A Network to Freedom Map Guide helps visitors trace the heroic flight from slavery. The nearby Kennedy Farmhouse also played a role in the fight against slavery. Abolitionist John Brown used it as his headquarters while planning his 1859 raid on the Harpers Ferry arsenal that he hoped would arm slaves in their fight for freedom. The raid failed, but foretold the violence of the Civil War, which began sixteen months later.
10. SNIPVC_160530_074.JPG: WASHINGTON COUNTY features 24 graceful stone-arch bridges. Burnside Bridge was a major site of Civil War action.
11. SNIPVC_160530_079.JPG: THE APPALACHIAN NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL follows the crests of South Maintain, offering spectacular hiking from Maine to Georgia.
12. SNIPVC_160530_097.JPG: The 184-mile C&O CANAL, where mule-drawn barges once lumbered alongside the Potomac River, provides a serene waterway for paddling, and a towpath for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
13. SNIPVC_160530_111.JPG: Report Human Trafficking: National Human Trafficking Resource Center 1-888-3737-888 Call for help if you or someone you know: * Is being forced to have sex without consent. * Has had an ID or documents taken away * Is being threatened by or is in debt to an employer * Wants to leave a job but cannot freely do so
14. SNIPVC_160530_113.JPG: This is the area where the snipers had been picked up years before
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Description of Subject Matter: I took pictures of this both for historical reasons and because they said the whole place was going to be torn down and rebuilt beginning in April 2008. Not because of the sniper but because they had needed to upgrade for handicap accessibility etc.

Contemporary pictures of the scene are on the FBI site at http://www.fbi.gov/page2/oct07/snipers102207.html
Wikipedia Description: Beltway sniper attacks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Beltway sniper attacks took place during three weeks in October 2002 in the Mid-Atlantic United States. As ten people were killed and three others critically injured in and around Washington, D.C., in various locations throughout the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area and along Interstate 95 in Virginia, it was widely speculated that a single sniper was using the Capital Beltway for travel, possibly in a white van or truck. It was later learned that the rampage was perpetrated by two men, John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, driving a blue Chevrolet Caprice sedan, and had apparently begun the month before with murders and robbery in Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia which had resulted in three deaths. An earlier spree for which the pair was responsible had killed victims in California, Arizona, and Texas, for a total of 16 deaths identified as of March 2007.

Snipers:

Authorities initially attributed the attacks to a lone sniper, dubbed by journalists the "Beltway Sniper," the "D.C. Sniper," the "Washington Sniper," the "Serial Sniper" or the "Tarot Card Killer."

After their capture, there was much confusion about the names of the two men. The older of the pair, born John Allen Williams (age 41 at the time of capture), had joined the Black nationalist organization the Nation of Islam some years earlier, and in October 2001 had changed his name to John Allen Muhammad. The younger man was born Lee Boyd Malvo, but also calls himself John Lee Malvo and had posed as Muhammad's son (17 years old at the time of his arrest). Malvo's actual relationship with Muhammad was initially unclear, although it was later learned that Malvo was found by John in a homeless shelter after John lost custody of his children.

The two men practiced shooting in the backyard of the 3300 block of South Proctor Street in Tacoma, Washington, according to investigators, and studied the film Savior, produced by Oliv ...More...
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2016 photos: Seven relatively short trips this year: two Civil War Trust conference (Gettysburg, PA and West Point, NY, with a side-trip to New York City), my 11th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including sites in Utah, Nevada, and California), a quick trip to Michigan for Uncle Wayne's funeral, two additional trips to New York City, and a Civil Rights site trip to Alabama during the November elections. Being in places where people died to preserve the rights of minority voters made the Trumputin election even more depressing. Equipment this year: I continued to use my Fuji XS-1 cameras but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000. Number of photos taken this year: just over 610,000.
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