In conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, Heritage Montgomery produced an Emmy^®Award-winning 60-minute documentary film, Life in a War Zone: Montgomery County during the Civil War.  

Shot in high definition, the video powerfully tells the story of Montgomery County in the 1860s and the effect the Civil War had on the daily life of its citizens.  Montgomery County was strategically located next to the District of Columbia and in the path of major troop movement to and from the Confederate state of Virginia and the battles of Antietam (in Sharpsburg, Maryland) and Gettysburg (Pennsylvania).  Thousands of Union soldiers camped in Rockville and Poolesville for extended periods.  The war had a significant impact on the county and its residents for the duration of the conflict and beyond.  The film uses historic and contemporary images, beautiful photography, first-person accounts and a stirring soundtrack to tell the story of the war years in Montgomery County.

To view the video online, click the links below.  The film is also available in DVD format on our Gift Shop page.

Setting the Stage

Our Vulnerable Border

Advancing to Antietam

The Tide is Turning

Washington is Attacked

Aftermath