Remembering and Honoring the Legacy of Ed Bearss: 158th Anniversary of Antietam Live

It is our sad duty to announce the passing of beloved historian Ed Bearss, one of the legends of the battlefield preservation movement and a long-time member of the American Battlefield Trust board. Ed’s career is unmatched in the Civil War community - from his discovery of the USS Cairo to his role as chief historian emeritus of the National Park Service. For many of us, our love of history was nurtured through battlefield tours led by the indomitable Ed. Rain or shine, through muddy creeks and daunting climbs, the decorated World War II veteran always led the way. His ability to convey history in a relatable and entertaining way mesmerized his audiences for generations. Rest in peace Ed - we will not see your like again.
This video is part of our commemoration series for the 158th Anniversary of the Battle of Antietam.

[@kevinw9073]

Ed Bearss was a great American hero in WWII and a credit to the cause of Civil War battlefield preservation. It was a "good run," no doubt about it. RIP Ed.

[@duckieforever]

Ed Bearss is one of the historians who helped inspire my interest in the American Civil War, and inspired my desire to be a public historian. Thank you for honoring and remembering him. His service to his country from Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, to the countless miles he walked where heroes trod is a legacy worth keeping alive. He will be greatly missed.

[@mhollman8650]

Ed Beards is a once in a lifetime individual. We will never see the likes of him again. He will be missed. Thank you for giving me the passion to research history. You are amazing

[@Hanndy3]

Semper Fi Ed. I had the privilege of sitting down and having lunch with him 12 years ago. Greatest lunch of my life. I have no idea what we ate.

[@bassmangotdbluz3547]

Ed was a real character and his passing touches many people. May he rest in peace.

[@davestein4162]

I had the honor of experiencing a Shenandoah Valley tour (20 years ago?) with Ed Bearrs as our guide. His memory and knowledge were astounding. I recall him quoting a date involving events surrounding the 3rd Battle of Winchester….he paused and started to say “it was a Wednesday, excuse me, it was a Tuesday.” Incredible! He was a living encyclopedia but made our history extremely entertaining and inviting. He is a national treasure and we can honor this man by continuing to learn and teach these histories which remain so important to us all.

[@hoytoy100]

His guided tours are legendary. Went on two smithsonian civil war bus tours with him. Lots of energy despite his age and wounds and a walking library of American conflicts.

[@russharbaugh2028]

Well said Dennis Frye, may I add Ed's assertion that to fully understand any specific battle, you must walk the battlefield.

[@davidbaker8963]

We met Ed during Gettysburg150 and it was an unforgettable experience. Helluva guy. He will be missed, but forever remembered.

[@mikewilson8580]

Ed was a great American hero and a great man. In all the tours I have seen him lead, I have never seen him use notes. He had a photographic memory. He overcame severe and disabling injuries suffered as a marine in WW II. On his tours one had to move fast to keep up with him. As a two war combat veteran, I appreciated his focus on the ordinary soldier. Having said all that, I think I shall most miss his sense of humor. Sincere condolences to his family.

[@johnlewis1640]

I saw Mr. Bearss when he gave a lecture on the Vicksburg campaign at the Rockville Connecticut Civil war museum. He was fascinating, animated and passionate about the subject at hand. A true legend in the field.

[@tabletophistory9646]

We remember Ed and all that he did. He will be missed

[@Bowhead31]

I once walked Pickett’s Charge with Mr. Bearss in the mid-nineties. He was giving a tour of the battlefield and I was mesmerized at his telling of the charge. It was an honor to walk with him on that sacred ground. Rest In Peace Sir.

[@princeofmoskova]

My wife and I met Ed with The Trust seven years ago and had lunch with him in a barn in Vicksburg. Ed was an inspiration to us all. We will all miss you Ed.

[@johnskibajr5691]

I was honored to attend a local Legion Hall where he was to speak in 2016. It was a pleasure to hear his presentation. I won one of his books in a raffle that night and he signed it for me. A valued keepsake and a reminder of that event.

[@jamesferris4573]

Ed Bearss was a true American hero and an excellent historian. My father, uncle, and father in law were all WWll combat vets. and they all sacrificed dearly for this country, as I know Ed did. That generation of men and women were cut out of a very special, tough stock. With Ed's combat experience and wounds I am sure he could actually walk in the shoes of each and every soldier from the civil war. May God grant him the peace he has earned.

[@raford67]

Ed's legacy lives on forever in the country that he served, the work that he did, the people like me who he inspired and the battlefields that he helped to preserve. Thank You and God Speed Ed!

[@stephencroce2033]

I just today learned of Mr. Bearss as I was planning a trip to Grants Cottage in upstate NY and noticed they had a tribute to him on their info page as well. Sorry to have missed you Mr. Bears and Gods speed, it appears you’ve left a fine legacy and I look forward to learning more about you and what you cared about

[@David-fm6go]

I remember him from documentaries I watched as a kid on the History Channel from the 1990s and 2000s.

[@andygossard4293]

A National Treasure. I miss him so much.

[@tompotter4839]

I once asked Mr. Bearss during a rest stop st Chambersburg during the beginning of a tour of the second day of Gettysburg if he had been an officer in the "Corps". He answered in his wonderfully unique manner, "I was enlisted!". I loved the man and would have followed him on any battlefield.

[@CW-dl2dd]

Man, I really hate to hear that. Always wanted to meet him. Thank you for all the great and vital work that you all do and for continuing the legacy of Mr. Bearss. Rest easy, sir 🇺🇲

[@brianmartin297]

Thank you Dennis for that touching remembrance for Ed.

[@joshh8245]

I remember seeing Ed Bearss on the Ken Burns documentary The Civil War. Very sad to hear of his passing. Wish I could have met him. I love studying Civil War history and would've loved to hear him talk about it in person. Thank you to American Battlefield Trust for all you do to preserve these important battlefields and for the videos you post on KZbin. Very much appreciated. I hope one day I will be able to visit these battlefields but until then your videos help fill in the gaps for people like me who aren't there to see it for themselves.

[@cmtarbell]

One of my favorite historical newsreels is the 1938 Gettysburg reunion. Among the audience you can see many Boy Scouts. It's always gets to me when I think about the young men (and women) who were there to honor the old veterans of the Civil War, little realizing how soon their own actions would transform so many into the old heroes of another generation, one as far removed from Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, and Normandy as they were from Antietam, Gettysburg, and Chickamauga. The links between past and future we see in that newsreel demonstrate all the reasons it is important to preserve and pass on history. Mr. Bearss' legacy of service, encompassing as it does both the making and preservation of history, is the personification of those reasons and why such links must be maintained.

[@fuzzamajumula]

Well said.

[@leodoro8877]

A very captivating and engaging speaker, loved his presentations. Rest easy. Semper Fi!

[@fuzzamajumula]

Thank you, Ed Bearss. American hero.

[@frankbeckendorf667]

What a tremendous loss to the Civil War historic community.

[@russcorbett3923]

Thank you all so much for all that y'all do !!!

[@USchyldt]

I'm sad to hear Ed Bearss have passed. Thank you for a heart-warming tribute to him.

[@chipschannel9494]

RIP Ed Bearss thank you for your wisdom and knowledge.

[@anniabuhl5991]

There was no better time I had than sitting down with dear pal Eddy a couple of times a month; I, drinking my ice cold Yuengling and Eddy always with his lemonade (pink or yellow, Eddy had few qualms about anything), whilst we discussed history down to minutiae. He was truly brilliant and will be severely missed.

[@leonidaslantz5249]

A beautiful tribute to a wonderful man.

[@brentbman6945]

So sorry to hear of Ed's passing. He is a true legend.

[@150pilot]

He did much in his own way to excite many who might not have ever been excited about The Civil War and American History in general. He will be fondly remembered.

[@jayjuliecooper8882]

His unique delivery made him stand out, therefore his historic accounts were more memorable.

[@jtpencils]

A very nice and respectful eulogy to Ed, from his colleagues.

[@michaelmorgan9824]

Thank you for honoring Mr. Bearss! Saw him speak here on the West Coast when he was promoting "Fields of Honor" and was honored to talk to him! R.I.P. Mr Bearss

[@andygossard4293]

Hey Garry. You were lucky to get a sizing up from the legend.

[@ikke640424153]

Condoleances and best wishes to you all.

[@Mis-AdventureCH]

That is sad. Very much so. Excellent tribute.

[@TacoLover1]

Great job you guys! Very touching, and I also appreciate the teaching of Ed Bearss.

[@jumpmaster82nd.]

Wonderful tribute. Never met him but fortunately spent much time on a number of fields with another departed historian. Good teaching is a gift from God. Thanks Ed. Thanks BCP. Have a great discussion for us tonight on that field of honor above...RIP boys...

[@andrewhoward9870]

Thank you for carrying on Bearss’ legacy for accurate and enthusiastic Civil War history. Salutes.

[@ericsimpson1176]

Sorry to hear about this

[@platform15gym]

Met Ed twice - once at Chickamauga and again at Gettysburg outside the old Cyclorama building. Great man - a legend - he will be missed!

[@bobtoler5322]

Sad day. RIP Sir.

[@jancal9285]

So memorable from Ken Burns’ Civil War and A&E’s Civil War Journal. His love of history and his palpable enthusiasm for it surely inspired many over the years to learn more about the Civil War. Unforgettable. RIP 💐

[@wetworth]

I didn't know... I called in sick to listen to him speak at Antietam's 150th Anniversary. RIP Ed

[@kfiscal01]

Rip, a true hero and American legend.

[@chuckoffcampus9738]

I first saw him speak on a hot day in early July, 1988 at the 125th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. I was more impressed with his remarks that day than anything else I saw at the commemoration and re-enactment.

[@ChineseChicken1]

Semper Fi Brother. I got to meet him at an event at the NC museum of History several years ago. He was a Marine Raider at Suicide Creek where he was badly wounded by a Japanese machine gun.

[@johnnychaos152]

God bless Ed. Rest In Peace. 🍻

[@kingjoe3rd]

Ed was a Marine Raider during WW2 that fought on Guadalcanal, New Britain, and Cape Gloucester where he was wounded by Japanese machine gun fire. The thing about WW2 veterans is that many of them always found their ways to the battlefields of their grandfathers. The Civil War was where the modern American fighting man was born, with our father and progenitor being US Grant, and we've been fighting like him ever since.

[@bjohnson515]

An American Treasure....I wonder what his thoughts were on the statue tear down... Took a bus tour of Lee's Retreat with Ed...he was wonderful. Wounded at Cape Gloucester in the Pacific.

[@18Bees]

And those from the Civil War who went before him welcomed and thanked him on the other side.

[@jeffsmith2022]

God Bless...

[@hdtwal1den]

Great historian and a great American.

[@3rdnewjerseyregiment974]

RIP Semper Fi!

[@brettcole84]

Well said fellas

[@stevent9179]

Two huge blows in a couple of months for Antietam, Ted Alexander and Ed Bearss. I will walk the field with them in my mind along with the many thousands lost on both sides.

[@henryschmitt7577]

SEMPER FI MARINE!!!!!! Rest for your duty is done! HAND SALUTE!!!!!!

[@johnnychaos152]

Who gave this a thumbs down???

[@daldoc76]

If Robert E Lee and U S Grant returned and found themselves presenting at a Civil War Convention where Ed was also presenting, they would cancel their talks and go hear Ed.

[@edcrego396]

This is great stuff but could you turn up the volume a little I can't hear you all very well

[@MayoFilms83]

He is being remembered on American Civil War Forum. Will never for get him from Civil War Ken Burns series.

[@theallseeingmaster]

Ken Burns owes a great deal to Ed Bearrs.

[@citizenbobx]

The 90th Pennsylvania Monument (reproduction of the original) is on Cornfield Ave.

[@davidrasch3082]

Mr. Bearss did not lectured, he talked about topics as if the listeners were in his living room.

[@colinsmith3527]

Don't matter what culture you are from or what religion you believe in. All children on this planet are God's children and it is our sacred right and duty to protect them in every way because they are our future and hope for a better planet we living in. MY WAY IN THE ARMS OF AN ANGEL WITH THE POWER OF LOVE!!!!!!!!

[@kevspss]

Sleep well Jarine. Semper Fi

[@Don-ut9uo]

I wish someone was thinking about the audio. It is very hard to hear the speakers.

[@joycefranklin8981]

I agree!

[@jude999]

They would schedule his tours five years out when he was in his early 90s.😆