A new historical marker has been erected beside Antietam Elementary School to mark the site where, in December 1862, Civil War combatants crossed Selecman’s Ford on the Occoquan River to do battle.

The marker is the result of a project undertaken by the Prince William County Historical Commission that has taken years to research and complete.

The marker was placed near Antietam Elementary because of its proximity to the location of Selecman’s Ford, an important crossing of the Occoquan prior to the construction of bridges.