The National Park Service at Antietam Battlefield just outside the little town of Sharpsburg MD does an excellent job of interpreting the huge historical significance of the bloody battle that took place here in September 1862. In one day more American lives were lost than in all previous wars combined and immediately thereafter the Union purpose of the war shifted with Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. In addition to preserving the Union, the Federals were now fighting to free the slaves. It was at this battle that photographers working for Matthew Brady took graphic photos of the carnage and showed the reality of war to the public. We were struck by stark juxtapositions. The fighting began immediately adjacent to the Dunker Church, a pacifist religious community. Today war monuments rise high above peaceful cornfields. And there were poignant connections. Here a young William McKinley was under the command of Rutherford B. Hayes, both men would later serve as US Presidents. And two men who had once been roommates at Westpoint and who had courted and proposed marriage to the same young woman, James McClelland and Ambrose P. Hill would serve as Generals on opposing sides of the conflict. We watched the orientation film then purchased the CD narration and drove the battlefield tour starting at the rebuilt Dunker Church and ending at the National Cemetery established in 1867. We are so grateful for those who had the vision to preserve this important place and to those who continue to work to educate us as to the significance of our history.
0 Comments