Antietam National Battlefield
N 39° 28.307 W 077° 44.772
18S E 263771 N 4372733
On September 17, 1862, the Armies of the Union and the Confederacy met at Antietam as Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee led his army in their first invasion of the North. By the end of that day, more than 23,000 soldiers lie dead or wounded.
Waymark Code: WM5AGW
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 12/07/2008
Views: 37
Antietam National Battlefield is located in a beautiful rural area of Maryland. It's a lovely place to visit and a fine place for activities like hiking. But take the time to learn what happened here and you will not fail to be moved and awed.
In September 1862, following the Battle of South Mountain, Confederate General Robt E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was positioned west of Antietam Creek while Gen. George McClellan's forces were located on the east. Very early on September 17, the Union forces began to attack. That morning, the armies met in combat that swept across the Cornfield, the East Woods and the West Woods. By mid-day, the battle shifted to the site of a three hour stalemate in a location that has come to be known as Bloody Lane. The battle ended that day at the lower bridge over Antietam Creek, now known as Burnside Bridge.
Even though the fighting lasted for about 12 hours that day, the lines of battle had hardly shifted. But when it was over, more than 23,000 of the 100,000 men on that battlefield had been killed or wounded, the bloodiest one-day battle in American history.
This battle was one of the most significant of the American Civil War, and one result was President Abraham Lincoln's decision to enact the Emancipation Proclamation.
These battle sites have been preserved or restored, and it is possible to see these locations much as they were on that day. Information for driving tours, hikes or ranger-led programs are available at the Visitors' Center to enhance your visit.
The Park can be visited year-round but an extremely moving and beautiful time to visit is for the annual battlefield Memorial Illumination each December. Hundreds of volunteers place 23,110 paper bag luminaria across the battlefield over a 5-mile long driving tour to honor all of the fallen at Antietam. Our Boy Scout troop has been honored to be part of this now 20-year-old tradition for the past number of years. There is an excellent short video of the experience on the Park's Illumination website at
(
visit link) but it truly has to be seen to be fully appreciated.
The Park is open year-round except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. The hours vary by season but the park is open daily.
The posted coordinates will take you to the entrance of the Battlefield Park.