125th Penna. - Antietam National Battlefield - Sharpsburg, MD - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Near Sharpsburg, within the Antietam National Battlefield, is this historical sign that highlights the story of the 125th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.

The sign is in a grass cut clearing about 300 ft west of the Dunker Church, which is a known landmark in the battlefield at the intersection of Dunker Road and Smoketown Road. It is just north of the monument to the 125th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.

The sign has the following text on it:

"125th Penna
While forming the extreme left front as Sedgewick's Division was being shot down in the West Woods. The 125th Penna. Inf. Rgt. was at time only 50 yards from Confederate Infantry. Of the regiment's 54 killed and 91 wounded, most were lost here in the field in front of you. 9 to 9:20 A.M."

I am not sure who placed this marker here. It is different from the "Union" or "Confederate" markers that typically populate Civil War battlefields. It may have been placed by the government of Pennsylvania since the monument is nearby.

The Wikipedia article on the 125th PA Infantry has a good amount of information about the unit. There is also a nice map that has a circle around the area where both the 12th PA and 34th NY Infantries. You can tell that they were definitely in the thick of things.

Other source:

National Park Service (Antietam National Battlefield):
(visit link)

Group that erected the marker: Not sure. URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Along a path that starts near the intersection of Smoketown Rd and Dunker Rd. Sharpsburg, MD United States of America 21735

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