Where We Be
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| We arrived at Antietam (an-TEET-um) Battleground just in time for a Civil War rifle and cannon demo |
| Antietam, MD & Gettysburg, PA |
We traveled to two of the most important battle-
grounds of the Civil War -- Antietam, Maryland
and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Both hold
unenviable records. Antietam witnessed the
single bloodiest day of the war --and in all of
American military history -- with over 23,000
casualties on Sep 17, 1862. Gettysburg was the
site of the bloodiest overall battle with 51,112
casualties over three days from July 1-3, 1863.
The Battle of Antietam took place over 12 long
hours. Teetering back and forth several times,
it served as a crucial turning point of the Civil
War. The Union “victory” gave Lincoln the
political capital needed to issue the preliminary
Emancipation Proclamation. We were fascinated
to learn that Union forces found a copy of
Robert E. Lee's battle plans wrapped in three
cigars at an abandoned Confederate campsite,
giving the Union a huge intelligence advantage.
As for the Battle of Gettysburg, it was a decisive
turning point in the Civil War. It remains the
bloodiest battle in North American history. A few
months after the fighting, President Lincoln
delivered his famous Gettysburg Address. It
was only 272 words long but stands as one of
the most famous speeches in U.S. history.
grounds of the Civil War -- Antietam, Maryland
and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Both hold
unenviable records. Antietam witnessed the
single bloodiest day of the war --and in all of
American military history -- with over 23,000
casualties on Sep 17, 1862. Gettysburg was the
site of the bloodiest overall battle with 51,112
casualties over three days from July 1-3, 1863.
The Battle of Antietam took place over 12 long
hours. Teetering back and forth several times,
it served as a crucial turning point of the Civil
War. The Union “victory” gave Lincoln the
political capital needed to issue the preliminary
Emancipation Proclamation. We were fascinated
to learn that Union forces found a copy of
Robert E. Lee's battle plans wrapped in three
cigars at an abandoned Confederate campsite,
giving the Union a huge intelligence advantage.
As for the Battle of Gettysburg, it was a decisive
turning point in the Civil War. It remains the
bloodiest battle in North American history. A few
months after the fighting, President Lincoln
delivered his famous Gettysburg Address. It
was only 272 words long but stands as one of
the most famous speeches in U.S. history.
| Four months after the battle, Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address from this spot |
| We left Antietam behind and continued to another important Civil War battlefield, Gettysburg |
| How such a beautiful spot could be the site of so much death and destruction is hard to fathom |
| A small number of Confederate troops at Sunken Road held off a larger Union force. Many thousands were killed here. |
| Some of the most terrible fighting took place at this cornfield |
| Dunker Church just across from the visitor center was in the heart of the action. Lincoln visited this church after the battle when it served as a temporary hospital |
| Of nearly 100,000 soldiers engaged in battle, about 23,000 were killed, wounded, or missing |
| View of the field of battle from the Visitor Center |
| The museum at the visitor center brought home just how devastating this one-day battle was |
| The cannon demo was LOUD! |
| Antietam Battleground, Maryland |
| Sunken Road (Bloody Lane) was another key battleground |
| Gettysburg involved the largest number of casualties of the entire war and is usually considered the war's turning point |
| We paid $15 each to see the excellent movie and the Cyclorama (above) – a circular painting completed in the late 1800s mixed with sound and light effects that make you feel like you're standing in the middle of the battle during Pickett’s Charge |
| Gettysburg Battleground, Pennsylvania |
| "That these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth" |
| We found it easy to visualize the two forces facing off from two ridges – Seminary Ridge and Cemetery Ridge – with a wide field in between. This sign marks the site of Pickett's Charge, a decisive turning point in the war, with 12,500 Confederates trying (and failing) to break through the Union center. |
| You can climb to the top of the Pennsylvania Monument for good views of the battleground |
| Then we saw the battle from the Union side, including standing atop Little Round Top. Occupying this high ground was of crucial importance and fiercely contested. |
| First we saw the battle from the Confederate side, following along Seminary Ridge. From here you can see Little Round Top, a key battleground. |
| After touring the extensive Civil War Museum, we began our drive – something like 22 miles all told – to see the main sites of the battle |
| Memorial statues are everywhere, marking where different state regiments served |
