I'm remembering Antietam today... because it was on this day (17 Sept 1862) that the single most bloody day in all of the history of military battles (American history) occurred. McClellan's Union troops and Lee's Confederate troops met at Sharpsburg, Maryland for this horrific battle. It started in the early morning hours and by the end of the day, the casualty numbers were staggering. The total casualties were more than 22,700 but the deaths for this one-day battle were high as well as the wounded, missing, and captured. The north lost more than 2,100 soldiers to death in that one day, and the south lost more than 1,500. Many of the times I'm at Gettysburg, I take a few hours and go down to the Antietam battlefield. It's very easy to forget the massive carnage in that one day 152 years later, but when I do take a moment to internalize that reality, it always hits hard.
I just found out that I'll be able to go to Antietam again in two weeks! I will be at Gettysburg most of the time, but there will be time one day to head south for a few hours! First stop as always will be the Dunker Church, and the last stop will be Burnside Bridge again... maybe I can post a picture without having to hike in the pouring rain this time. I have a few monuments that I want to pay more attention to this time. Looking forward to it greatly!
