Antietam Remembered, 150 Years Ago Today

Dunker Church

One hundred and fifty years ago today two great armies met near the sleepy little town of Sharpsburg, Maryland. The American Civil War had seen its share of horrific battles but none to compare to what was to follow on this fateful September day. By days end over 3,000 were dead with about 23,000 total causalities, the single bloodiest day in American history. Although it wasn't a victory for either army it did staunch Lee's invasion of the north and gave President Lincoln the political capital to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, clearly defining the war as a struggle over the issue of slavery.

The Battle of Antietam also was a significant landmark for photography. For the very first time an American battlefield was photographed while the human carnage remained on the field. Photographer Alexander Gardner and his assistant arrived at Antietam just two days after the battle, and set about documenting the aftermath of that incredibly horrible day. For the first time in history images of a battle scene were recorded as they actually were.  How fitting it was that it happened on the battlefield that remains the bloodiest day in American history.

     

Spokes

During Chad’s visit we stopped by Antietam National Battlefield. As we wandered near the visitors center I noticed the neat pattern created by the hub & spokes of this Artillery Wheel mounted on the rear of a Caisson. The standard practice of the day was to carry a spare wheel on the rear of each caisson. This wheel fit both the caissons and also the field artillery pieces.

I cannot visit places such as Antietam and Gettysburg without examining the artillery pieces sitting about. One hundred and fifty years ago these guns represented the power and might of the U.S. Government but today they are left to sit idly by on these sacred grounds. Only a small amount of work would be required to return many of these guns to firing condition but although still deadly, their firepower would be of little consequence today.

Antietam, Parting Thoughts

As we leave Antietam I hope you have enjoyed viewing this series as much as I have sharing it. These photographs were taken one beautiful morning in late August as I roamed this sacred ground. I much prefer to visit such places when no crowds are present as it allows me to reflect upon what transpired here.

As I walk these grounds I feel as if I am in a sanctuary, much the feeling of reverence I experience in a house of worship but much stronger. The combatants upon this field were all American, some from the North and some from the South. Both sides worshiped the same god and asked their god to protect them and to give their side the victory. Many were good and a few were bad, but you could not separate them by the uniform they wore.

This war was fought to decide whether State’s rights came before the powers of the Federal Government. The issue was slavery.

Looking back I have difficulty understanding how a people who worshiped Christ and read the same Bible I read could have conceived and perpetrated such an institution but then again it is also difficult for me to understand how this same people took this land from its rightful owners, the Native Americans, through centuries of ethnic cleansing.

I have no answers, only questions as I contemplate the history of this great country. I have listened to preachers tell how our country was founded upon biblical principles by God fearing men and I am left to wonder when I look at the “skeletons in our closet”.

Antietam, Parting Shots

The final Union Assault was upon the Confederate right across what is now known as Burnside’s Bridge. This attack finally failed about 5:30pm with the arrival of Rebel troops under the command of Gen. A. P. Hill. The troops moved immediately into line of battle upon arriving after an exhausting seventeen mile march from Harpers Ferry effectively stopping the Union advance.

This cannon sits near where the Union troops entered Burnside’s Bridge.

A co-worker/friend of mine is taking a photography class taught by a former National Geographic photographer. The assignment for the fifth class is to shoot a scenic. He is required to shoot either in the morning between the hours of 7-9am or he may choose the evening between 5-7pm. I mentioned to him that Antietam would be a great place to shoot and took the opportunity to share this series with him. Following our conversation I began to make some mental notes concerning why I prefer the morning in most cases.

First I must admit I am a morning type of guy. My favorite part of the day is that peaceful time just before the sunrise. If you have ever shot anything other than the occasional snapshot I am sure you understand the effect of low angle lighting and its ability to enhance a photograph but naturally it is present both morning and evening.

Morning though is unique, heavy dew can make a scene sparkle or even become the subject itself. Ground fog can also be used to our advantage in many ways, and last but certainly not least; if the light is not correct for the shot envisioned, just wait, for it will improve. If this same situation presents itself in the evening the only remedy will be a return trip.


If it were necessary to choose between the two I am sure I would choose the morning but with that being said I would sorely miss the warm light that can only be found during a beautiful sunset.

Antietam, the Center

After the early morning attack against the Confederate left failed to break the enemy line, Union action moved to the Rebel center. The Union advance was halted by troops holding a very good position in the Sunken Road, soon to be renamed Bloody Lane.

The ferocity of the fighting here is demonstrated by the information contained on a plaque commemorating the 14th Indiana Infantry. Of three hundred and twenty officers and men engaged here from 9:00AM until 12:15PM, thirty were killed and one hundred and fifty wounded.

I captured this image through the rail fence that runs along the north side of The Bloody Lane

A Glimpse through the Window of Time

I glanced out the window of the Dunkar Church and was transported back in time. A small Confederate formation stood by their encampment, the same ground occupied by Stonewall Jackson’s troops in 1862.

This humble church, the sanctuary of worship of a small German Baptist sect became the objective of the Union Army 1st Corps commanded by General Hooker on the morning of the 17th, the bloodiest day in American History.

Silent

The Artillery pieces stand silent as they have for nearly one and a half centuries; a memorial to the men who fought and died here, a memorial to the day when the fate of our country hinged upon the actions of the men who met upon this field of battle.

As I walked the battlefield in the early morning my thoughts were interrupted only by the occasional biker or jogger. In the calm of the morning it was difficult to contemplate what the battle on this very ground must have been like. I tried to envision the movement of the troops, the sounds of the cannon and musketry, the yells and screams of the men. I tried to imagine the dash and daring along with the terror, the pain, and immense carnage but to little avail.

Antietam lies Peaceful and Calm

September 17th, 1862 Remembered

September 17th 1862 remains the single bloodiest day in American History.

Two Great Armies met at Sharpsburg Maryland one hundred and forty five years ago today to contest the right of states to leave the Union. A union created just some eighty years earlier. The north remembered this terrible battle by the name of the creek that flowed through the contested ground, Antietam. While in the south it was known as the Battle of Sharpsburg. Nearly twenty three thousand causalities were the result of this single day of fighting, all American. To put the causalities into perspective, this day totaled more than was suffered in the American Revolution, The War of 1812, The Mexican War, and the Spanish American War combined.

This photograph is of the historic Rohrbach's Bridge, forever known since that fateful day as Burnside’s Bridge. I captured this image one misty morning as the first rays of sunlight fell upon it.