Stop number two on the trip back to Norfolk was Sharpsburg
(Antietam) National Battlefield. I've been to shiloh, vickburg, gettysburg, pea ridge, fort sumter, fredericksburg, and several other smaller battlefields. I'd been trying to get to Sharpsburg battlefield for awhile, and decided that it was time to go. the visitor's center is showing its age. the exhibits inside were somewhat underwhelming, however the video was fairly good. the national parks service has done rather well at making very good videos for most of the major battlefields.
the battlefield itself is still a battlefield, and the land is good. its in a pretty part of maryland that is just outside the dc development belt. the three main places of action during the battle were the cornfield, bloody lane, and burnside's bridge. the texans and longstreet's corps were at the cornfield facing off against new york and pennsylvania. the cornfields were fought over for several hours, and they were occupied,
captured, and reoccupied by both sides. the texas memorial is on one side of the cornfields, and directly across from it is a monument to pennsylvania soldiers. there were far more monuments for yankees than southerners at sharpsburg. not too far removed from the flank at the cornfields is the center, where bloody lane was. this was a sunken road that the confederates occupied and used as a ready made trench. the confederates repulsed several assaults on them, until a new york regiment got to a point on a hillock over the road where they could fire d
own into the confederate positions.
on the extreme right flank, mcclellan tried to outflank the confederate army by crossing antietam creek and rolling up the confederate lines. the yankees tried to cross this bridge, now known as burnside's bridge. here burnsides tried to cross this bridge as well as a ford farther down the creek. the yankees finally managed to capture the bridge when the confederates began to run low on ammunition and
the yankees that had been sent down to cross at a ford began to cross. the confederats guarding the bridge withdrew to a new position. the confederates had caused 500 casualties for 160, and held up the crossing for 3 hours.
the battle was the bloodiest single day in american history. over 10,000 confederate troops died 9o and over 12000 yankee troops died during the battle. the battle was a draw, but, the confederates managed to withdrawl back across the potomac without harrassment or pursuit. mcclellan was relived of command of the yankee army, and it generated the not defeat that lincoln needed to change the langauge of the war from union to emancipation.
(Antietam) National Battlefield. I've been to shiloh, vickburg, gettysburg, pea ridge, fort sumter, fredericksburg, and several other smaller battlefields. I'd been trying to get to Sharpsburg battlefield for awhile, and decided that it was time to go. the visitor's center is showing its age. the exhibits inside were somewhat underwhelming, however the video was fairly good. the national parks service has done rather well at making very good videos for most of the major battlefields. 
the battlefield itself is still a battlefield, and the land is good. its in a pretty part of maryland that is just outside the dc development belt. the three main places of action during the battle were the cornfield, bloody lane, and burnside's bridge. the texans and longstreet's corps were at the cornfield facing off against new york and pennsylvania. the cornfields were fought over for several hours, and they were occupied, 
captured, and reoccupied by both sides. the texas memorial is on one side of the cornfields, and directly across from it is a monument to pennsylvania soldiers. there were far more monuments for yankees than southerners at sharpsburg. not too far removed from the flank at the cornfields is the center, where bloody lane was. this was a sunken road that the confederates occupied and used as a ready made trench. the confederates repulsed several assaults on them, until a new york regiment got to a point on a hillock over the road where they could fire d
own into the confederate positions.
on the extreme right flank, mcclellan tried to outflank the confederate army by crossing antietam creek and rolling up the confederate lines. the yankees tried to cross this bridge, now known as burnside's bridge. here burnsides tried to cross this bridge as well as a ford farther down the creek. the yankees finally managed to capture the bridge when the confederates began to run low on ammunition and 
the yankees that had been sent down to cross at a ford began to cross. the confederats guarding the bridge withdrew to a new position. the confederates had caused 500 casualties for 160, and held up the crossing for 3 hours.
the battle was the bloodiest single day in american history. over 10,000 confederate troops died 9o and over 12000 yankee troops died during the battle. the battle was a draw, but, the confederates managed to withdrawl back across the potomac without harrassment or pursuit. mcclellan was relived of command of the yankee army, and it generated the not defeat that lincoln needed to change the langauge of the war from union to emancipation.
