The Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg) was the bloodiest single day in American history. Between sunrise and sunset on September 17, 1862, some 23,000 men fell as Robert E. Lee's Maryland invasion failed and nearly ended the Civil War. As it was, McLellan's partial victory was enough to give Lincoln the grounds he needed for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.
This critical Civil War battle is memorialized at the Antietam National Battlefield and Cemetery, a short two hours drive from Baltimore and Washington. Antietam lies north and east of the town of Sharpsburg, along MD 34 and MD 65. It can be easily reached by following I-70 from Baltimore to the second Hagerstown exit (MD 65) which proceeds south to the park. The battlefield is open daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is $2.00 for persons aged 17-61, free for the other ages. Less built up than its "big brother" in the north, Gettysburg, Antietam does not have a Cyclorama, or electric battlefield map, or registered tour guides. At the same time the crass commercialism of Gettysburg -- with its exploitative merchants and every place a Lincoln this or a Lincoln that, including the Mary Todd Lincoln Massage Parlor is absent.
What Antietam has is an ambiance of its own. A place secure in the knowledge of itself as a critical juncture in a long and bloody war and without the need to broadcast it to the rest of the world. Antietam just is. The battlefield is served by a small unprepossessing Visitor's Center. Admission allows you to tour battlefield, view a film and be given a National Park Service pamphlet, complete with map of the battlefield. Inside is a small museum with a nice collection of Civil War era weapons and memorabilia. The upper story contains an observation room with several of James Hope's excellent battlefield paintings. Visitor's can also view a short 16 minute film on Lincoln's secret visit to battlefield in late September 1862, and which contains an account of the battle. There is also a small, but well stocked bookstore - gift shop. It makes a good starting and ending point for your self-guided tour. I recommend you plan on at least four hours for the visit.
The battle of Antietam, fought over 12 square miles, consisted of three basic phases -- morning , midday and afternoon. During the morning phase, three piecemeal Union attacks on Jackson's line, but did not break it. The midday phase saw two Union divisions break D. H. Hill's line in the sunken road, but McLellan's failure to follow it up lost him the advantage which had been gained. In the afternoon phase, Burnside's slow pincer movement beyond the lower bridge was broken by
A. P. Hill's timely arrival. Since Antietam unfolded in specific phases at different locations and times along the battle line understanding Antietam is much easier than at Gettysburg. Hence it is an ideal place to take youngsters and novices as they can easily follow the unfolding of events.
There are two ways to tour the battlefield. The first is by car. There is a well done map and of course the inevitable signs and memorials along the way which explain the eleven principal stops you would make.
The other way is by foot. There is a hiking trail laid out by the Boy Scouts of America which cover's basically the same territory. Members of the Boy Scouts of America (Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Adult Leaders) can earn a "Antietam Battlefield Historic Trail" patch (obtainable at the Gift Shop for $3.50) by completing the trail and completing a 66 question pamphlet on the battle and trail. This questionairre (which is free) was very well done and instructive. It also gave the children something to do (finding the answers) and taught them more about the battle than all my lectures ever could have. Hence, a modified form of the questionnaire is attached to the end of this article. If nothing else it will give the battlefield visitor something to do. (The answers will be published in the next issue of Cry "Havoc!")
The battlefield is well laid out, though one does occasionally have to contend with the problem of private residences adjacent to and in the middle of the battlefield. Monuments abound throughout, including six vertical cannon barrels that mark where general officers, three Union and three Confederate, were killed.
The first stop -- Dunker Church, the focal point of the morning phase, was reconstructed in 1962 after a fire destroyed the original structure in 1921. Other stops in the morning phase include the North Woods, East Woods, The Cornfield, West Woods and Mumma Farm. The latter was deliberately burned by retreating Confederate troops to prevent there use by Union sharpshooters. A curious story about the Mumma's claim for remuneration, recounted on the tablet, demonstrates that bureaucrats have been at the same old game for at least a hundred and thirty years -- if not longer. Midday phase stops include the Roulette Farm and the sunken road -- better known as "Bloody Lane" because of the 5000 casualties suffered in four hours along this simple country road. A small tower (72 steps up) allows for an aerial view of the area.
Two more battlefield stops from the afternoon phase are found at Burnside Bridge, where Amos' troops were held off for most of the day by a few hundred Georgia riflemen. This area is also the most comprehensive and has several "sub-stops" including the Georgia riflemen's "overlook."
The final battlefield proper site to visit is where Burnside re-formed his men and marched on Sharpsburg, only to be turned back by A. P. Hill's timely arrival from Harper's Ferry. The final stop is Antietam National Cemetery where 4,776 Union and 1,836 unknowns are buried in the hilltop near Sharpsburg. As always the rows of stone markers speak volumes. Returning to the Visitor Center after the tour is advised. Its a good place to look around before the drive back. One of the gems you can find in the gift shop there is a 1 inch : 200 yard scale map of the battlefield as it looked in 1862 for the price of a dollar.
There are also interpretive talks offered on the battle and the Civil War on a weekly basis. When we visited there on Easter Sunday, 1993 a presentation was being given by a local historian on "Cavalry Operations in Pennsylvania and Maryland." My older AAA guide book indicates that daily talks of this type are given from June-Labor Day for the summer visitor. It is always advisable to check the park's hours of operation (normally 8:30 - 6:00) by calling 301-432-5124.
Antietam Historic Trial Questionnaire
Back to Cry Havoc #2 Table of Contents
Back to Cry Havoc List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1993 by David W. Tschanz.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com