Antietam

Just north of Sharpsburg, Maryland is the site of the bloodiest single day of battle in American history. 23,000 were killed or wounded in this engagement that marked Lee's first invasion of the Union.

The first picture here is the Dunker Church (a German congregation taht believed in full-immersion baptism, hence were called Dunkers), site of the Jackson's Confederate infantry and artillery on Lee's left flank, where the battle began at dawn in September of 1862.

The next picture is Lori at the site of the Federal troops' right flank that morning--the guys who were attacking Jackson.

Third is me in front of the "Bloody Lane," which Rebel soldiers lay in to fire at advancing Union troops, and which filled up with so many dead that it was said you could walk the length of it without ever touching the ground.

Fourth is the "Burnside Bridge," a narrow crossing of Antietam Creek that Union General Burnside was finally able to take (at incredible cost), but then was thrown back across it at the end of the day when Confederate reinforcements arrived.

The last two shots are of the ridge where the Federals held off a brief counter-attack as the sun went down.

It was about 7:00 when we left Sharpsburg and took the scenic drive (so scenic we forgot to take pictures of it!) to Gettysburg for supper and to spend the night.