Antietam Battlefield: A Walk Through the Bloodiest Day of the Civil War
Hard to imagine this serene meadow being home to the bloodiest day of the Civil War
UPDATED: 2/4/2023
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On Fathers’ Day weekend 2009, just a couple of short weeks before our wedding, we planned a day trip to Antietam National Battlefield to celebrate fathers day. Our family headed to Sharpsburg, Maryland, a good day trip distance (90 minutes from downtown DC) from the metro DC area where all but one of us was living at the time.
We bought a picnic lunch, each of us contributing various pieces of it and ate in a picnic area near the visitor’s center. After touring the center, we were ready to spend some time hiking through the fields on an incredibly hot, sticky, sunny afternoon. But before that, here’s an overview of what the battle is, why it’s important, and what first attracted us to visit. A (very, very) brief history lesson.
Wooden Split Rail fences were once a common sight in America.
The Battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg? The battle is referred to both ways, and it’s not uncommon for Civil War battles to have two names, one named by the North, one by the South.
What makes Antietam particularly noteworthy? Often referred to as having the distinction of being the ‘bloodiest day’ of the Civil War, the main fighting at Antietam occurred on September 17, 1862, and had 23,000 casualties. This includes killed, wounded, missing, and those captured. By comparison, the 3 days of the Battle of Gettysburg, which is the ‘bloodiest battle’ of the war, left 51,000 casualties, so you can see just how large 23,000 casualties are in just one day.
To tour the battlefield, we selected a route that was about 5 miles in total length. From the visitors center, we took the Bloody Lane Trail towards the Observation Tower. Next we met up with the Sherrick Farm Trail that heads towards the Antietam Creek and ends at the Burnside Bridge. From there, we followed the reverse route back to our car at the visitors center. There are a number of different hikes, and the layout can be viewed on this map, where the blue route outlines a driving tour option for those unable or uninterested in hiking.
One of the most memorable things of this hike is how the battlefield really looks much the same as it did during the battle. Walking along Bloody Lane, it is easy to imagine the fields full of soldiers fighting and struggling. Bringing this even more to life, throughout the hiking trail were placards with information and photos taken by war photographer Alexander Gardner shortly after the battle. In many cases, the placard is in the exact spot where the photo was taken so you can literally look at a photo of dead soldiers and see the very ground in front of you where that happened. It was eerie but also an incredibly effective way of bringing history to life. You can view some of Gardner’s photos here, including those of Bloody Lane, and learn more here about the technical and historical details of photography at the battleground.
I would like to go back again, explore some of the other trails, and I would definitely do it on a day that isn’t registering above 90 degrees with the sopping heat of Virginia humidity.
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