Picture of Antietam National Battlefield
Caption: Antietam National Battlefield Memorial Illumination
Picture
Caption: December 2015, I finally attended an event I had been wanting to experience for years...
The Antietam National Battlefield Illumination Memorial.
Picture
Caption: Located in Sharpsburg, Maryland...
Picture
Caption: Antietam is known as the bloodiest one day battle in American History.
Picture
Caption: During this Civil War battle, a total of 23,000 men were either killed, injured or marked as missing.
The Illumination Memorial is an annual event that strives to help remember those 23,000 Americans.
Picture
Caption: As I toured the battlefield for the 1st time I watched as 1,500 volunteers worked tirelessly to set up 1 luminary for each killed, injured or missing solider.
Picture
Picture of Dunker Church
Caption: Continuing the tour, i started at Dunker Church - the site where the battle of Antietam (aka the battle of Sharpsburg by the South) began.
Picture of Dunker Church
Caption: Like most homes at the time, many believe this lil church was also used as an embalming station by the Union Army following the battle.
Picture of Dunker Church
Caption: Inside Dunker Church
Picture of Bloody Lane
Caption: Next stop was the site of a three hour battle which resulted in 5,500 men killed or wounded.
Earning the otherwise quaint, country road the name, Bloody Lane.
Picture of Bloody Lane
Picture of Bloody Lane
Caption: One witness to the aftermath of the battle said the road was carpeted in Red, Grey & Blue - the bodies of soldiers laid like railroad ties.
Picture of Antietam National Cemetery
Caption: Following Bloody Lane, I made my way to Antietam National Cemetery where the remains of 4,776 Union soldiers were buried.
Picture of Antietam National Cemetery
Caption: The cemetery was created to solve two problems...
Picture of Antietam National Cemetery
Caption: Originally, soldiers were buried where they fell in shallow graves. Before long - those bodies started to resurface.
Besides being a horrific sight...
The problem had the potential to lead to disease and death for those living in Sharpsburg.
It was finally decided to create the cemetery where the dead would be relocated.
Picture of Antietam National Cemetery
Caption: For every headstone that bared the name of a soldier... There were several markers that just displayed a number.
Picture of Antietam National Cemetery
Caption: The number of soldiers who weren't unidentified is heart breaking.
Imagine how many families saw their loved ones off to war... Only to hear nothing in the end.
Picture of Antietam National Cemetery
Picture of Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center
Caption: After touring the battlefield, I headed back to the Visitor's Center to attend the Illumination Ceremony.
Many people spoke on the importance of the event, followed by prayer for those who died at battle.
Picture of Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center
Caption: The crowd stood in silence as TAPS could be heard playing from Dunker Church, followed by Amazing Grace on bagpipes from the Visitor's Center.
Picture of Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center
Caption: The moment that touched me the most came when a musician approached the mic.
Taking to his guitar he began to play as he sang the words to Hallelujah.
His voice and the words eerily drifted over the battlefield and with it my heart sank.
Picture of Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center
Picture of Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center
Caption: The reality of my trip, of the whole experience had finally hit.
With a fresh pair of eyes and a sun that was quickly setting, I stood surrounded by thousands of flickering little bags of light.
Picture of Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center
Caption: 23,000 men. .
Picture of Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center
Caption: These flickering little bags of light stood in formation, stretching for as far as I could see in all directions.
Picture of Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center
Caption: Each representing a husband, father, brother, son, uncle and friend who had died, been wounded or had gone missing in the 12 hour battle.
Picture of Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center
Caption: I imagined the shadows of these men standing beside me. I imagined the sounds and smell of cannon fire...
Picture of Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center
Caption: I imagined the chaos, horror and fear that would come with battle and the dead, the dying and wounded crying out for help.
To say I was overwhelmed with emotion would be an understatement.
I wondered if it were strange to be so emotional over an event that took place long before I was born.
Picture of Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center
Caption: As I sat, surrounded by candlelight, I realized two things...
Picture of Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center
Caption: 1. Numbers are cold and are incapable of telling the full story. I found the candles made it easier to grasp just how devastating Antietam was.
2. With the candles, there was no distinction made between Union and Confederate. No one cared who won or lost- the point was...
They were all American.
Picture of Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center
Caption: The Civil War... Wasn't some far off battle fought between two foreign lands. It was fought in our own backyards and pitted our ancestors against each other.
It tore families apart, leaving in its wake hundreds of thousands dead and left a generation of Americans in shambles.
Picture of Antietam National Battlefield
Caption: At a time when our country couldn't be more divided, there are many lessons to be learned at Antietam that couldn't be more important.
I would encourage anyone reading this story to visit and I would like to thank Holiday Inn for helping me check this must see destination off my list.
#Travel #history #civilwar #maryland #wanderlust #memorialday
