Antietam

---

June 17 Friday Antietam Battlefield
Didn't make it to the Antietam battlefield yesterday so will go there today. Had a big storm last night but looks clear outside today. Went to the office and got a couple of cups of coffee and rented the room for another night. It is costing me more since Friday is considered a "weekend" day. Went up to $57 with Wifi. Still.....my best option for today is to stay here again tonight visiting the battlefield at Antietam nearby.
So today I will visit Antietam and stay here tonight and on Saturday and Sunday if all goes to plan I will visit Gettysburg battlefield. I really don't like it that my visit to Gettysburg is falling on a weekend but that is the way it worked out. It will probably be pretty crowded.
Drove over to the visitor center at Antietam Battlefield. It is near the Dunkers Church. They have two movies they show. One about the battle that is at Noon ONLY. It is about an hour long and fairly good. The other is about Lincoln's visit a couple of weeks after the battle and shown on the half hour all day and not worth the time wasted watching it.
Lincoln had a chat with McClellan who pretty much told him to take a flying leap at a brick wall ! So McClellan was relieved of his command a week later but not until after the Congressional elections.
The battlefield is quite large but there is a fairly well marked driving tour of it as well as an observation tower that gives a pretty good view of the battleground. The top of the tower is reached by long circular stairway.
The battlefield at Antietam is best seen from the observation tower. In the distance is the field across which Hoods Brigade charged and was left "dead on the field". In the foreground is the Bloody Lane which the Union troops attacked again and again at great loss.
(be sure to scroll below the ad below for the rest of the pictures)

---

Photos

Dead on the field Sir
This is the cornfield across which Hoods Brigade charged and were left "dead on the field" by Union artillery firing point blank into them.

The killing field
The Union troops attacking "Bloody Lane" halted at the first ridge about 40 yards in front of it and exchanged fire with the Confederates.

The observation tower
The best plac to see most of the battlefield if you don't mind climbing a few stairs.