About a year ago I got to go on a battlefield tour of the First Manassas for a class on Leadership by Ox Hill Leadership Tours, LLC. This year work offered a tour with the same company for the battlefield at Antietam so I quickly hoped on the opportunity!
The Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg depending on which side of the Mason-Dixon Line you fall) took place on September 17, 1862, during the American Civil War. You can follow the link for more information if you are so inclined!
The day started with meeting up for the bus ride from work to the battlefield. During the bus ride our instructor talked about the history of the Civil War up until Antietam to provide context for the day. His timing was perfect because as he was talking about Harpers Ferry we were quite literally passing the Loudoun Heights! Across the Potomac River we could see Harpers Ferry.
The New York State Monument and a view of the location of Hookers attack with the I Corp.
Over the years my buddies have ran massive Civil War games in a variety of campaigns. They have run multiple sections of Antietam including Miller’s Cornfield. Sadly the cornfield was devoid of corn when I did the tour but it was still neat seeing it first hand!
Antietam is well marked with a lot of informational plaques and 96 monuments, mostly Union.
Another famous feature of the battle field was the Sunken Road. I’ve always read about the Sunken Road but didn’t realize just how sunken it was!
Another of the key landmarks was the Rohrbach Bridge, known after the battle as Burnsides Bridge. This is another massive wargame my buddies put on at multiple HMGS shows. Even allowing the Union forces to use the ford’s that Burnside failed to find or utilize it was a tough slog for the Union men! They really did a terrific job on this table!
The Monument to William McKinley was erected on the spot in which he passed through enemy fire while a Commissary Sergeant to serve the troops hot coffee and warm food. This statue was erected after he was assassinated in 1901, almost 39 years to the day after the battle.
Here you can see the 16th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Monument, the highwater mark of Burnsides attack on the Confederate lines. This area of the park was only recently added to the park after being passed into the National Park system from private hands.
Unfortunately, the government was shut down when we did our tour so we weren’t able to go to the visitor’s center, I guess I’ll just have to make the trip again some day! This was a terrific tour and it inspired me to re-read Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam by Stephen Sears. Getting to physically see the terrain and visit the area really helps understand the battle!
I would definitely recommend going to visit Antietam Battlefield if you have an opportunity, I know I want to go back!
-Wachtmeister
The Wachtmeister's Patrol 