Beacon of Peace--Bloodiest Day

Dunker Church--a Beacon of Peace.  This is where the battle of Antietam began

 These are some photos from my visit to Antietam Battlefield.  Some comments of mine are at the end.

 Imagine that thousands of Union soldiers are coming through this cornfield to attack you.

Casualty statistics in the cornfield, the morning of Sept. 17, 1862:

	Federal Troops Engaged	Federal Casualties	Confederate Troops Engaged	Confederate Casualties
Morning
Cornfield	17,000	4,350	11,800	4,200

 Soldiers Engaged: Union: 5,000 | Confederate: 2,600
Casualties: Approximately 5,000
Bloody Lane Summary: The sunken road that was later to be named "Bloody Lane" was site to some of the fiercest fighting in the Battle of Antietam. For nearly 4 hours, Union and Confederate forces fought in this sunken clay road. At the end, it was said that blood flowed like a river inside it, giving it the name "Bloody Lane." (http://www.historynet.com/bloody-lane)

 Standing on the sunken road of the bloody lane--Union forces came from the left to attack the Confederate forces up on the right.  You can see why it was a slaughter.

 Bloody Lane from the War Tower

 End of the day--General Burnside's Union troops attack from the far side of the bridge. Many are killed on the bridge.  Finally a wild charge by Union troops without officers drives the Confederates away.

So--what is one to think?  About 23,000 American soldiers were killed or wounded on Sept. 17, 1862, the bloodiest one day battle in American history. The battle ended as a draw, but since Robert E. Lee withdrew from Maryland and retreated across the Potomac, Lincoln claimed victory and announced his plan to emancipate the slaves in states still in rebellion on January 1, 1863.
On the way to the battlefield, I heard a conversation (on NPR) about the song, "Dixie." There is controversy over whether this is an appropriate song for America, or does it romanticize the slave holding South?  There are apparently numerous made up verses.

It is appropriate that on my way to a study of Birmingham and the civil rights movement, I stop at this important Civil War battle site, the result of which supposedly freed the slaves.  As you might guess--Lincoln's emancipation had little to no practical impact on the lives of slaves, and given the speed with which freed slaves were re-enslaved after the Civil War, one wonders about the long term impact of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Tomorrow the final 400 miles to Birmingham and the beginning of the workshop.