Antietam
Antietam Battlefield Memorial
Approximately nine months prior to the Gettysburg battle in the Civil War was the Antietam Battle, where on September 17, 1862, more than 22,000 were killed. More Americans died on this single day than any time previous or since. It is located about an hour drive south of Gettysburg.
Here again, the tactics of attacking in lines of side-by-side soldiers resulted in thousands of deaths and with no effect on the battle or war. This happened prior to Gettysburg but apparently no tactics were changed. Some of the soldiers from the Confederacy who had fought here returned many months later on their way to what would end up being Gettysburg. They found upon their return that many of the bodies had not been buried and had turned into skeletal remains lying in the open fields.
Overall, more people were killed in the three day Gettysburg battle, but the single day record happened here at Antietam Creek.
Sunken Road Runs Away From Camera on Left. This is Where Thousands of Confederates Were Slaughtered in a Union Flanking Manuever.
Posted in Journal by Mark with comments disabled.