It's day 3 of the i2x retreat, and today for an afternoon jog, I checked out the near by Antietem National Battlefield Park. This was the site of the Battle of Antietam, the "bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with almost 23,000 casualties."
I simply don't have the knowledge of the Civil War to appreciate the site. I ran a good chunk of the 8 1/2 mile car tour you can take. There are stops, plaques and monuments along the way. Try as I might, I can't picture an army of 45,000 confederate soldiers facing up against an army of 90,000 Union soldiers.
The battle wasn't conclusive, apparently, yet the fact that Lee was outnumbered two to one, and survived certainly speaks to his skills, and that McClellan blundered.
Even if I can't grasp the scale of the place, I did enjoy yet another remarkably beautiful day. And I got another taste of a really important part of American History, which I'm really starting to appreciate, didn't happen that long ago. It's a great park, and one worth taking the time to visit.
I love your blog, I don't always read all the computer stuff, but I really enjoy your take on things. It is very refreshing. My husband thanks you for inspireing me to finally want to visit West Virgina, he loves Civil War history but I refused, but your blogs on it have mae it sound more enjoyable than i imagined. Thank You
ReplyDeleteIva,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words. I appreciate you're patience with my posting of such a wide range of content.
I hope you get a chance to take in Antietam and and the historical sites around West Virginia. I'm sure it will even be more fun, because your husband will no doubt be able to give you insights beyond what the brochures and plaques say.