In September 1862, Lee’s confederate Army moved north towards Washington DC to put political pressure on Lincoln to end the war. The federal Army of the Potomac met Lee at Antietam Creek, near the town of Sharpsburg MD. The battle lasted just one day, but it produced more casualties than any other event in American military history.

Some photos from a visit to the battlefield.

The Visitors Center

Artifacts from the battlefield

The battlefield memorial

The Miller Cornfield. The initial Union attack came through this cornfield, resulting in over 10,000 casualties in just two hours.

Monuments along the Cornfield

The fighting then moved to Dunker Church and two nearby farmhouses

The Union advance was stopped by Confederates here at the Sunken Road. But after a time, the Federals managed to outflank the road and slaughtered most of the Confederates defending it. It is now known as Bloody Lane.

At the end of the day, Union General Burnside tried to outflank the Confederates by crossing this bridge.

The Confederates held this steep hill on the other side of the bridge, and slaughtered the Federals as they tried to cross

In photos taken after the battle, this sycamore tree is visible as a sapling. It is still alive today.