If there's one thing I really love about the Antietam battlefield is the fact that is it relatively unchanged from the time of the battle. It's far less commercialized than, say, Gettysburg. You really get a feel for what the troops saw 162 years ago. Over the years, Gettysburg got Disneyfied. But Antietam has stayed somber and dignified due largely to the locals who've lived there for over two decades. They've even kept out McDonalds and WalMart.
Here's a picture of the Upper Bridge over Antietam Creek, just south of the John Miller farm.
It's one of 14 bridges that were constructed in Washington County between 1823 and 1863. All the bridges were made out of local limestone. The Upper Bridge was built where the Keedysville Rd. crosses Antietam Creek. The ford at this point was the scene where a young George Washington and his forces crossed the Antietam in 1775. The builder was payed $1,400 for his efforts. The bridge is still in use today. People used it to come and go on their daily lives just like today. On Sept. 16, 1862 -- the day before the battle -- Union troops crossed it to begin their attack on Lee. General McClellan sent Hooker's corps of tens of thousands of men across the Antietam. Lee did not originally believe McClellan would attack. Now everyone knew this was different. Both armies were now on the same side of the creek. And everyone knew that all hell would break loose the next day. Lee was no longer facing the George McClellan he had encountered outside of Richmond the previous year. He knew that the next day would be a terrible battle. Every single soldier on both sides knew the same thing.
By the way, this book came in today's mail.
It's the most recent study of the Antietam battle to be written. I can't wait to read it. I know I won't be able to put it down.