Visiting Civil War National Battlefields

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Antietam National Battlefield, Maryland The Battle of Antietam was the deadliest single day of fighting in Civil War history. On September 17, 1862, a combined 100,000 Union and Confederate troops clashed for 12 hours resulting in 23,000 deaths and wounded. Antietam was the first time the south went on the offensive into northern territory as General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army crossed the Potomac on a drive to Washington, DC. Union forces were fortunate in stopping them. The battle was considered a draw as the south never invaded again and the north learned a bloody lesson. Antietam is a typical national battlefield to visit. There is a video in the visitors center and displays of artifacts like weapons, uniforms, canon shot and bits and pieces from the fallen. Then you take a circuitous drive through farmlands to see monuments and significant battle points of interest. Manassas National Battlefield Park, Virginia Manassas (called Bull Run by the south after a local creek) was the site of two battles. The first Manassas was also the Civil War’s first major battle in 1861. Union troops marched on the Confederate capitol of Richmond with the idea of ending the war before it really began. They were smashed and fled in retreat from the ferocity of Confederate troops. It was a sobering lesson for Abraham Lincoln and the north. The south was not to be taken lightly with their superior leadership and fighting men. In 1862, the north foolishly tried to take Richmond again and sent in the mighty Army of the Potomac feeling confident of victory. In fact, the north was in desperate need of a “win.” They were greeted by Lee and General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson led forces and suffered an even more decisive defeat. The Yankees ran away again. Visitors to the park do the usual thing. Watch a video and view artifacts in the visitors center. The first battle area requires walking a mile hiking trail. A highlight is the Stonewall Jackson monument, a life size statue of the man astride his horse. Jackson received his nickname “Stonewall” for how he held southern lines. The second battle area is an 18 mile drive. Manassas/Bull Run are among the best known and significant battles of the Civil War.