September 17, 2007
On this date in military history ...
The Antietam Battlefield on the day of the battle, photographed by Alexander Gardner on September 17, 1862.
Troops from the U.S.A. and the C.S.A. squared off in Maryland to fight the bloodiest one-day battle in American history: Antietam.
Gen. Robert E. Lee led the Confederate forces against the Union's bluecoats, serving under Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan. When the guns fell silent after 12 hours of fighting, approximately 23,000 men lay dead, wounded, or missing.
It's disheartening that American students learn so little about this nation's history, the men who sacrificed their all for an idea. The last Civil War veteran died within my father's lifetime, yet the anniversary of important battles pass without thought, ancient history, of no importance to today's ignoramuses.
If you've never seen Ken Burn's The Civil War, this would be a good time to rent the first episode and begin watching.
Posted by Mike Lief at September 17, 2007 11:06 AM
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Comments
I have a strong affinity for Antietam, especially the area of the cornfield that figured in the early morning phase. It is a wonderfully preserved battlefield, better than Gettysburg, IMHO. Very much at risk from developers, of course, like too many of our battlefields. Try finding a good Revolution or 1812 site, for example. And don't ask where the rest of the Alamo is.
History, schmistory . . . gone with the transition from learning facts to learning concepts because it is easier to grade exams that don't actually require the student to know anything.
Posted by: The Little Coach at September 17, 2007 01:31 PM
Thank you for remembering this. It's one of the saddest days in our countries history. The loss of lives, the destruction of families, and you have to ask yourself "for what?". Should it not be a common goal? Are we, weren't we, fighting for a common cause which we call America? Can we have disagreements that don't result in loss of lives?
Posted by: dawn at October 3, 2007 08:02 PM