On Monday Bill Binzel and his lovely wife, Lisa, traveled to the Antietam Battlefield. Bill was kind enough to send these photos. Many thanks, Bill!

Wonderful photos and colors! Thanks!

To think that such carnage as had occurred there in that lovely place!

Bill, you are so right - it's hard to think that such carnage occurred in such a beautiful spot. The Dunker Church is a reconstruction, if I remember right -- but years ago, during a CW reenactment, I with several others, spent the night in that church. We stayed up late and at 2 AM were recounting ghost stories in Bloody Lane - it's an eerie place at night -

Good photo's. Judging by the shadows, you were out early. I especially like the second photo with the fall colors.

(10-28-2015 07:48 AM)BettyO Wrote:  Bill, you are so right - it's hard to think that such carnage occurred in such a beautiful spot. The Dunker Church is a reconstruction, if I remember right -- but years ago, during a CW reenactment, I with several others, spent the night in that church. We stayed up late and at 2 AM were recounting ghost stories in Bloody Lane - it's an eerie place at night -

You are correct, Betty. The original church survived the battle, but was destroyed by a "violent storm" in 1921. It was rebuilt using the original materials in the early 1960s.

I have not been able to visit many CW battlefields, but Antietam is my favorite. They have not allowed it to become souvenir heaven. A special time to go is the first Saturday in December each year when the Boy Scouts put out luminaries to honor those killed in the battle -- over 22,000 candles glowing in the dark.

The Union lost one of it's prominent officers there- General Israel B. Richardson. He died in McClellan's headquarters. Lincoln paid a visit to him there before he passed away. I have been to his grave many times as he is buried in Pontiac, Michigan.