January 29, 2015

The Bloody Lane


The Bloody Lane, or Sunken Road as it was known prior to the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), was the scene of the heaviest fighting between Union and Confederate troops, contributing to making this battle the bloodiest single-day combat of the American Civil War.  Roughly 5,500 of the 22,717 casualties of that battle on September 17, 1862, were killed on the mile-long stretch of the Bloody Lane.  We visited the battlefield on a cold day in January 2012 when it was nearly devoid of tourists; the deserted feel gave the place a haunted atmosphere and caused us to reflect heavily on the high human cost of the American Civil War.

Have you seen the Bloody Lane of Antietam Battlefield?

2 comments:

  1. Wow this would be an amazing place to visit and take in all the history...

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  2. It really is. Sometimes, though, it's hard to fathom just how many people died there when it looks so peaceful and pretty now.

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