DAY 33 – July 31, 2012 – Harper’s Ferry and the Battle of Antietam

Last night we went to bed watching Civil War documentaries.  I had a documentary on the Battle of Bull Run.  I pulled it out to watch, but realized that there were two more segments ahead of it.  So instead of watching the Battle of Bull Run we watched documentaries on John Brown’s War and Fort Sumter.  I just watched them so that we watched the documentaries in the correct order, but it turned out to be a precursor for the next day.

Our drive to Antietam Battle Field  turned out to be more eventful than expected.  We didn’t have a map in front of us since we were using our GPS, and we were surprised to see we drove through West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia, and I can I say, I LOVE Virginia.  It was so beautiful…hilly, green, and the old homes…beautiful.  I’ve been begging Mr. S to consider teaching here.  What a beautiful place to live.

While we were driving we started to see signs for Harpers Ferry.  Although the older boys already knew about it, Mr. S and I had

The engine house that John Brown took refuge in at Harper’s Ferry.

forgotten, but the movie last night on John Brown’s War had updated us enough to know we wanted to see Harpers Ferry.  So everyone agreed we would take a detour through Harpers Ferry.

In 1859, a radical abolitionist John Brown led a group of 21 men in a raid on the United States arsenal. He hoped to use the captured weapons to initiate a slave uprising throughout the South.

John Brown’s men were quickly pinned down by locals, and forced to take refuge in the engine house next to the armory. U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee was assigned as commander. After negotiation failed they stormed the fire house and captured most of the raiders. Brown was tried for treason against the State of Virginia, convicted and hanged. The raid was considered a catalyst for the Civil War.

Because of the town’s location on the railroad and at the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley, both Union and Confederate troops moved through Harpers Ferry frequently during the Civil War.

Harper’s Ferry

At one point, right before the Battle of Antietam, Robert E. Lee, sent Stonewall Jackson to surround and capture the town.  The Confederate’s captured 12,419 Federal troops.

Harpers Ferry was more than we expected.  They have done a great job of keeping the streets near the armory in a similar fashion to what they looked like during John Browns raid.  The older kids loved looking in the museums, and the younger kids were able to earn two different Junior Ranger badges.  So everyone was happy.  It was a great stop.

Afterwards, we started again to the visitor’s center for the Battle of Antietam.  This was not a motor home friendly journey.  Mr. S was white knuckled as we climbed steep, narrow, windy hills heading there.  But we arrived safely, although there were hills we just kept praying the motor home could climb.

This park was great also.  We listened to the Ranger give a 20 minute explanation of the battle, watched a movie on the battle, and then bought another TravelBrains audio tour CD and drove through the park.  You would think it would get old.  But listening to the stories just makes you want to learn more and more.  Mr. S said it made him want to

Battle of Antietam

go home and read more books on the Civil War.  I whole heartedly agree with him.

The Battle of Antietam happened one month after the 2^ndBattle of Manassas.  At this battle, General Robert E. Lee was forced to regroup, because a portion of his army

Modern version of photo on the right

was late getting back from Harpers Ferry.  And two days later he commanded troops in the Battle of Antietam, which had the highest number of deaths among troops of any single day in United States military history.  Out of nearly 100,000 soldiers engaged in the battle, about 23,000 were killed, wounded, or missing.  That is 1 out of every 4 soldiers!

Yet, even with all this bloodshed, you could see God’s hand in the battle.  It was an amazingly close fight.  In many respects it was a draw.  And it could have been a loss.

But even with all this loss, some huge blessings came from this war…

This fight reshaped the logistics of field medicine, and much of what they started doing here, is still used today.  Dr. Jonathan Letterman established an ambulance corps to evacuate the wounded.  He also adopted triage (a system of prioritizing casualties by the severity of their wounds).

One of the saving grace’s for the Union, was blessing from God.  Some men found cigars laying on the ground, and wrapped around the

This beautiful bridge was the scene of a very bloody battle. It’s called Burnside Bridge after one of the generals.

cigars was Lee’s Special Order 191, his plan of operations for the campaign.  This “Lost Order”, gave Union General McClellan, who tended to be a timid General, the opportunity to know how to strike Lee’s divided forces.  This miracle could have been the difference between a loss or a win…both having significant consequences.

First, the loss discouraged major European powers such as France and England who were considering supporting the Confederacy.  This in itself probably altered the course of the war.  Imagine what the Confederacy could have done with strength from France and England.

Second, Abraham Lincoln was waiting for a Union victory, to announce the Emancipation Proclamation.  This victory made that announcement possible.

This battle played a huge role in the outcome of both the United States and the Civil War.  And I had no idea about it until today.  It was amazing to learn about.  It was an amazing day!

If you want to see incredible photos of the aftermath of this battle.  A photographer, lost his business betting these photos would be important.  They are today, but back then, he lost a lot of money trying to capture these pictures…

http://www.nps.gov/anti/photosmultimedia/Historic-Photogaphs.htm

This is a National Cemetery were many soldiers are buried from the Battle of Antietam.

Summary of Day 33

Drove:  166 miles (99100-99266)

Places we visited or saw: Harper’s Ferry, the Battle of Antietam