Greetings from Antietam National Battlefield

Antietam is one of the most beautiful parks I have been to. The history here is amazing. I learn something new every time I come here. If you have not been here, take a moment a stop in. From Salute to Independence Concert to the Memorial Illumination, Antietam keeps the history alive.

Sincerely,
Ashley Gay

Antietam National Battlefield

On September 17, 1862, Union and Confederate soldiers battled for 12 savage hours on the banks of Antietam Creek. When the fighting was over, 23,000 people were killed, wounded or missing, making it the single bloodiest day of the Civil War. The Union Army’s performance led President Abraham Lincoln to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, formally alerting the Confederacy of his intention to free enslaved Americans in those states. Today, Antietam National Battlefield is one of the best-preserved Civil War sites in the country where visitors continue to honor the legacy of the soldiers who fought there.

State(s): Maryland

Established: 1890

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