VIENNA, Va., December 1, 2011 —On Saturday, December 3, the flickering light of 23,000 candles will spread across the Antietam National Park Battlefield at Sharpsburg, Maryland. The luminaries help to commemorate the deaths of 23,000 men who were killed on one day, September 17, 1862.
The Illumination recalls the Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg, as the Confederates referred to it) where the forces of Gen. George B. McClellan met those of General Robert E. Lee and began around 5:30 a.m. that day. It was said to be the first major battle to be fought on Northern soil. All other previous battles had been scattered through Virginia and the other Southern states.
And little Antietam Creek, from which the North gave the battle its identifying name, is less than 100 feet in width with three stone bridges situated a mile apart, so that crossing was not difficult.
For all the fighting and the number of deaths, which surpasses any single day in American warfare history, the eventual outcome was a draw. No one really won, and both sides suffered substantial losses. Strategically it would be regarded as a Union victory, even though the Union troops did not pursue Lee as his troops left in retreat.
McClellan ‘s 75,000 troops vastly outnumbered Lee with his 38,000 men. McClellan had been following on Lee’s heels like a hound dog after a fleeing rabbit, but Lee’s troops arrived at the site of the battle ahead of him and were able to assume good positions for defense.
Still an astounding number of men were killed. Sunken Road was filled with the corpses of men and horses alike and forever would be known as Bloody Lane, causing the battle to assume a stature unrealized by any others. And it is those deaths whom the memorial illumination seeks to remember.
Antietam Illumination at sunset
The main entrance to the event is Richardson Avenue off Maryland Route 34. From Boonsboro, visitors should travel west on Route 34, and a line will form on the westbound shoulder for entrance to the Illumination. From Hagerstown or West Virginia, travel to Sharpsburg and head east on Maryland Route 34, then make a U-turn at some point to access the line of cars on the westbound shoulder.
The driving route through the park is roughly five miles long. To aid in the overall effect, vehicles are to use only parking lights “to the extent technology permits this,” as the flyer indicates. Cars should continue through the marked route without stopping. Foot traffic is highly discouraged as is stopping or exiting vehicles along the route. There are no bathroom facilities available and the Visitor’s Center will open at 8:30 a.m. and close at 3:00 p.m. Several of the park roads will be closed after 3:00 p.m.
The Park personnel advise that coming late may result in a two-hour wait to get into the grounds, and cars begin lining up on the entry road at 6:00 p.m. The usual attendance to this singular event is 2,000 and patience is advised
Event brochures will be handed out at the entrance and contributions will also be accepted.
Illuminated church
The illumination of the battlefield is hosted by the Antietam National Battlefield in cooperation with the American Business Women's Association. In the event of rain, bad weather, or high wind, the Illumination will be rescheduled for Saturday, December 10, 2011.
If one stops to consider the tremendous price paid by 23,000 men that day, a little inconvenience can be tolerated, and it is a great way to recognize their sacrifice at this holy time of the year.
For further information or any questions, please call (301)432-5124
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