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Antietam National Cemetery
Located near Hagerstown, MD

Authored by Pickatrail.com

Antietam National Cemetery was founded after the Civil War to allow the deceased from both the Union and Confederate Armies to be re-interred here as a final resting place. The circumstance surrounding the need to create a National Cemetery was largely the result of the Maryland Campaign, also called the Battle of Antietam, or Sharpsburg. On that ominous day in September 1862, over 23,000 men were injured or died. Over 4,000 died within twelve hours; with numerous others dying over the ensuing days from wounds, infection and disease. Sharpsburg, a mile from the battle became one of many burial grounds around the battlefield; as well as bearing the burden of becoming a "hospital" for the more than 23,000 that fell that day. Antietam National Cemetery was established at the site of the battle; today it is one of the best preserved Battlefields in the country and is overseen by the National Park Service whose mission is to preserve and protect the cultural and natural resources for the generations to come, and to provide educational resources for posterity. The site of the battle took place among farms near Sharpsburg; ironically the Dunker Church constructed by pacifist farmers was in the midst of the battlefield, primarily used by the Confederates for their wounded. Nonetheless the Church was damaged by barrages. At the Visitor Center there are brochures delineating the battle and history. Stories include the Dunker Church, the Mumma Bible that was taken from the Church, its restoration and ultimate donation to the National Park Service, where it is now part of the artifacts in the museum collection. The Visitor Center has two films recommended for viewing; one is an orientation film while the second narrated by James Earl Jones is a documentary. Ranger Talks and Interpretative Talks are available, museum exhibits, photographs, artifacts of the battle, as well as a nine mile tour of the cemetery which can be self-guided with markers along the way. A stop at the Pry House Field Hospital Museum also on the site, would behoove those interested in medical history, and will fascinate most visitors with stories of people such as Clara Barton who endangered her life by working in the battlefield nursing the wounded. Antietam was the first battlefield to be photographed with the dead lying where they fell, by historic photographer Alexander Gardner. There are many stories at Antietam, not the least of which is the men who gave freely of their time to find the names and burial places of men lost during the war to unmarked or poorly marked grave sites. Most of the burial sites at Antietam are occupied by Union soldiers, as the aftermath of the Civil War left southerners drained of resources, and still resentful of the outcome of the war. However, altruistically the cemetery was meant for all soldiers, regardless of who they were.

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Antietam National Cemetery:
	Antietam Cemetery is one of 130 cemeteries in the National Cemetery System which began during the Civil War.
	Map of Antietam Cemetery. Address and phone number provided.

Antietam National CemeteryLocated near Hagerstown, MD

Antietam National Cemetery
Located near Hagerstown, MD