The Battle of Antietam remains the bloodiest one-day battle on American soil. On September 17, 1862, 23,000 soldiers became casualties in the first major Confederate attack on the Union during the Civil War. Every year, the National Park Service honors their sacrifice when it illuminates the Battlefield with 23,000 luminaries.
DECEMBER 3, 2016, 6PM
ANTIETAM NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
SHARPSBURG, MARYLAND
We at Preservation Maryland encourage you to visit Antietam, especially for this illumination event. Preservation is about keeping the past and its stories alive. It is not only about buildings, neighborhoods, or land, but also the people whose stories are interwoven with their physical environments. Remembering the soldiers who struggled and died on this land at Antietam is important for remembering not only our national story, but also how some of the most significant parts of that story have been written in our state of Maryland.