The Big Loop, Day 43: Antietam (10 images)

A short drive from Harpers Ferry is the battlefield of Antietam, site of an epic Civil War battle. Antietam was the deadliest battle in U.S. military history. In one day, America suffered 22,717 Americans dead, wounded or missing.

It showed that the Union could withstand attack from the Confederate army in the Eastern theater. It also gave Lincoln the strength to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. Hesitant to support a pro-slavery regime, England and France then declined to form an alliance with the Confederate States of America.

My brother, sister-in-law and I had limited time there. So most of our visit was a driving tour. But hopefully these photos, mainly battlefield markers rather than creative images, will give you a little better awareness of that terrible battle.