5 posts tagged “anniversary07”

Rob took this photo when we were in Harpers Ferry, in one of the town buildings/museums.  I don't know why, but it makes me giggle.  It is really not funny.  This guy had Confederate troops bearing down on him, and I imagine it was a pretty intense situation.  I am sure he was not speaking in jest.

But for some reason it just seems like something that would be spoofed a la Monty Python.

I actually like a lot of the photos I took while on that trip - you can check them out for yourself (if you have nothing better to do) here, here, and here.  Oh, and here.

Believe it or not, it actually cast an interesting glow into the room in the evenings with just the sheers over the windows (kind of reminded me of sleeping at Mom-Mom and Pop's in that windowed alcove when we were kids, Mar and Janie).

After breakfast on Sunday, we checked out and then headed to Antietam National Battlefield...

 

Another interesting site, and difficult to imagine some 23,000 men losing their lives there in one day.  Yes, you read that right: 23,000.  In one day.

Across the street from the visitor center is this little church.  It was called "Dunker Church" because the congregants baptized by immersion.  It was in the middle of the fierce fighting, and it became the backdrop of the one of the first published civil war photos depicting slain soldiers still on the field.


As you can see, we were standing on practically the same spot as those men who gave their lives that dark day.  Sobering to say the least.

Rob mused, "Isn't it interesting that our government spends thousands of dollars to transform a place of violence into a peaceful memorial. 

I am glad they do.  That they did so at Antietam.  Beauty from ashes.

We drove through the rest of the battlefield slowly, drinking in the sites as we passed memorial after memorial.  We capped off our visit with a stop at the Burnside Bridge, site of some of the worst sniper fighting in the battle.


Finally "historied out", as Rob quipped, we drove back down to the Baltimore area for a late lunch at Cactus Willies.  Then we picked up the boys and headed home.

Tomorrow I will try to post the last of the photos: my favorite flora shots taken at Antietam.

The one above is probably my favorite shot of the day.  I love the way the light is hitting the leaves and water.

There were still lots of wildflowers blooming; Rob took these next two...



This next one of a pink flower (Hibiscus, maybe...?) was one of many growing in the churchyard.  Every bloom had a bumble bee inside of it...

I am not sure what kind of tree is featured in the next one, but it grew in such a unique way, I couldn't resist trying to capture it with the camera...

And finally, I took this photo of a tree near Bolivar Heights.  Right after I took it, Rob said, "You should take a picture of that tree."  Great minds...

I also love the backdrop of the wooden fence running in the distance.

The views along the river were gorgeous; here are a few of my favorites...

Part of an old bridge, these evergreens (above) have somehow found a way to flourish in the stone.


One of my favorite photos from the weekend (above).



Rob found a bench of sorts to rest on......

No mind that the drop off, should he roll to his right, would cast him upon the rocks and into the chilly Shenandoah!

You can't really tell from the photo, but it was a straight drop down from his resting spot.

Along the way, we also found some time for silliness...


We arrived back in the town area in time to watch two living history presentations: one on the militia and weaponry of the 1850s, as well as the reenactment of the marines' capture of John Brown after Brown's Raid.


The volunteer playing the role of John Brown looked eerily similar to the abolitionist...