Antietam was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War and its victory inspired Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. On September 17, 1862, 23,110 men were killed, wounded, or marked missing in just one day.
All cemeteries are haunting in their own way, but one of the unique things about Antietam is the amount of graves for those soldiers who were unknown. Little stones mark these graves and some have a number that indicates how many bodies are in that one spot. The cemetery is so large, NPS has a map available so you know where to go to find certain troops and plot numbers. They also have a searchable database for locating specific names. There’s 323 pages on it. You can also walk what is known as “Bloody Lane” which is a slope in the battlefield between the two farms where Lee ordered the Confederates to basically hide and wait, but it was not the best idea.
Because of the mass casualties in Antietam, the process of burying the dead was rushed and done in a manner of sanitation and convenience, not longevity. Some men were buried in trenches while others were laid to rest close to the surface of the ground. After the war, some of the bodies started to become revealed and there was no denying that remediations were necessary. One thing of note is that only Union soldiers (as far as anyone knows) are buried there. Originally in 1864 when the plans for the cemetery were finalized it was to be for all veterans, but with the lasting tensions of the war and the lack of available funds from the South, Maryland decided to veto the Confederates who needed to be laid to rest.
No war place of value can survive without ghosts. With a mix of real stories and those spread from exaggerations, Antietam is ripe with tales of those who won’t stay dead. Bloody Lane, as mentioned, was a common place to die during the battle. For anyone who has Irish heritage or is interested in Irish American history, the Irish Brigade is an interesting tidbit to study. They were a very important part of the battle of Antietam and add another layer to the supposed ghosts walking the battlefields. There are many stories of seeing men in uniform walk aimlessly down the lane. There have also been accounts of the smell of gunpowder or something burning with no distinction as to what was causing it.
One lighter note, one possible ghost sighting comes from students at a private boys school who claimed to hear Christmas carols being sung from Bloody Lane.
There is now a Bloody Lane hiking trail complete with stops at the Mumma Farm, the Sunken Road, & Tompkins Battery.
Like many churches during the Civil War, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church ran as a hospital. The church was described as being in “pretty sad condition” prior to the war and after taking some damage from shots and bombs “pretty sad” turned into dilapidated. Per a rector, “Last autumn the ceiling of our old church gave way and fell through the floor, only half an hour before time for the morning service…”
But the faith of the people prevailed and there were rallies and requests to revive the old church. Rev Henry Edwards was a forerunner in this project. 1877 parochial report. “We have just finished putting a belfry upon the church, and the bell was rung for the first call to prayer on the night of Whitsunday, in a place of its own, after and interval of more than 15 years.”
This history is not the only draw to this site. There are accounts of hearing screaming and yelling coming from inside when it’s supposed to be empty. The Pry House was also a hospital with sightings. One in particular came in the 1970’s when there was a fire in the Pry House and firemen claimed to have seen a woman standing in the second story looking out at them.
One of the most sought after stops in Antietam is the Antietam National Cemetery, which according to the National Parks Service site is one of 130 National Cemeteries you have to choose from.
The cemetery holds the remains of many unknown soldiers (1,836 of the 4,776 to be exact). The unknown soldiers’ graves are marked with a stone and some of them contain more than one person. These are marked with a small number that tells you just how many veterans lay beneath your feet.
There are an additional 200 veterans of other wars also buried here.
One night there I had trouble sleeping so I sat outside and wrote enjoying the cool weather. At one point I heard a sound coming from the creek that was a cat-bird-child screaming creature. I wish I had a better description but it was so odd I just don’t know what to compare it to. I’m assuming it was a bird of some kind but it was so loud and strange that my husband stumbled half awake from the tent in somewhat of what can only be described as “wtf just happened?” Before the terrifying screech though I enjoyed a huge full moon that lit up most of the water and sites nearby. It was ominous in a way I haven’t seen many times but still beautiful.
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