Freedom...

It's amazing how good it feels to have a car, even in an area where you'd frequently rather not drive it. I have become so accustomed to having one for so many years that I didn't realize how stranded I would feel without it. Here's an interesting thing to think about; you know what is the most useful thing to have when you're looking for a car? A car. How else do you get around to shop for one?

I decided a trip to the Antietam National Battlefield was in order. I hadn't been there since 1991. Antietam was the bloodiest single day of the Civil War. By the end of September 17, 1862, somewhere around 23,000 men had been killed or wounded on both sides. Tactically, it was a stalemate, but the Confederate forces eventually withdrew to the other side of the Potomac to lick their wounds. Strategically, the result was a Union victory since Lee had been forced to give up a planned invasion of northern territory. This was enough to give Lincoln confidence to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

Since I was celebrating my new-found freedom, I tossed my bike into the back of the new Volvo and hit the road.

It is ironic that the scene of some of the most vicious fighting of the Civil War occurred in areas of distinct natural beauty. Sharpsburg, Maryland is a small farm community with rugged, rolling hills. Antietam Creek passes near the edge of the town before it empties into the Potomac about three miles south.

There was no threat of rain, but the day was hazy. The map provided by the National Park Service (Link HERE) shows a nice driving tour. I did it on bike - about eight miles. A bike is a great way to do a Civil War battlefield...


The National Park Service has a slide show of the famous Alexander Gardner photographs taken shortly after the battle (Link HERE). The photograph of Confederate dead along the Hagerstown Pike is probably one of the most famous Civil War images.

I didn't take too many pictures, but I did stop to get a shot of my trusty bike and backpack (I have used it literally every day) framed by cannons. It was just a silly idea - my way of paying tribute to the two items that have served me so well on this journey...


When I went to gather my backpack and mount up, I noticed something...


Look closely...


It's a bird's nest in the barrel of the cannon, complete with eggs. What was once the scene of unspeakable violence now made for a peaceful afternoon. What was once an instrument of death had become a vessel of life.

It seemed like the perfect way to end the day.