C&O Canal & Antietam National Battlefield

This was a busy day for us with a planned trip to Antietam Battlefield and also the C&O Canal.  We started off the jaunt by visiting the Canal at Williamsport, MD.  They have a very nice display there, along with a pond and the actual canal.  The C&O Canal goes from Georgetown to Cumberland, MD and has a rich history.  There is a bicycle path for the length of the canal and it's heavily used.  

C&O Canal - Williamsport, MD

Algae filled pond

Abner Doubleday played a role in the defense of the Union in Williamsport and later at the nearby Battle of Antietam a few years later.  Most people remember him for inventing the game of baseball in 1835.  He retired as a Major General after the Civil War and moved to San Francisco, CA where he established the first Cable Car company.  

We drove a short distance to Sharpsburg, MD to tour the Antietam Battlefield.  It was here where the bloodiest day of fighting in the Civil War with 23,000 casualties taking place in one day.  An interesting sidelight to the battles was that after the fighting was over, the Union & Confederate Armies left the area and the local people had to deal with the wounded and dead.

Dunker Church

Burnside Bridge

Antietam creek tubers

Sherrick House

.There is a driving tour of the battlefield that takes you by Dunker Church, The Corn Field, Sunken Road, Burnside Bridge and other stops along the way.  If you have any interest in the Civil War, this is a must stop for you to visit.  In addition to the history of the battle, it is located in one of the most beautiful spots in Maryland.  We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and reading the signs explaining what happened in each area, along with the different army groups who were in that area.

After the battlefield visit we drove over to Cassie & Jack's and met up and went out to dinner with them.  We picked Applebee's to try for dinner and we enjoyed the food and company.  I don't think anyone left there hungry, but we went back to Cassie & Jack's house for a fantastic dessert prepared by Cassie.  We were so stuffed after that and barely were able to waddle out of their house.  

It was a long day, but most satisfying to us.