A Run through History

The Battle at Antietam:

Yesterday I ran a 10K through the hills of the Antietam Battlefield, amongst statutes and memorials giving tribute and depicting the Civil War's bloodiest battle.

The Dunker Church, above, became a hospital during the Antietam battle; and it was the site of soldiers on opposing sides embracing those who, just the day before, had been their enemy. The blood of those who died or were wounded stained the pews. Years later the church burned, but was rebuilt to historic accuracy using salvagable lumber and items from the church.
Canons face each other. . .
Though this statute represents the 125th Pensylvania volunteer infantry, 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 12th Corps, there were statutes and markers from each military branch who fought here, where the Potomac River ran red with the solders' blood. According to the statute 54 from the 125th were killed or died from their wounds, 91 were seriously wounded and 34 were slightly wounded.  As I ran from one hill to another it was easy to imagine a solder cresting a hill and meeting his death by a soldier on the other side.

C&O Canal at Carderock Park, Maryland

A slight detour on the way home for a short walk along a piece of the C&O Canal at Carderock Park in Maryland. The dirt trail on the left is where the mules used to trod, pulling barges and boats through the canal on the right. This Canal crosses the Potomoc River. I "shot" the signs below as evidence of place, but also because of the warnings about the dangers of landing canoes, kayaks and recreational boats along certain sections of the Potomoc. To see photos more clearly, click once or twice on them, and they'll enlarge.