Monday, December 24, 2012

Pictures from 2012

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I haven't been posting much this year, it was a busy one.

Here's a selection of photos I took this past year of your Antietam National Battlefield




Dunker Church



New York Monument



Staff ride



Blue birds ready to leave home



Parrott gun



Then and now



Limestone



Paper



Ike



Stout-hearted men



Tolson chapel



Spring



Iris



Morning



Winter wheat



South Mountain



Restoration



Afternoon



Mount making



Fog


Happy new year from just north of Sharpsburg.

Ranger Mannie



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Monday, September 24, 2012

Whew!

Yesterday, the 150th observance of the Battle of Antietam ended with our weekend observance of the issuance of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.

The entire week was a spectacular success.  The weather was ideal and the visitation was astronomical.  The numbers are still being crunched, but my on-the-ground estimate is between 40-60,000 visitors.

The high points for me were the two weeks just prior as I prepared my small contributions to the effort.  As the tempo increased so too did the anticipation.  Everybody pulled together as we all realized that we'd only have one chance to get it right.  The second, and best, of those two high points found me and eight of my friends and colleagues in the Cornfield at 6:30 a.m. in the fog and smoke from distant batteries and musketry as we read, to and audience of 600 early-risers,  quotes from men who had participated in the Cornfield fight.  It was very evocative and I will remember it as one of the most worthwhile things I've ever done in my career as an educator.



It all went so remarkably perfect.

And now, to rest.

Flopped on my couch, just north of Boonsboro,

Mannie


Monday, September 17, 2012

Antietam 150


Sesquicentennial images














































 



















































A weekend to reflect and remember.


Mannie (just north of Sharpsburg)