Note: the war images depicted in this video are for educational purposes only. They both provide context to the Battle of Antietam and depict why war should be avoided at all costs.
In the past several episodes, we’ve been exploring the Antietam battlefield in Sharpsburg, Maryland. In the days following the battle, photographer Alexander Gardner arrived to take a series of photos that would go on to be some of the most iconic images of the war. In this episode, we’re joined by Garry Adelman of the American Battlefield Trust to revisit the exact spots where these photos were taken and to explore the history behind them.
This episode was produced in partnership with The Gettysburg Museum of History. See how you can support history education & artifact preservation by visiting their website & store at https://www.gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com
Check out @Vlogging Through History to see the other side of the collaboration that we did at Antietam.
Battle maps in this series provided courtesy of @American Battlefield Trust. Check out the full battle map here: https://youtu.be/_8ybkoGmHww
Support the effort to expand history education on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/historyunderground
Set yourself up with a 10% DISCOUNT on all Origin gear and nutritional products by entering the code “history10” at www.originmaine.com!
Other episodes that you might enjoy:
– A Bloodletting at Burnside Bridge | History Traveler Episode 253: https://youtu.be/EJacZt10ZXA
– “Dead on the Field”: Walking Antietam’s Bloody Cornfield | History Traveler Episode 248: https://youtu.be/poI7nWgABl0
– Where the Battle of Antietam REALLY Started History Traveler Episode 247: https://youtu.be/4GoCc_EDnP4
– The LOST ORDER That Led to ANTIETAM!!! | History Traveler 245 Lost Order: https://youtu.be/KpRRUjB41Ps
– The Terminator of Antietam at THE BLOODY LANE | History Traveler Episode 251: https://youtu.be/KDDoqIaRILk
All drone flights conducted by a Part 107 licensed pilot outside of the park boundaries
48 Comments
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Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com.
Been there, very moving. You should go.
It is good that the fallen are being honoured in your work. Its sad especially seeing a sixteen year old lying dead. RIP those that gave their all 💔
i enjoyed this valuable history lesson …
What the heck was that black orb looking thing that went by from right to left at 5:51? Did anyone else catch that too?
Garry is awesome. I'd love to travel that battlefield with him.
Love your episodes! Some I wish were longer!
Very sad to see such young men wasted for the actions of politicians and those craving power.
Thank you for this video. It is important to also explain to your audience that many of the photographs were staged, especially those taken by photographer Brady. The soldiers bodies were often moved and posed in order to create more drama. After all, they were there to record the event and sell their product. An unethical practice, to be sure.
didn't kill enough of em…
#RyanUpchurch
What a fantastic video series!
A wonderful old friend of mine, and my employer (George Bisaca; Eastover Resort, Lenox, MA), would have loved these videos.
When I’d ask him something about the Civil War, that man knew damned near every detail.
I sure wish I could be a fly on the wall if he saw this in 3D.
That man pulled me aside for many a conversation (he did that to all his staff😂), and I’ve never seen compassion like that in any man’s eyes more than my Olde Man, and George Bisaca.
Nummy was a close 2nd, tho!!!😎
RIP, My Olde Friends
Jimmy BongWonder if anyone took photos….of the big reenactment of this battle in ‘88…It was epic.. I was there reenacting with the Orange Blossoms.
Slow the eff down!
I wonder how many remains are walked over on a busy day
What was the photographers name who did the photos in 3D?
You have to be careful with Gardiner. According to his coworkers, he would drag bodies and pose them. They also traveled with a wagon full of props. You can see in many images he used the same rifle and other accoutrements in many shots. The shot with the line of dead stretching away from the camera at an angle and the lone confederate in the ditch are two examples. Gardiner tended to "fib" a little with his descriptions.
In 1972 I read a Life Magazine article about a guy named William Frassanito, a photographic history buff who went to both Antietam and Gettysburg with Gardner's photographs, and re-photographed the identical modern scenes using a 35mm camera. If you liked this, you will love those two books – Antietam: A Photographic Legacy of America's Bloodiest Day and Gettysburg: A Journey in Time. I'm a photography instructor and the only criticism I ever had of the two books is that Frassanito apparently used a 50mm lens for his modern scenes. The old box cameras Gardner used were somewhat telephoto since they were designed for portraits rather than landscapes. This makes Frassanito's perspective a bit out of whack. As astounding as the two books are, they would be more accurate had he used a 70mm or so focal length with his modern camera.
My family was at Antietam, 7th Tennessee Regiment, Tennessee Brigade, AP Hill's command. They arrived from Harper's Ferry to fight the last big battle and keep Lee's right flank secure. I always pitied those poor city clerks and mechanics from Connecticut who finally crossed the bridge, only to come across Tennessee boys who'd been shooting the eyes out of squirrels since weaned.
It is unbelievable what happened. Wonderful he recorded thisvon film. Never should this be forgotten
rewatching these videos makes me grateful that no matter what he was going through, even before cancer, he always uploaded videos for us, his viewers, to watch.
Rest Easy and in peace Techno, thank you for everything you did.
This my favorite video to rewatch as I, and many others are still grieving over the loss of him. Technoblade will never die in the hearts of his loyal fanbase.
Truly again, thank you Technoblade for everything.
The guy in the hat needs to slow down and take a few breaths. His presentation is way too hurried to absorb.
“It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.”
Gen. Robert E. Lee, Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia.
Well worth watching.
My G-G-Grandfather fought at Antietam served as a private in company B Tenth Vermont infantry. He came home and moved to Estherville Iowa in one piece.
With all the brutality shown today in color and video, for some reason I find the photos from the American civil war to be more emotional and brutal.
I absolutely love Charlie, always going out of his way and doing everything he can to help people in any way possible whether it's with money, with a silly competition, a serious stream to promote exposure but still being silly to make people jus laugh, a charity stream or just something as simple as streaming to thousands of viewers every day making us all laugh and constantly putting smiles on her faces. I don't know about you guys but that sure does a lot for me thank you charlie, for just simply being new
War is so stupid.
I don't know the exact details but I would guess there was an earlier battle, in which JAC was killed, and then he was buried, and then shortly thereafter there was another battle on the exact same spot when the young unnamed confederate man died right next to JAC's grave. Or is this video saying that JAC was buried after the battle while there was a Confederate corpse lying right there next to JAC's grave?
I walked the same battle field my grandfather fought on in WW1, against the Austrian/Hungarian armies. Located near Venice on the River Piave’, he was 19 and described the river as running “red with the blood of the slain”. I was 14 when I went and you could still see the trenches, concrete pillboxes and spent munitions. Yeah, I had chills, could swear that there was no other sound, not even birds.
So interesting
We did the self guided tour and it was awesome ! I am an Aussie and ex-soldier and the experience and the discovery of how many died sure does predicate that …….."Freedom was NOT free "!
I cringe when this conflict is referred to as a " Civil War" . I much prefer " The War between the States"
Stumbled upon your channel and was treated to Garry's wonderfully passionate, informative and fascinating delivery. I just love when someone LOVES what they do!
At around the 5:49 mark in this video I'm almost sure you caught a spirit moving across the frame a black dot moves across the frame idk
Why and how are we supposed to see the photos in 3d
I am a 72-year-old Canadian. I became interested in the Civil War after seeing "Death and the Civil War", a number of years ago on PBS. But my interest seemed rather intense – I couldn't figure out why. Then I eventually discovered that my 3rd great-uncle, who was born in Canada, but whose family came from the US to Quebec in about 1800, joined as a volunteer and died in the fall of Petersburg, on April 2, 1865, age 34.
Powerful stuff. And still the struggle for freedom persists. What a waste of ability. One body at a time.
Just stumbled across this and I am fascinated by the American civil war.
Just like Cromwell in this country and the English civil war it leave,s a a horrible stain on our histories.
Lot's of people from my country would have been there fighting on both sides,, Scots,, Irish,,or Ulster Scots,, immigrants who's father's,, would have been in the War of independence,,sad but a great nation got created,,☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ from northern Ireland
Thank You for posting this. History will repeat itself if we don't remember that we're all Americans. Our Constitution is the common ground we can stand on, treating others as we'd want to be.
President Lincoln reminded us of our nation's creed "that all men are created equal." And yet he was called a tyrant and assassinated for ending slavery.
Should White Nationalists provoke another un-Civil War as they say they will, we can't let the suffering and death of President Lincoln be in vain, as well as all those who died upholding our Constitution.
The slavery of discrimination goes on from systemic racism. African Americans who support White Nationalists are similar to those who fought for the Confederacy or served as laborers of their own free will.
My wish to the American people would be more attention and awareness about the horror of wars. Maybe the American nation needs another civil war in order to understand the cruelties their government causes to other nations around the world.
Back in 1800's, taking photos of the dead, made to look alive, was reportedly a thing. Not just soldiers, but civilians. The camera was a new invention. Seems macabre now..
Another great video. I've seen some of these photos before, the last one of the confederate soldiers laying along the fence is probably one of the most famous. Watching these videos makes me want to tour your country and visit all these great locations.
Beautiful video. Those photos are such a beautifully tragic connection to the past. Those men's lives snuffed out in such brutality. Their hopes and dreams, their life's loves and potential ended. It's can sometimes be easy to think of them in grandiose terms as a valorous sacrifice for country, state, family, friends and freedoms at the alter of history. These photographs allow the viewer to see their broken humanity. To imagine them as the beloved sons of grieving mothers that they were.
I love civil war history, I more get into North Carolina history. This video inspired me to get back into reading and I will send this video to family members.. thanks to all involved…. would love to see a video on Fort Fisher.N.C.
I absorb civil war history. But with that said what was that black shadow moving so quickly past the screen at 5:53?😮
As a photographer, This was super damned cool.