Antietam Sunset

My posts on Antietam have finally come to a close and a sunset seemed a fitting end. I'm not saying this will be my final Antietam post ever, just that for now I'm done. I'll revisit it as a topic in the future as the mood strikes. I'm not sure what tomorrow's post will bring, I might start another group of themed posts or I might be a bit more random for awhile.

These cannons are in the Confederate rear at the Sunken Road. The Piper Orchard is just over the crest. A ranger said that these guns are probably the closest to the spot that Longstreet's staff operated a battery at, but this isn't the spot. Matt, who often acted as our guide, (and a better guide would be hard to find as Matt is always challenging us to think beyond what hindsight tells us, "put yourselves in their shoes and judge the decisions by what they knew when") pointed out that these guns are silhouetted. This is actually a very bad placement for artillery. They provide too good of a target for the attacking infantry. I pointed out that while that is true in their current placement they provide a wonderful sunset shot.

Mike and I got this shot before the group arrived. The rays were breaking through the clouds perfectly. A little crimson can be seen on the horizon. We stayed a bit longer and it never improved beyond this. But I think this is still a pretty nice shot.