The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000 casualties. My youngest son and I traveled about 90 minutes to Antietam for a camping trip with his Cub Scout troop. I walked the grounds and felt an eerie peace. The grounds were hollowed, respected, and sacred. Evidence of the war was still scattered across the huge battlefield. My son walked with me over the grounds asking a variety of questions, seemingly relevant to the aura of the area. We later reached the campgrounds the other scouts were running around having a blast, learning and experiencing the joys of camping. The campfire was started, games were played, and some even went deer hunting (no guns, of coarse!). It rained heavily that night and into the morning. Sun up...sun down on the same hollowed grounds.
Expressing what happens to dads everyday...