Antietam battle photo

Alaskazimm

Private
Joined
Jan 26, 2012
Location
Western Alaska
Long time lurker here making my first post.

I have been especially interested in the old photos that have been blown up and the amazing detail that can be seen. I found this photo in the LoC that says it is of the Antietam battlefield during the battle. I understand that the long exposure time made moving shots all but impossible so I'm wondering if this real or staged. What do you think?

I'm having trouble getting the photo to upload but it can be found here www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cwpb.00307/?co=cwp
 
story is that this was from McClellan's HQ during battle. Some say smoke is from campfires after the battle.

Like the avatar/ "Eight stars of gold on a field of blue, Alaska's flag may it mean to you..."
 
OK, makes sense. That explains the cannon limbered and why the lines appear to be at the bottom of a hill. I'm not familiar with the battlefield, but about where is this located?

Love Alaska . . . well mostly. The high temps this week have been in the mid -20's.
 
OK, makes sense. That explains the cannon limbered and why the lines appear to be at the bottom of a hill. I'm not familiar with the battlefield, but about where is this located?

Love Alaska . . . well mostly. The high temps this week have been in the mid -20's.

McClellan's HQ was at Pry house about 2 miles east of Dunker Church. It is atop a steep hill on its western slope. there is another picture taken of the large cavalry reserve at the base of the hill with lots of haze from cook fires. Think it was taken at same time as the picture you showed.
 
My guess would be that the guy looking over the scene with his glass was posed to give a sense of depth or perspective to the picture. That's a great picture, thanks for sharing it!
 
1144002238_sHdxD-X3.jpg
 
Those troops lounging around certainly don't look as if they are involved in close combat. McClellan did have a huge unused reserve of infantry and cavalry around the Pry House and this picture shows some of them. Whether the battle was in progress or afterwards is difficult to ascertain.
 
Thanks for all the replies and enlarments. Very interesting.

When I first saw the photo I thought it was of the firing line with the smoke being rifle and a battery about to go into position behind it. I figured the relative lack of movement on the battleline would account for the picture being able to be produced.

Thanks again and I love this forum so far!
 
Oh yeah, the infamous horse with the "7" on it's flank! :wink: Great job bringing that picture to life Wilber and happy to see it again!
 
Strange, that these horses seem largely unattended. If there was a battle going on, wouldn't there have been a concern of the horses bolting from the noise? As they seem to be on reserve, it would appear that the hundred or so men of the battery are cooking a meal a bit of a distance away. hardly a "rapid reaction" force.

Wil,
Could you give a closeup on the caissons, forges etc that should be in the rear of the battery (to the left of the picture). maybe we will find the members of the batery.
 
oh man.....7 come 11 lives....This was an absolute classic of a hoot!
 
Back
Top