Article for the Civil War Courier

Here it is...


It is such a great experience going to a Civil War National Battlefield. If you ever have the chance to go to Antietam National Battlefield, in Maryland, it's a trip you will never forget. I had the chance to go to two National Battlefields, Gettysburg and Antietam, and both of them were awesome. I had the opportunity to go to Gettysburg with my Boy Scout Troop last summer. Gettysburg was the first National Battlefield I visited and I thought it was amazing, with all the gift shops and the restaurants. I thought all National Battlefields were going to be the same, but when I arrived at Antietam National Battlefield, things were different.

I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit Antietam National Battlefield, with Central Connecticut State University, and the Connecticut Civil War Roundtable. We went for Connecticut Day at Antietam National Battlefield on April 21, 2012. They dedicated all the Connecticut Monuments on the battlefield. When we arrived in the town, and the battlefield, it was a little strange. There were no huge restaurants or stores, there was not even a gift shop anywhere around. That’s because they have done an outstanding job preserving the town, and the battlefield, as the way it was 150 years ago, when the battle really took place.

When we took the tour with the National Park Service Ranger, he said, that the battlefield that we are looking at right now, looked exactly the same 150 years ago, if you ignore the small monuments, scattered on the edges of the battlefield. That is why Antietam National Battlefield is said to be the best preserved battlefield in the United States.

I had wonderful experiences in both National Battlefields, and with the Civil War Community. Each and every person that studies the Civil War cares, and seeks to preserve the saying," THAT GENERATIONS TO COME MIGHT KNOW THEM". Please visit www.thatgenerationsmightknowthem.blogspot.com, for more information on me, and what I studied.

Thanks,
James A. Brino