Antietam: Re-enacting a bloody 1862 US Civil War battle

[Gerald]

The uniforms and explosions seem real enough, but the power lines and cars detract from the effect.

The Civil War Battle of Antietam was one of the bloodiest days in American history, with 23,000 dead, wounded or missing in a matter of hours. One hundred fifty years later, a group gathered to remember the battle - by re-enacting it.

The US Army artillery battery fires round after round dozens of feet from me, and within minutes my ears are ringing and the shock waves have made my heart flutter.

Across the battlefield squads of men in blue uniform line up just yards from others wearing grey. The sides exchange volleys of rifle and musket fire.

The air grows thick with smoke. Men fall to the ground.

The spectacle is dreadful, and anxiety washes over me.

A troop of "Confederate" cavalry salute spectators as they ride off the battlefield.

But the men are not really dead, of course. They're re-enacting a battle of the American Civil War, for their own amusement, while hundreds of spectators look on.

The Battle of Antietam took place 150 years ago last week near a small town in the state of Maryland, 55 miles (89km) from Washington DC.It was one of the bloodiest days in American history, the standard against which September 11 was measured.

Twenty-three thousand Americans were killed, wounded or missing in the day-long battle. In proportion to today's population, that number would be 230,000.

The Battle of Antietam was a turning point in the Civil War between the Northern Union forces and the Southern Confederates, who had rebelled against the United States to preserve their right to hold African-American slaves in bondage.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19638398


Note: 27 September 2012 Last updated at 00:02 GMT