As the suns descends over one of the many cornfields that divide the rolling hills of western Maryland, a scene not witnessed in over a century-and-a-half is taking place as thousands of men – some wearing blue, some wearing gray – file into a field, their steel rifle barrels glinting in the light as they march.
Minutes later, a thunderous roll of drum beats calls the infantry to battle, and a battery of cannons roars to life, its bellows shattering the quiet country evening as its crew swarms around it. One officer yells to his men, “Alright boys…get ready for hell!”
A little known, ironic fact is that the Battle of Antietam — the bloodiest day on American soil, where our citizens fought over the very existence of the Union — took place on the 75th anniversary of the signing of the federal Constitution, which created the legal framework for the United States. September 17th — the anniversary of the battle — is now celebrated as Constitution Day.