July 11, 2014

**Antietam Friday**

 

 

Click for larger view

There are two ways to get to Burnside Bridge: The easy way and the not-so-easy way. The “easy” way is shown here . . . a nice straight walk down the bridge. Of course, if you’re driving, you’ll have to park in the parking lot up further and walk down to the path, but oh well! This photo from May is rather sad because it shows the railing that was put up after a huge chunk of stone fell out of the bridge. Thankfully this is being repaired.

The second photo shows a seldom-seen aspect of the area near Burnside Bridge: Antietam Creek in its natural beauty. I’m always a fan of images than illustrate how a battlefield would have looked when so many fought and died, and this is one of those images. Not a car or electric line or even a tourist in sight :-)

**HONORED TODAY**

CPL. JOHN C. WEISENSEL

Co. E, 45^TH New York Infantry

Born about 1832 --- Died July 31, 1863 at age 31

Cpl. Weisensel was born in Bavaria, and after coming to America he married a lady named Emeline and had a daughter, Catherine (who was three during the battle of Gettysburg). A son named John had been born in 1858 and had died just one year later. Cpl. Weisensel worked as a cabinet-maker. Having been mortally wounded on the second of July and later dying at the 11^TH Corps hospital (George Spangler farm), he was eventually buried at the Gettysburg National Cemetery.


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