In September 1862, Union troops surged across Burnside Bridge at Antietam, pushing a battered Confederate line toward the Potomac. Victory seemed certain.
Then, A.P. Hill’s Light Division arrived — late, but not too late — charging into the Union flank after a grueling 17-mile march. Their final flank attack changed the course of the battle, and perhaps the war.
The land where Hill’s men emerged still exists, just beyond Antietam National Battlefield. Two small properties — just over two acres — witnessed this pivotal moment.
One was nearly lost before we secured a contract just in time. Now, we can save them both, if we raise the remaining funds before year’s end.
More than $510,000 is already committed from federal partners and the Save Historic Antietam Foundation. Just over $500,000 remains to complete the project and return this land to its rightful place in the story of our nation.
Every dollar given will be matched, doubling the impact of your gift. Now is the moment to act — to ensure this sacred land is protected forever.
PRESERVE HISTORIC LAND AT ANTIETAM
The Battle of Antietam remains the single bloodiest day in all of American history. Some 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or went missing. But it was also the day President Lincoln turned toward freedom — using the Union’s strategic advantage to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation just days later.
To preserve this place is to preserve that turning point — in stone and soil, not just in books.
This opportunity will not come again. The land at Antietam must be purchased. The closing date is fast approaching. Please give today.
History cannot be undone. But it can easily be forgotten — or remembered, honored, and protected. That choice is in front of us now.
With gratitude,
David N. Duncan, President
American Battlefield Trust
P.S. These two acres sit where history turned — where A.P. Hill’s exhausted troops poured onto the field to stop the Union advance and alter the course of the Civil War. Without protection, this land could still be developed. Don’t let that happen. Help raise the final funds needed to save these two properties at Antietam forever.