Antietam National Cemetery | Frederick

Antietam National Cemetery, located adjacent to the Antietam National Battlefield near Sharpsburg, Maryland, is a solemn and sacred burial ground established to honor the Union soldiers who fell during the Battle of Antietam and surrounding campaigns. Officially dedicated on September 17, 1867, five years to the day after the battle, the cemetery stands as a lasting tribute to those who gave their lives during one of the Civil War’s most consequential and devastating engagements.

Overview and Historical Background

Following the horrific casualties of the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862-which claimed nearly 23,000 lives in a single day-bodies of Union and Confederate soldiers were hastily buried in shallow graves across the battlefield and nearby farms. The sheer scale of death overwhelmed local resources. As the war ended, pressure mounted to give the dead proper burials and to create a dignified national resting place.

The federal government purchased land on a ridge just south of Sharpsburg, overlooking the battlefield, to establish a cemetery specifically for Union soldiers. Architect Edmund Lind, in partnership with U.S. Army Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs, designed the layout and construction. Reinterment efforts began in 1866, with workers exhuming thousands of bodies from scattered battlefield graves and reinterring them with military precision and care.

Notable Features

🕊️ The American Volunteer Monument

At the heart of the cemetery stands the "American Volunteer" statue, a 21-foot-tall monument sculpted from granite. It features a Union soldier in winter gear, standing at parade rest with a rifle held in front of him. Erected in 1880, the statue is both a symbol of national unity and individual sacrifice.

The statue rests atop a central monument base surrounded by a circular pathway and flower beds. It commands a view across the cemetery, reinforcing the watchful presence of those who served.

📍 Layout and Headstones

The cemetery spans 11 acres, enclosed by a cast iron and stone fence.

Approximately 4,776 Union soldiers are buried here, of which 1,836 remain unidentified-a stark reminder of the chaos and anonymity of Civil War combat.

Burials are organized by state, with sections assigned to regiments and units from New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, Indiana, and others who participated in the Antietam Campaign.

Each state is marked with its own monument or section pillar.

Unlike later cemeteries, Confederate soldiers were not buried here due to postwar tensions. Most were reinterred in Washington Confederate Cemetery, located within Rose Hill Cemetery in Hagerstown, Maryland.

Symbolism and Design

Antietam National Cemetery's design was meant to be both a respectful burial place and a landscaped memorial park:

Order and uniformity in the aligned headstones symbolize discipline and honor.

State sections reinforce the collective sacrifice made by different parts of the Union.

Pathways and plantings create an environment of serenity and remembrance, encouraging reflection and respect.

Dedication Ceremony

The cemetery’s formal dedication on September 17, 1867 was a significant national event, attended by government officials, military leaders, and thousands of citizens. President Andrew Johnson presided over the ceremony, accompanied by General Ulysses S. Grant, General George B. McClellan, and other notable figures. The event was framed as a healing moment for a war-torn nation, emphasizing unity and the price of freedom.

Visiting Today

Visitors to Antietam National Cemetery can enter through an ornate iron gate with the inscription “Not for Themselves but for Their Country.” The path leads to the central monument and the surrounding graves, where interpretive panels provide historical context. Benches, shade trees, and flowerbeds maintain the cemetery’s contemplative atmosphere.

Open daily from dawn to dusk

Free to the public

Accessible via walking trail or short drive from the Antietam Visitor Center

Cultural and Historical Significance

Antietam National Cemetery is more than a burial ground; it is a physical embodiment of the cost of preserving the Union and ending slavery. The high number of unidentified graves evokes the brutal reality of war, where soldiers fought and died far from home, many never to be named again.

The cemetery also reflects the evolution of how America honors its dead. It was one of the early national cemeteries established by the U.S. government, setting a precedent for later military cemeteries like Arlington.

Preservation

Today, the cemetery is maintained by the National Park Service. Headstones, fencing, walkways, and monuments are carefully preserved, and the site remains a place of ceremony during national observances like Memorial Day and Antietam Illumination Night, when thousands of candles are lit to represent each casualty of the battle.

Antietam National Cemetery remains a place of silence, reverence, and enduring memory-a fitting tribute to those who stood in the face of unimaginable violence and whose legacy helped shape the course of American history.