Notes On Antietam At 150 And The Reenactors Who Keep The History Alive

Battle of Antietam in 2012                                                     Photo: Joe Crocetta

National Review Online has two items of interest to those who appreciate history. The first is an analysis of the Battle of Antietam, fought on this day 150 years ago. It was a costly draw on the battlefield - 25,000 casualties - that defined the course of the Civil War and set the stage for a Northern victory and an end slavery, the peculiar institution. Antietam is very close to OTR's heart and soul. An early visit there - he was at most six years old - likely helped shape his career .

The second post is a review of Man of War: My Adventures in the World of Historical Reenactment, by Charlie Schroeder. Historical reenactment has a huge following here and abroad. In fact, the reenactment of battles from the American Civil War is extremely popular in Europe, especially in Germany.

Reenactors, even apart from their pursuit, are rather fascinating, and OTR worked with a variety of them throughout his career. Some practiced with the highest regard for honesty and accuracy. Others bordered on the netherworlds of sanity. And then there were the Indian pretenders who had to settle for membership in the Wannabee tribe. For the most part, they added a very useful, active dimension to the study of the past, a subject that suffers greatly from academic desiccation.