September 18, 1862.

A day of great sadness.

Thousands of dead and wounded Americans lay on farm fields in southern Maryland.

The day before, McClellan’s Army of the Potomac and Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia had met in battle along southern Maryland’s Antietam Creek.

23,000 men were killed or wounded in the one-day fight.

Get full access to Photo of the Day at look.substack.com/subscribe