In fewer than 12 hours, 23,000 Union and Confederate soldiers died, wounded, or were missing during the Battle of Antietam.

It still stands as the single most fatal day in US history.

Todd Arrington, site manager of James A. Garfield National Historic Site, explains why the armies met at Sharpsburg, why there were so many casualties, and what Antietam had to do with the Emancipation Proclamation.

Our Civil War series continues at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at our Main Branch. We’ll discuss the Siege of Atlanta. As always, the talk is free and open to all.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, several talks in our Civil War series can be viewed online in their entirety, including: