Monday, July 18, 2011

The Dead Buried at Antietam (Part 1)

During a recent visit to the Antietam Battlefield, I ventured into the National Cemetery for the first time. I had always wanted to go there, but for some reason never did. As I finished my battlefield tour, I made a point to go over and visit the Connecticut section and see if I could locate soldiers of the 8th Connecticut. I was very suprised to find many of the headstones, unreadable. Seemingly forgotten. So for a serious of posts, I will post an image of one of the gravestones of the soldiers of the 8th Connecticut who is buried at Antietam National Cemetery with a brief history of their service.

This is the grave of Henry E. Strickland. Grave# 1115. His residence at the time of his enlistment was New Hartford, Connecticut, a town in the hills of Litchfield County. When he mustered into Company A, he was given the rank of Sergeant, which he would hold up until Antietam. Sometime during the assault upon the Harpers Ferry Road, he was struck in the left thigh. His wound would prove to be mortal and Strickland would die on October 10, 1862, twenty-three days after the battle.