About Me

My photo
I am a lifelong student of military history with particular interest in the Battle of Antietam. I work for the federal government in Washington DC and have two young adult children who I love very much. I currently volunteer at Antietam and devote much time to the study of this battle and the Maryland Campaign. I enjoy collecting notable contemporary quotations by and about the men of Antietam. Since 2013 I have been conducting in depth research on the regular artillery companies of the Union Army and their leaders. I hope to turn this into a book on this subject in the future. My perspective comes from a 28-year career in the U.S. Army. Travels took me to World War II battlefields in Europe and the Pacific where American valor ended the tyranny of Nazism and Empire. But our country faced its own greatest challenge 80 years earlier during the Civil War. And it was the critical late summer of 1862, when Robert E. Lee launched the Maryland Campaign. It is an incredible story of drama, carnage, bravery, and missed opportunities that culminated around the fields and woodlots of peaceful Sharpsburg MD. So join me as I make this journey South from the North Woods.

Friday, July 23, 2010

The Cornfield, Copes and Me

Last Sunday afternoon in hot 95 degree weather, I set out for the Cornfield and snapped the photographs that you see below. I wanted to find a format where I could combine the photos with one of the Copes maps to get a better appreciation of what went on in that part of the Cornfield that I was standing on. I dont know if this is the best format and would therefore appreciate any input that you might have. I actually turned powerpoints into pictures to get the effect you see here.

What can quickly be seen is that by moving just a short distance in any direction, you will obtain a very different view. Look for example at the Poffenberger barn in those pictures that point north. The view varies from being able to see the entire structure, to just the top of the barn, to nothing at all.

4 comments:

  1. Jim, that's a pretty darn good way to do it! This makes it so much easier to discern the topographies on the maps.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks very much. Look for more of these down the road.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jim--I really like the juxtaposition between the view and the map. This is a very useful format!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks very much Jim. Really seeing the counter lines on the Copes maps and comparing them to how the terrain looks at ground level is really helpful for me too. See you soon.

    Regards
    Jim

    ReplyDelete