There remains a haunting stillness over the grounds around Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland, where 3,650 Union and Confederate soldiers perished on the deadliest day—September 17, 1862—in American history.

In a discussion of A Fierce Glory: Antietam—The Desperate Battle that Saved Lincoln and Doomed Slavery, historian Justin Martin takes a fresh look at the battle that became a watershed in the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln’s effort not only to save the Union but also bring an end to slavery. The encounter ended in a tactical draw, but a Confederate retreat gave Lincoln a needed “victory” before issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.

Martin, a former Kansas City resident, last spoke at the Library in October 2014 on his biography of Walt Whitman. His presentation is co-sponsored by Rainy Day Books.

For the Presentation Slides, click here.