The Antietam National Battlefield was established by an act of Congress on August 30, 1890. The park’s mission was to survey and mark the lines of battle for the armies and to buy land and build drives to access the markers, which would display the stories of the units at that place. This work was under the administration of the War Department, who appointed a board of Civil War veterans to carry on the work.
As part of this effort 217 iron tablets were cast in Chattanooga, Tennessee and placed around the Antietam battlefield. An additional 25 tablets were placed at other areas significant to the battle, such as the five markers at Harpers Ferry. One hundred seventy iron guide and location markers were also erected. Over the years around 25 markers have gone missing due to vandalism and accidents.
The markers are divided into 124 Union tablets numbered 1 through 124, and 88 Confederate tablets numbered 300 through 388. Some of the location tablets are marked with a letter of the alphabet. This site will take you to pages for each of the markers, with a photo, text from the marker, and their location.