Antietam grave and an outdoor art gallery

Private William Wallace Porter of Glastonbury, Conn, was mortally wounded at Antietam. 
He died at the German Reformed Church in Sharpsburg on Oct. 10, 1862, 24 days after the battle.

While snooping around ancient Green Cemetery in Glastonbury, Conn., on Sunday afternoon, I was struck by the beauty of the old gravestones there. The ornate designs on the cracked, crumbling and weathered markers, some dating to the mid-18th century, give the place the feel of an outdoor art gallery. I was there to research the story of William Wallace Porter, a private in the 16th Connecticut, who was killed at Antietam. The 27-year-old soldier was one of several men in his regiment who died in the days and weeks after Antietam at the Sharpsburg's German Reform Church, which was used as a makeshift hospital. Porter is buried next to his wife, Arazina, and his brother, John, who was killed near Petersburg in 1864. Both brothers served in Company H of the 16th Connecticut, which met its demise in farmer John Otto's cornfield. (Check out my video.) I'll post much more about the life and times of Private Porter in the near future. In the meantime, enjoy the artwork.

This one reminds of a sad light bulb.

Heh! Why so glum?

Close-ups of the tops of 18th-century gravestones at Green Cemetery in Glastonbury.

Although worn by the elements, this little girl still retains her beauty.

This marker reminded me of an old Beatles tune. "Dear Prudence... won't you come out to play?"

30-year old Thomas Kimberly of Glastonbury, Conn., met his maker in a powder mill explosion.