A Civil War soldier lost at Antietam, returned to New York

(09/18/09) Yesterday marked the 147th anniversary of the Civil War battle at Antietam in Maryland. It was the single bloodiest day in US history, with more than 20,000 men killed or wounded. Three hundred New Yorkers are still unaccounted for from that battle, their remains lost in the farm fields and the woods. But last summer, a hiker in an area known as the Corn Field discovered the remains of a soldier. His buttons and his belt identified him as a volunteer from New York. That soldier was finally laid to rest yesterday at Saratoga National Cemetery. In just a moment, we'll hear from the historian who arranged the long-delayed funeral. First, here's Brian Mann's audio portrait of the ceremony. It begins with the rumble of a motorcycle honor guard, which accompanied the soldier on his final journey from Maryland.