Black Antietam book talk and signing: How did African Americans experience the Battle of Antietam? Although the battle was a turning point in black history—leading to the Emancipation Proclamation—its affect on local African Americans has rarely been studied. This talk will explore stories of black eyewitnesses, both enslaved and free, to the terrible events of September 17, 1862. I’ll share highlights from my new book, Black Antietam: African Americans and the Civil War in Sharpsburg. Copies of the book will be available for sale and after the talk I’ll be on hand to sign them.