Geology and the Civil War

By REEVES WIEDEMAN

The Battle of Antietam left 23,100 soldiers wounded or killed in the bloodiest single-day conflict in American history. Rifles downed most of the soldiers, but a pair of geologists say they have found an unexpected accomplice: limestone.

A survey of the 25 bloodiest battles of the Civil War by Robert C. Whisonant and Judy Ehlen,...