'Lincoln and Lee at Antietam' DVD Released on Presidents Day

Today we acknowledge a day that initially served solely as a celebration of our inaugural President George Washington's birthday. Due to the close proximity in birthdays with President Abraham Lincoln, there has been an ongoing push over time to change 'Washington's Birthday' to Presidents Day in order to honor both leaders. Though the official name is still Washington's Day, the federal holiday is commonly referred to as Presidents Day today, honoring the office of the Presidency. Today Janson Media marks President Lincoln's birthday with the release of a documentary DVD about a brutal Civil War battle that enabled Lincoln to issue his famous Emancipation Proclamation, which ended slavery in the southern states.

Lincoln and Lee at Antietam - The Cost of Freedomfocuses on the single bloodiest day in American history. It"s September 17, 1862 and President Abraham Lincoln needs a victory in order to issue the Emancipation Proclamation and end slavery in the South. But the brilliant Confederate General Robert E. Lee has other plans - invade the North. The Battle of Antietam results in more casualties than the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Mexican War and the Spanish American War combined. In fact, the bloodiest day of World War II, D-Day, amounts to only one quarter of the casualties suffered at Antietam.

&'A must for every student of the Civil War.&' - Kristie Poehler, Battlefield Journal&'Articulate and gut-wrenching, Lincoln and Lee at Antietam is a must for any history buff.&' - Jordan Riefe, ABC Radio Network

Narrated by Ronald F. Maxwell, director of the epic Civil War films Gettysburg and Gods & Generals, and written, produced and directed by Robert Child, Lincoln and Lee at Antietam - The Cost of Freedom vividly brings to life the story of America"s fight for freedom in a battle that changed the course of the Civil War. Through first person accounts, an original music score from composers Steve Heitzeg and Nicholas Palmer and scarce Antietam commemorative battle footage from the 125th, 135th and 140th Antietam Reenactments, this film tells the tale of the 14-hour epic Battle of Antietam.

â–º SPECIAL FEATURES: â–º On-Screen Interview with Ronald F. Maxwell â–º Feature-Length Commentary Track with Robert Child and Ronald F. Maxwell â–º Original Music Score from composers Steve Heitzeg and Nicholas Palmer â–º Trailers for other Janson Media history DVDs LENGTH: Main Program, 90 Minutes; Total, over two hours MSRP: $24.95 CATALOG #: 20412 UPC #: 6-4603204129-3 ISBN #: 1-56839-362-8 RELEASE YEAR: 2010 PRODUCER: Inecom Entertainment Company STARRING: James M. McPherson, Allen C. Guelzo, Dennis E. Frye, Paul V. Chiles, Patrick Falci, Stanley Wernz and Ben Black TECHNICAL NOTES: Widescreen Version, Enhanced for 16 x 9 TV, Dolby Digital 2.0, Closed-captioned STREET DATE: February 22, 2010