Learn how the Battle of Antietam became the deadliest one-day battle during the American Civil War. Jackson, by way of an overnight forced march, reached Sharpsburg on the afternoon of September 16, effectively doubling Lee’s strength. (Civil War battles often had one name in the North, which was usually associated with a prominent nearby physical feature, and another in the South, which was usually derived from the town or city closest to the battlefield.). Command of his corps passed to Brig. Already sensing that his invasion plan had gone awry, Lee began to withdraw to the south. Jackson’s divisions suffered even more severely, losing nearly all their generals and colonels. On September 17, 1862, the Army of Northern Virginia occupied a position which, in relation to the surrounding country, could be compared to the string of a bow in the act of being drawn. Abraham Lincoln sacked Pope and placed Gen. George B. McClellan in command of all Union forces in Washington. After twelve hours of combat, the roar of battle started to fade away. It was then that the rebel yell erupted from a force on Burnside’s left flank. The Potomac, at his rear, was the bow itself. Lee withdrew, regrouped, and dealt McClellan’s successor, A.E. The next day, September … By 8:45 a.m., neither side held a distinct advantage. Standing from left to right: Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Interior Caleb B. Smith, and Postmaster General Montgomery Blair. Corrections? The battle of Antietam, Maryland, is correctly referred to as the single bloodiest day of the American Civil War. Lee withdrew, regrouped, and dealt McClellan’s successor, Ambrose E. Burnside, a heavy defeat at Fredericksburg, Virginia, on December 13.…. Dead Confederate soldiers at Bloody Lane after the Battle of Antietam, Maryland, 1862. Here occurred the fighting in the “Bloody Lane,” a sunken road north of Sharpsburg, which French and Richardson eventually carried. Around 1:00 p.m., Union forces finally carried the bridge, as the Confederates fell back towards the high ground, just south of Sharpsburg. These men turned the stone bridge into a killing zone, and Burnside spent more than three hours trying to force a crossing of the creek. Due to confusion on the side of the Union and the fact there were no infantry men to push into the battle at this point, the attack sputtered out. Photograph by Alexander Gardner. Ambrose E. Burnside, photograph by Mathew Brady. the North by Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia. At the cost of fewer than 300 Confederate casualties, Jackson had won one of the great unheralded victories of the American Civil War. Battle of Antietam, also called Battle of Sharpsburg, (September 17, 1862), in the American Civil War (1861–65), a decisive engagement that halted the Confederate invasion of Maryland, an advance that was regarded as one of the greatest Confederate threats to Washington, D.C. Gen. George Meade. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Hill’s division had remained at Harpers Ferry, but on the morning of the 17th Hill received orders to rejoin Lee with all haste. The South had lost 10,316 troops, and the North had suffered casualties of 12,401. Dead Confederate soldiers near Burnside Bridge after the Battle of Antietam, Maryland, 1862. The Cornfield Trail at Antietam National Battlefield. The stubborn Federal garrison at Harpers Ferry bought McClellan additional time, however, delaying the bulk of the Army of Northern Virginia for several days longer than had been budgeted in Lee’s timetable. Gen. John B. Within days of the Union disaster at Second Bull Run, U.S. Pres. At approximately 9:00 a.m, a lull provided both sides an opportunity to catch their breaths, but within a few short minutes, a third major Federal assault was unfolding. Just as the Federals reached the end of Lee's line, Confederate infantry, led by Gen. A.P. Lee’s invasion was carried out partly to “shift the burden of military occupation from Confederate to Federal soil,” but he also held some hope of capturing the Federal capital of Washington to the southeast. The Battle of Antietam was fought on September 17, 1862 between the Union and the Confederacy during the Civil War. Hood and D.H. Hill which enabled Jackson’s corps to hold its ground near the Dunker Church. Although gaining some ground, the Federals…, …to check Lee’s forces at Antietam (or Sharpsburg, September 17). Seated from left to right: Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, Pres. Antietam, the deadliest one-day battle in American military history, showed that the Union could stand against the Confederate army in the Eastern theater. …to check Lee’s forces at Antietam (or Sharpsburg, September 17). Gen. James Longstreet occupied Hagerstown, Maryland, a city just 5 miles (8 km) south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. The southernmost of three bridges over Antietam Creek (pictured here in quieter times) was staunchly defended by the Confederates during the Battle of Antietam. Burnside began to roll up Lee’s right flank, and it seemed that the Army of Northern Virginia would not survive the day. It commemorates the American Civil War Battle of Antietam that occurred on September 17, 1862. Confederate dead by a fence on the Hagerstown road, Antietam, Maryland, photo by Alexander Gardner, September 1862. See more ideas about battle of antietam, civil war, national cemetery. Over the course of the first three hours of the fight, the two sides struggled over possession of a twenty four acre cornfield. Battle of Antietam is a grand tactical simulation of the bloodiest day of the Civil War at the little town of Sharpsburg, Maryland along Antietam Creek. Confederate scouts had observed massive columns of Federal infantry on the move, and Lee ordered Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill to guard the passes at South Mountain. Photograph by Alexander Gardner. The repulse of Burnside effectively ended the battle. Hill, arrived on the field. 8000 men started the assault, 4000 men made it to a half way point, and only 2000 troops pushed up to the end of the Confederate line because of mounting causalities and the difficult terrain. The Union I Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, and later the XII Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen. Joseph Mansfield, ran head long into Confederate troops led by Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. William survived the battle and eventually moved to Dallas where he became a successful businessman. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The Battle of South Mountain was a convincing Union victory, but the Confederate defenders managed to delay the Union advance long enough for Lee to begin the consolidation of his scattered forces. These troops had been involved in the capture of Harpers Ferry, on September 15, and had marched approximately fifteen miles on the day of the battle to arrive on the flank of the Union line. The game is played in 11 turns each representing 1 hour of real time. There were three phases to the battle: the morning phase, the afternoon phase, and the evening phase. While the fight for the Sunken Road was unfolding, a little over one mile to the south, the Union IX Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside, was struggling to cross the Antietam Creek. Hill to complete the surrender arrangements, Jackson, with two divisions, hastened back to the new Confederate defensive line at Antietam Creek. The Battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg, fought on 17 th September 1862 and considered to be a Federal victory, bringing the Confederate 1862 invasion of Maryland to an end and giving President Lincoln and the Federal Congress the opportunity to issue the proclamation emancipating slaves throughout the United States of America, both North and South. Photograph by Alexander Gardner. On September 13 Federal troops moved into Frederick, and members of the 27th Indiana infantry regiment recovered a copy of Lee’s Special Order 191 wrapped around a bundle of cigars. Casualties were especially high among general officers, with six generals—three Union, three Confederate—being killed and a dozen more being wounded. Lee’s left wing, commanded by Jackson, formed the upper half of the string and his right, commanded by Longstreet, the lower. At approximately 3:30 p.m., Burnside started his attack on the south end of Lee's line. Battle of Antietam, also called Battle of Sharpsburg, (September 17, 1862), in the American Civil War (1861–65), a decisive engagement that halted the Confederate invasion of Maryland, an advance that was regarded as one of the greatest Confederate threats to Washington, D.C. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The Battle of Antietam (also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the South), fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. Late in the day, elements of Union Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker’s I Corps crossed the upper Antietam on the Confederate left. The Battle of Antietam (Template:Pron-en) (also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the South), fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to … Washington County, MD | Sep 16 - 18, 1862. Battle of Antietam is the bloodiest single day in American military history. May 2, 2021 - Explore Rob Keech's board "Killed at Antietam", followed by 579 people on Pinterest. American Battlefield Trust's map of the Battle of Antietam - Fight for the Cornfield At dawn on September 17, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker’s I Corps mounted a powerful assault on Robert E. Lee’s left flank from the Joseph Poffenberger farm near the North Woods, initiating the Battle of Antietam. A.P. McClellan had estimated that total Confederate strength in the area amounted to “not less than 120,000 men”—an estimate that more than doubled Lee’s actual strength—and he spent September 16 engaging in reconnaissance of the Confederate positions. Following the defeat of Union Gen. John Pope’s Army of Virginia at the Second Battle of Bull Run, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee crossed the Potomac and moved into Maryland, occupying Frederick on September 7. 23,000 men had been killed, wounded, or listed as missing, the single bloodiest day in the history of the United States. In the South the encounter was referred to as the Battle of Sharpsburg because the main fighting took place near the town of that name. There are three main reasons why there was a civil war in the United States. It also gave President Abraham Lincoln the confidence to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation at a moment of strength rather than desperation. Pressure was brought to bear on McClellan to renew the engagement, but he refused, and Lee crossed the Potomac unmolested. This battle was a pivotal point during the war, which gave the North the power to win the American Civil War. Burnside and his men were tasked with crossing the Antietam and then attacking the right flank of the Confederate line. The battlefield became a national military park in 1890, and jurisdiction passed to the National Park Service in 1933. The Maryland Campaign was Lee's first attempt to take the war North and it was McClellan who was tasked by President Abraham Lincoln with stopping him. And it gave President Abraham Lincoln enough of a military victory to go forward with the Emancipation Proclamation. If McClellan could drive through these passes before Lee could reunite his army, the Army of Northern Virginia could be destroyed in detail. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012. Sumner now came into action, and overhaste involved him in a catastrophe. On the morning of September 15, the 12,000 beleaguered defenders of Harpers Ferry finally capitulated. To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign of 1862. Dead Confederate soldiers, with the Dunker Church in the background, after the Battle of Antietam, September 19, 1862, photograph by Alexander Gardner. R.E. The Southern forces were led by General Robert E. Lee and the Northern forces were led by General George B. McClellan. Outnumbered, Lee was able to use the rolling terrain and the experience of his men to … The town of Sharpsburg represented the fingers of the archer drawing the bow. Learn about the Battle of Antietam, a Civil War engagement fought on September 17, 1862, the single bloodiest day in American military history. One well known reason was slavery. Battle Of Sharpsburg) during the American Civil War Battle Of Antietam Summary: The Battle of Antietam, a.k.a. The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single-day battle of the American Civil War. The Battle of Antietam in September 1862 turned back the first major Confederate invasion of the North in the Civil War. ISBN 978-1-611210-86-6. McClellan, fearing a counterattack from a phantom Confederate juggernaut, intended to hold back his centre while pressuring Lee’s flanks. Gen. Alpheus Williams, who led the corps well; after heavy fighting, Hood and D.H. Hill were driven back. Gen. Thomas (“Stonewall”) Jackson would lead one of three columns that were tasked with the capture of Harpers Ferry, while the remainder of Lee’s forces would advance to Boonsboro, Maryland, behind South Mountain, a ridge that ran parallel to Antietam Creek. The Battle of Antietam forced the Confederate Army to retreat back across the Potomac River. The Cornfield Trail loops around and through the Bloody Cornfield where 8,000 men were killed, wounded or went missing is the ferocious battle for two hours on the morning of September 17. Burnside Bridge spanning Antietam Creek, Maryland, shortly after the Battle of Antietam, 1862. Although the “Lost Orders” were four days old, McClellan felt emboldened enough to remark, “Here is a paper with which, if I cannot whip Bobby Lee, I will be willing to go home.”. Gameplay. The Union name for the battle is derived from Antietam Creek, which flows south from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to the Potomac River near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The Battle of … The Battle of Antietam pitted Union General George McClellan's Army of the Potomac against General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. Attacked in front and flank, his troops were driven back in great confusion with nearly half their number killed and wounded. The battle was fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland. Facts About The Battle Of Antietam (a.k.a. Hill’s attack shattered the Union advance, and by 4:30 pm the Federal left flank was in full retreat. The Battle of Antietam marked the culmination of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the Northern states. Had other Federal corps been at hand to support Hooker’s attack, the outcome of the battle might have been very different. Again, want of support checked the Federals, and the fight became stationary, with both sides losing many thousands of men. President Abraham Lincoln saw the significance of this and issued the famous Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. The Battle of Antietam pitted Union General George McClellan's Army of the Potomac against General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. On September 14 McClellan’s army struck the passes at South Mountain. The Battle of Antietam during the American Civil War took place at Antietam Creek, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, on September 17, 1862.It is considered to be the deadliest one-day battle in the history of the United States military. A.P. The Battle of Antietam during the American Civil War proved indecisive. Hooker himself was shot in the foot and was carried from the field. Players are awarded points … Hill’s troops, freshly armed and resupplied from the stores at Harpers Ferry, had marched 17 miles (27 km) in just eight hours, arriving, as Hill reported, “not in a moment too soon.” In some cases, Union troops, seeing soldiers in blue uniforms, held their fire, only to realize too late that these were Hill’s men in clothing that had been taken from Harpers Ferry. During this time Lee again divided his army, and on September 11 he and Lieut. Finding his line of communications up the Shenandoah Valley threatened by a strong Union garrison at Harpers Ferry, on September 9 Lee issued Special Order 191, in which he detailed the division and disposition of forces for the campaign ahead. Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Antietam National Battlefield is a National Park Service-protected area along Antietam Creek in Sharpsburg, Washington County, northwestern Maryland.It commemorates the American Civil War Battle of Antietam that occurred on September 17, 1862.. The Battle of Antietam (also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg) was fought on September 17, 1862. Abraham Lincoln and Gen. George B. McClellan in the general's tent after the Battle of Antietam, Maryland, October 1862. No fewer than six times did the Cornfield change hands as each side attacked, fell back and rallied, only to attack again. 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