Battle of Antietam

The North's strategy was called a persistent strategy. They wanted to capture and occupy southern territory to deny it's benefits to the South, that being manpower and materials. Later they adopted a raiding strategy when Sheridan and Sherman devastated the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and central Georgia in order to make it harder for the South to get materials. The north strategy also wanted to take control of the Mississippi river, the Confederate capital of Richmond, and take advantage of main railroads so when in battle they could easily travel from place to place to get more soldiers or equiptment.

The south first held to a defensive strategy, which ment they wanted allies (British and the French, who needed the South's cotton exports) would see the North at the agressor and would come to help the South. Later the South adopted a raiding strategy and sought to take the war to the north by launching two invasions ,and captureing materials, destroying rail centers, and raiding cities. In hopes of bringing the North to peace by fanning the northern anti-war sentiment. A.L. 12/6/07

The Battle of Antietam took place near the Antietam Creek, near Sharpsburg, Maryland in September of 1862. This was the first time Confederate General Lee took his forces into Union territory. Maryland was a slave state that remained in the Union. It was one of the bloodiest battles in American history. Union General Burnside, under the command of General George B. McClellan forced Lee back into Virginia as a result of the battle. Not long afterwards US President Lincoln visited General McClellan to see the battlefield itself.

The battle proper lasted ONE DAY (Sept 17, 1862, beginning at dawn), though there was some skirmishing the next day. This day, incidentally, was the bloodiest single day of the Civil War or, for that matter, the bloodiest single day in any American war.

After the Battle of Antietam Creek, Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at the McLean House in Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Grant was known as "The Unconditional Surrender" Grant, yet he was generous at the surrender. He allowed Lee's troops to keep their side arms. He allowed them to also keep their own horses to work their little farms. Grant also promised 25000 rations for Lee's troops. As a final gesture of respect and admiration for the older officer, General Brant allowed General Lee to keep his sword. Lee graciously accepted Grant's terms; both men parted in dignity.

While the above is not incorrect, it reflects what happened to Lee nearly two and a half years later. Immediately following the battle , Lee and his army retreated back to Virginia.

At least 618,000 Americans died in the Civil War, and some experts say the toll reached 700,000. The number that is most often quoted is 620,000. At any rate, these casualties exceed the nation's loss in all its other wars, from the Revolution through Vietnam. The Union armies had from 2,500,000 to 2,750,000 men. Their losses, by the best estimates: Battle deaths: 110,070 Disease, etc.: 250,152 Total 360,222 The Confederate strength, known less accurately because of missing records, was from 750,000 to 1,250,000. Its estimated losses: Battle deaths: 94,000 Disease, etc.: 164,000 Total 258,000

10,030,052

To the Confederates it was known as the Battle of Sharpsburg. The town of Sharpsburg was at the centre of the Confederate position and was also the objective of the Union forces. The Union forces failed to reach the town however.
Sharpsburg- after the nearby town.

Col. Rutherford B. Hayes, comander 23rd Ohio - future U.S. President

Pvt. William McKinley, 23rd Ohio - future U.S. President

Capt. Oliver Wendel Holmes, Jr., 20th Mass. - future Chief Justice of U.S. Supreme Court

by: jackrabb@yahoo.com

Hayes was not present at Antietam on September 17th 1862--he had been wounded September 14th at the battle of South Mountain and was recuperating at a friends home in Middletown, Md. He was in Middletown from Sept. 15th to October 5th at which point he returned to Ohio to recuperate with family until Nov. 29th

William McKinley was at Antietam but he was a commissary Sergeant, not a Pvt.

The soldiers of Brigadier General Robert Toombs' Georgia brigade on the heights overlooking the Antietam and artillery batteries firing from Cemetery Hill held up the advance of Burnside's troops. Toombs counted some 450 men in his ranks and they faced 14,000 Yankees. The fighting in other areas of the field had played out and this delaying action allowed Robert E. Lee to shift his forces to meet the new threat. Burnside was also helping the Confederate cause by taking so long to get his divisions resupplied with ammunition that it was nearly 3 o'clock in the afternoon before they were across the creek and ready to attack the right of Lee's line. The Lower Bridge at Antietam would now be called "Burnside's Bridge".

Sources: Landscape Turned Red, Sears, Stephen W. 1983

Civil War Battles, Johnson, Curt and McLaughlin, Mark. 1977

23,000

An estimated total of 270,073 people where killed those five battles.

It led Lincoln to declare the end of slavery in the south.

For the Union Major General George B. McClellan, for the Confederacy General Robert E. Lee. The fighting lasted one day, and tactically it was a draw. The next day Lee remained on the battlefield, daring McClellan to renew the battle, which McClellan did not do, despite having at least a two to one edge in manpower over the Rebels. Then Lee withdrew, south over the Potomac River, which was enough to allow northerners to consider the battle a northern victory, since when all was said and done the Union Army remained in possession of the field. McClellan did not try to stop Lee from leaving. A more capable or aggressive commander could probably have destroyed Lee's Army and ended the war on the day of the battle. Lincoln understood this and was immensely frustrated with McClellan, who did not stir from the battlefield for more than six weeks after the battle, even after Lincoln visited him on the battlefield and attempted to goad him into going after the Rebel Army. McClellan still did not move, and after another week, with the midterm elections safely past (McClellan was an important Democrat and Lincoln could not afford to offend northern Democrats) Lincoln fired McClellan. General McClellan never held another command during the war, but did run against Lincoln in the 1864 election as the Democratic candidate.

The Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg) was sometimes called the Confederate High Watermark, because it was when they came nearest to achieving foreign recognition as a viable nation.

But they unexpectedly lost the battle, and along with it, they lost momentum generally.

The following July, the simultaneous struggle for Gettysburg and Vicksburg was also described as the Confederate High Watermark, though recognition was much less likely by then.

The battle of Antietam, fought September 17th 1862 was the bloodiest single day of the war. The Union Army of the Potomac commanded by General George McClellan lost over 12,000 men either killed, wounded, captured or missing.

The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee lost over 11,000 in killed, wounded, captured or missing. About 5000 men were killed between the two armies.

Other battles would eclipse the total number of casualties, but Antietam still remains the bloodiest single day of the war, and of US history.

It gave Lincoln the credibility to issue the Emancipation Proclamation without making it sound like a desperate measure.

This had the effect of keeping the British from aiding the Confederates, as it would have made them look pro-slavery themselves.

General Robert E. Lee lost one-third of his fighting force. He made the decision that his best option was to withdraw to Virginia. McClellan's failure to promptly pursue the retreating Rebel army was an error.

The Battle of Antietam, an important battle of the Civiil War, was fought by the Army of the Potomac, part of the Union Army, under the command of General George McClellan, and Confederate forces under the command of General Robert E. Lee on September 17, 1862.

Gettysburg was 1-3 of July 1863 and Vicksburg surrendered the 4th of July. But the Battle of Vicksburg was a siege that lasted about 5 weeks. If the question is which began first, then it would be Vicksburg. Gettysburg ended first. Both were fought in 1863 and the resulting loss of both battles was very demoralizing to the Southern states.

I am thinking it is General Robert E. Lee and General George B. McClellan. Not sure, but, heard from my teacher.

Lee had been attempting to invade the North, to impress the British, who were close to granting official recognition and sending military aid.

Through pure accident, the Union unexpectedly won this battle, though it was not a decisive win, and Lincoln fired McClellan for not pursuing and destroying the Army of Northern Virginia when it was vulnerable.

The outcome was a new General-in-Chief for the Union (Burnside), while McClellan would go on to stand against Lincoln in the '64 Election.

The British decided it would be premature to support the Confederates, and in the end they never did.

It makes us feel more pride in ourselves as Americans.

The South lost a chance to gain support from Britian and France.