In the days preceding September 17, 1862, Union and
Confederate armies amassed on opposite banks of the Antietam Creek near
Sharpsburg, Maryland, a standoff leading to the bloodiest day in American
history.
Major General George B. McClellan, put in charge by
President Abraham Lincoln, commanded the Union Army of the Potomac and faced
Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.
The Union corps under command of Major General Joseph Hooker
attacked Lee’s left flank at dawn, September 17 on what had been known as
simply the ‘Cornfield.’ Cannon fire
opened up, sending puffs of white smoke into the sky. When the Union soldiers emerged from the stalks,
Confederate troops from Georgia, waiting patiently, rose and opened fire.
With the noise, smoke and artillery, terror gripped the men,
with bodies and wounded screaming everywhere.
Ten thousand men lost their lives in the first battle which ended in a
draw.
McClellan had a two-to-one superiority over Lee and a copy
of Lee’s complex strategy which apparently had been lost. Despite these advantages, McClellan was
unable to capitalize on them.
Stonewall Jackson’s Confederate forces held their ground
near Dunker Church, but the Union army advanced on Sunken Road. An old country farm lane had been worn down
about five feet below ground level, from erosion and years of wagon
traffic. It provided a perfect defense
for the Confederates and the Union army suffered terrible losses. However, the Union army managed to circle and
Confederates and Sunken Road became a death trap for the men inside. It has been called ‘Bloody Lane’.
The third phase of the battle came late in the day, when
Major General Ambrose Burnside attacked the Confederate right flank where a
stone bridge crossed the Antietam Creek.
According to npr.com, the Union army spent three hours and made three assaults
to take the bridge. But Lee received
reinforcements from Harper’s Ferry and helped him drive the Union back to the
bridge. The battle ended in another
stalemate.
In one day, nearly 23,000 Americans lost their lives. Even though historically considered a draw, Abraham
Lincoln and the Union declared it a victory for them. It gave Lincoln the leverage he needed to
issue the Emancipation Proclamation, abolishing slavery.
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