When was battle of antietam

The Confederates began to retreat towards Sharpsburg. After the fierce fighting earlier in the day, McClellan did not order his men to pursue the Confederates. Some historians believe that Robert E. Lee might have had to surrender his entire army if McClellan had continued his attack. Fighting also was raging along the Confederate right flank.

General Ambrose Burnside led twelve thousand Union soldiers against this portion of the Confederate line. The Union soldiers had to cross Antietam Creek. A group of Confederates defended the bridge across the creek. Despite having more men, the Union force did not succeed in crossing the bridge until nearly 1 p.

The Union soldiers then rested for two hours. Around 3 p. Confederate General A. Hill's division arrived at approximately the same time from Harper's Ferry. With these reinforcements, the Confederates were able to drive Burnside's force back to the bridge. The Battle of Antietam drew to a close. On September 18, both armies remained on the battlefield. They negotiated a temporary truce, allowing each side to remove its wounded from the battlefield.

On the evening of September 18, the Confederates began their retreat. McClellan did not immediately pursue the Army of Northern Virginia. The Battle of Antietam was a Union victory. This Union victory also affected the Union war effort in another important way. Saving the Union had been the initial motivation for pursuing the war with the Confederacy, but on September 22, , President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

It stated that slavery would end in all states still rebelling against the Union on January 1, Lincoln and several members of his cabinet were cautious as to the timing of the announcement of the Proclamation. If the president moved to end slavery before a Union victory was won, Europeans, Confederates, and some in the Union might view this action as a desperate attempt to win support for the Union war effort.

The Union victory at Antietam allowed the president to link slavery's demise with the preservation of the Union. The Battle of Antietam and the resulting Emancipation Proclamation caused both anxiety and hope among Ohioans.

And keeping Confederates in their southern box enabled President Lincoln to finally release his Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, They also ended any hope of France and Great Britain acknowledging the Confederacy and coming to their aid. This further isolated the Confederacy and made it harder for them to re-supply their troops and citizens. There has never been a bloodier day in American military history than September 17, Sources Lost Order, Lost Cause.

Central Intelligence Agency. The Battle of Antietam. National Park Service. The Maryland Campaign of Civil War Trust. The Peninsula Campaign.

Encyclopedia Virginia. The Significance of the Battle of Antietam. Antietam on the Web. Special Orders No. Why did Lee Enter Maryland?

But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. The Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, , involved nearly , combatants, the largest concentration of troops in any Civil War battle.

Ambrose Burnside, the newly appointed commander of the Army of the Potomac, had ordered his more than , troops to cross the Lee marched his Army of Northern Virginia into Pennsylvania in late Weeks later, he names Burnside commander of the Army of the Potomac. Lincoln and McClellan had a tortured relationship.

He believed McClellan spent too much of his command drilling troops and little of it pursuing Lee. Though well-liked by his men, McClellan could be vain and boastful. I feel Gen. The president relieved McClellan of his duties on November 7 and appointed Maj. Ambrose Burnside to be his replacement. After losing his command, McClellan took up a new career—politics. In the election he was the Democratic nominee for president of the United States. His opponent, Abraham Lincoln, was reelected for another term.

Despite having no prior experience and receiving no payment for her services, she bravely drove her cart of medical supplies into the fray at many battles, including Antietam. She saw the desperation of the wounded and dying and did what she could to aid and comfort them.

James Dunn, a surgeon at the Battle of Antietam lauded her efforts:. The rattle of , muskets, and the fearful thunder of over cannon, told us that the great battle of Antietam had commenced. I was in the hospital in the afternoon, for it was then only that the wounded began to come in.

We had expended every bandage, tore up every sheet in the house, and everything we could find, when who should drive up but our old friend, Miss Barton, with a team loaded down with dressings of every kind, and everything we could ask for. In my feeble estimation, General McClellan, with all his laurels, sinks into insignificance beside the true heroine of the age, the angel of the battle field.

Later in the war, Lincoln authorized Barton to form the Office of Correspondence with Friends of Missing Men in the United States Army, an effort that eventually identified 22, missing Union soldiers. In Barton founded the American Red Cross. Close Video. Washington County, MD Sep 16 - 18, How it ended Inconclusive. In context Lee invaded Maryland in September with a full agenda. Before the Battle The first Confederate invasion of Union-held territory is not going as planned.

During the Battle. Union 87, Aftermath Union. Estimated Casualties. Union 12, Questions to Consider 1. Why is nurse Clara Barton considered a hero of Antietam?