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Battle Of Antietam Essay

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The Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg) on September 17, 1862, climaxed the first of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's two attempts to carry the war into the North. About 40,000 Southerners were pitted against the 87,000-man Federal Army of the Potomac under Gen. George B. McClellan. And when the fighting ended, the course of the American Civil War had been greatly altered. After his great victory at Manassas in August, Lee had marched his Army of Northern Virginia into Maryland, hoping to find vitally needed men and supplies. McClellan followed, first to Frederick (where through rare good fortune a copy of the Confederate battle plan, Lee's Special Order No. 191, fell into his hands), then westward 12 miles to the passes of South Mountain. There on September 14, at Turner's, Fox's, and Crampton's gaps, Lee tried to block the Federals. But because he had split his army to send troops …show more content…

Jackson was reinforced and succeeded in driving the Federals back. An hour later Union troops under Gen. Joseph Mansfield counterattacked and by 9 o'clock had regained some of the lost ground. Then, in an effort to extricate some of Mansfield's men from their isolated position near the Dunker Church, Gen. John Sedgwick's division of Edwin V. Sumner's corps advanced into the West Woods. There Confederate troops struck Sedgwick's men on both flanks, inflicting appalling casualties. Meanwhile, Gen. William H. French's division of Sumner's corps moved up to support Sedgwick but veered south into Confederates under Gen. D. H. Hill posted along an old sunken road separating the Roulette and Piper farms. For nearly 4 hours, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., bitter fighting raged along this road (afterwards known as Bloody Lane) as French, supported by Gen. Israel B. Richardson's division, also of Sumner's corps, sought to drive the Southerners back. Confusion and sheer exhaustion finally ended the battle here and in the northern part of the field

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Confederate A. P. Hill and D. H. Hill’s division crossed the river and attacked Porter’s men despite Jackson’s absence, as he was further delayed. Their division had little effect on Porter’s army, who resisted the Confederacy quite easily. However, Jackson and his army finally arrived on Porter’s flank, and although Jackson was much too late, his arrival managed to intimidate Porter’s forces, which believed the protection of the supply line was priority. McClellan once again hesitated to make an attack on the south of the Chickahominy River, despite outnumbering Lee’s troops. Instead, McClellan ordered for Porter to hold Boatswain’s Swamp, as McClellan would retreat to James River.

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The union were able to attack Lees center multiple times but McClellan let the rebels retreat and regroup. Which let the battle carry on longer than needed. Then the union decided to attack Jackson(left flank) which was located at dunkers church, and were able to push Jackson out. Then the union had to get across the river to be able to attack and push back the confederates line. The union tried

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844 Words | 4 Pages

Lee had to make his choice, whether he will fight for the south of the north. He could fight against his state Virginia nor the side of the abolitionists. During the war, Lincoln offered Lee a position of the Union army in Virginia, instead of accepting the order, he resigned from the United States Army. He joined the troops of the Confederacy. Lee’s first job was to organize the Confederacy forces in Virginia.

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775 Words | 4 Pages

Lee finally realized to win he needed a victory against the Union. He started the invasion in September 1862 he set his attacks for Maryland and thought that this would drive the war's focus away from Virginia. But when the secret plan was soon discovered by the Union commander George McClellan there was no surprise and once they got there they knew so the two armies faced each other at the battle of Antietam. Even though his plans were out he gave an amazing and smart battle to McClellan, but after a long and terrifying war Lee and his army dropped out of the battle. Soon after that they had an amazing win against the Union at Chancellorsville.

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Jacksons attack created major casualties on the Northern side. Hooker was forced to withdraw one day later. Sadly this battle did not end without a loss to the confederacy. The battle ended at sunset so most of Jacksons army were out looking for a way to return to camp. So Jackson and a few other men left to look for the Southern troops.

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Robert served as military advisor to President Jefferson Davis until June 1862 when he was given command of the wounded General Joseph E. Johnston’s embattled army on the Virginia peninsula. He was offered command of the Federal Forces in April 1861 but instead accepted a general’s commission in the newly formed Confederate Army (Civil War Trust).However, when a displaced dispatch outlining the invasion plan was discovered by Union commander George McClellan the element of surprise was lost, and the two armies faced off at the battle of Antietam. Addicted to noticing Yankees run in the face of his aggressive troops, Lee attacked vicious Union positions on high ground. Following consistent Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, Mississippi, Ulysses S. Grant assumed command of the Federal armies (Civil War Trust). The attack known as Pickett’s charge was a defeat and Lee, recognizing the battle was lost, ordered his army to retreat.

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However, Lee then made a surprising move by launching an offensive defense that left a significant number of his troops to defend the heavily armed forces that entrenched into their land. At the end of the war Lee, troops emerged the victor because he was keen on each step that was made by Hooker. Irrespective of the number of men, Lee had Lee struck hard in any chance that Hooker hesitated (Scott Hartwig, 2014). The Confederate army also had the spirit of a must-win situation as compared to the Union Army that depended on their large number not considering the terrain of the land. McClellan's plans were not coordinated and were poorly executed.

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The Battle of Antietam was one of the bloodiest battles throughout the Civil War. Only lasting twenty four hours, over 23,000 Confederate and Union soldiers perished in such a miniscule amount of time. The Battle of Antietam, sometimes referred to as The Battle of Sharpsburg, was the first battle to be fought on Union soil. Multiple Commanders took part in this battle. Most famously, George B. McClellan and Robert E. Lee.

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‘’On the morning of December 11 the engineers went quietly to work to construct five pontoon bridges for the passages of the Natinal army’’. Fredericksburg army were dislodged by a party that crossed hundreds of troops across by boats and the bridges were also rebuilt. the Confederates were ready to attack with 300 cannons well placed on the heights. Some of Franklin’s corps started the Battle; Jackson’s advice line, under the A.P hill,was pulled back and 200 people were prisinor’s. A fierce attack on Mead made him to fall backwards.

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The Battle Of Antietam was the battle that issued Lincoln’s Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation speech, the battle lasted September 16th to 18th. On September 16th 1862, General Lee had many plans as to what he wanted to do in this battle such as seize the railroads to isolate the town, after that he wanted to march to Pennsylvania he wanted to put war on them and for Lincoln to surrender. After, Lee was getting to the border of Pennsylvania he stopped his army and divided them into two groups for them to go to Harper Ferry which was a good move as he knew his opponent was overly cautious. McClellan wouldn’t know that Lee had divided his army but if he did he was too slow to react.

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This was the culmination of one of the most brilliant military campaigns of the war. With the loss of Pemberton’s army and this vital stronghold on the Mississippi, the Confederacy was effectively split in half. Grant's successes in the West boosted his reputation, leading ultimately to his appointment as General-in-Chief of the Union armies. It is one of the more remarkable campaigns of the American Civil War. For many a hard fought month, Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee had been trying to wrest away the strategic Confederate river fortress of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

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637 Words | 3 Pages

As Beauregard sent small armies to take care of what he thought was a distraction, he also sent a larger group to perform attacking a flanking movement of his own on the Union’s left side. As fighting raged throughout the day, the Confederate forces were being driven back, even though Thomas Jackson’s impressive efforts to hold the important high ground at the location called Henry House Hill. Because of this, he earned the nickname of

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864 Words | 4 Pages

The Battle of Antietam, also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, happened on September 22, 1862, at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland. This battle now known as the bloodiest day in United States military history saw a great loss of life on both sides of this divisive conflict, however the union was able to find a positive after this day filled with death and destruction. During the twelve hour affair there was a casualty every two seconds resulting in Twenty three thousand soldiers dead or wounded which is four times the American casualties on D-Day. The confederacy was content knowing that they lost a few thousand less troops, but regarding it as a simple win for the south discounts the overarching affects the battle had on the war as

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126 Words | 1 Pages

Hannah Allen History 2 Coach Jones February 26, 2016 The Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest battle in American history, was the first battle of the civil war fought on Northern territory. It was fought along Antietam Creek, at Sharpsburg, Maryland, and resulted in 23,000 soldiers either killed or wounded in battle. After Second Manassas, General Robert E. Lee went into Maryland, assuming that the possibility of beneficial resources for his cause excused his invasion of the Confederate defensive policy.

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Even Over the route of the September 15th and 16th, all of the Confederate and Union armies who had gathered on the opposite sides of the Antietam Creek. Which was on the Confederate sides, Jackson was commanding the left side with General James. McClellan’s strategy was to attack any of the left enemys, then at the right moment, when either of those movements met with the needs, they were going to move forward in towards the

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