Battle Of Antietam Essay

The Battle of Antietam, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, is considered the greatest threat to Washington, DC, from the Confederates. The battle began on September 17th, 1862 as the fog lifted from Sharpsburg, Maryland. Confederate Generals James Longstreet and A. P Hills’ troops made the right flanks west of Antietam Creek. It flowed south from Gettysburg to the Potomac River in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Stonewall Jackson and Brigadier General John G. Walker’s troops formed the Confederates' left flank. General Lee’s troops were in the middle. However, they were worn out and hungry. They just watched and waited as George B. McClellan’s army was positioned on the east side of the creek. Though the Union outnumbered the Confederates,

The Union shot first at the Confederate left flank, which started the Battle of Antietam. The Confederate troops fought hard on the offense to prevent being overrun by the Union. Starting a bloody battle. In just the first 8 hours of this bloody, horrific battle, there were over 15,000 deaths or injuries alone. Closer to the center of the battlefield, there was another killing site, which is known as the “Sunken Road.” Where the Confederates' right flanks of about 2600 men piled fence rails along the bank of the road to secure their position against Union General Major General William H. France's 5,500 approaching troops. When his troops arrived. The fighting became even more aggressive. Union troops pushed the Confederates back and over 5000 men died or were injured. The amount of bloodshed earned Sunken Road a new nickname, “Bloody Lane.” As night came upon them. Thousands of dead soldiers lay on the battlegrounds. Both sides went to collect their dead and wounded. The next day, General Lee moved his troops back to VA. To President Lincoln's shock, Mcclellan did nothing. He just let them retreat. McAllen thought that he already did his job and that he did not need to do it anymore. If Mcclellan didn't let them go and sought after them, would the war have ended sooner? I guess we'll never know. But what we know is the Battle of Antium. While considered a draw by historians, it was considered a Union victory to the Union. The battle was also

I knew her as the “Angel of the battlefield” because of her nursing care and giving supplies to the soldiers. She says, “A ball had passed between my body and the right arm which supported him (the wounded soldier), cutting through the sleeve and passing through his chest from shoulder to shoulder. There was no more to be done for him, and I left him to his rest. I have never mended that hole in my sleeve. I wonder if a soldier ever mends a bullet hole in his coat.″ Though it doesn't say much, it shows how horrific this battle was for everyone involved. It is not called the bloodiest day in American history for