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 …show more content…
The battle of Antietam was able to reaffirm confidence in the union army and was a happy supporize for northern citizens. Sadly, it was not all smiles and rainbows in the north in the days following the bloody battle as some of the first photographs of the war began to make there way to the american public the horrors of war were seen for the first time by many americans. Thanks to the work of now famous war time photographer, Alexander Gardner, who arrived at Antietam to become the first to capture the tragic images of the American battlefield. His shots of piles of dead bodies and mangled limbs sent shock waves through the country,this only served to deepen the divide between the two sides of the greatest american conflict. The carnegie exposed in the images helped to bring the reality of war into the living room of the average american proving that battle is not something to be