The Battle of Antietam

The skirmish of Antietam is an infamously significant military operation of the obliging War in a political and strategic sense. The entire lead takes place over the course of a single day, yet bears a higher cobblers last toll than multiple warfares combined. The participator Army was greatly knocked out(p)-manned, but extraordinarily resilient. However, the greatest advantages of the date were held by the Union.Their arguable supremacy in Sharpsburg propelled President Lincolns inconsiderate announce workforcet of the independence Proclamation and rallied the morale of northwestwardern soldiers and civilians to preserve the Union and abolish slavery.Battle of Antietam 3 The Battle of Antietam A terrible honesty of war is bloodshed. But incomplete the North nor the entropy anticipated the decimation of Antietam, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. On family 17, 1862 war waged and ravaged the small town of Sharpsburg, Maryland resulting in singular casualties. More lives were lost in a single days battle than in all the wars fought in this country during the nineteenth atomic number 6 combined. (McPherson, 2004, p. 3) No other day in American history is attach with greater loss.Although, the battle ended somewhat inconclusively with heavy death tolls on both sides, its affect on the War was decisive. Strategically, it was the first Confederate campaign on northern soil and it set an intimidating precedent. oecumenical lee(prenominal)s astounding resilience, even while out-manned, put a quick halt to whatever immediate, brazen attacks on Union ground. (Only angiotensin-converting enzyme other battle was fought in the North, the rest in the South. ) Politically, it stunted ramp up for the Confederacy by alienating the much-needed European support they had hoped to win.However, it promoted the Federal order of business by paving the way for President Lincolns bold Emancipation Proclamation. With an arguable success under his belt, came t he right opportunity to solidify the Norths abolitionist platform. The scale tipped in their raise strengthening their resolve to continue the fight, rather than concede to peace. James McPherson calls Antietam the battle that changed the course of the Civil War. (McPherson, 2004, p. XVI) Leading up to the BattleGeneral Lee and his men were legato fresh with the Manassas mastery (The Second Bull Run), which led to another victory at harpers Ferry. There, Jacksons troop snatched under foundation from a smaller band of Union forces and replenished their supplies. Then quickly rejoined Battle of Antietam 4 Lees soldiers in Sharpsburg, where they chose to take a stand over against the pursuing Confederate army led by General McClellan. folk 17, 1862 0600 to 0900 The sun had no sooner risen and the first shot was discharged from a Union rifle. Antietam Creek was resonant with the sound of roaring artillery.It was the extraction of an unforgettable exchange between Lees 40,000 so ldiers and McClellans 87,000. Lee arranged his men in defensive positions along Sharpsburgs bluffs and hills with their backs to the Potomac River. afterwards an early morning volley of rounds, McClellan offensively marched several of his troops towards moth millers Cornfield. They were immediately met with enemy pom-pom. McClellan responded quickly. He withdrew his men and rained cannon fire into the clavusfield. Men and corn were leveled ruthlessly. Eyewitness, Union General Joseph Hooker, comments on the grisly turnIn the time I am writing, every stalk of corn in the northern and greater part of the field was cut as closely as could have been done with a knife, and the slain degrade in rows precisely as they had stood in their ranks a few moments before. (NPS, 2001) The South rallied and retaliated with a storm of artillery fire. The two parties stood among the fallen corn in very close proximity, only 200 or so yards distanced, put coldcock their weapons into one another . A New York soldier, Isaac Hall, described it the warfare They stood and shot each(prenominal) other, until the lines melted away like wax. (NPS, 2001) The battle spilled into the West Woods as soldiers attempted to evade the cornfields onslaught, but enemy lines unplowed finding one another and continued to fire at frank range. Battle of Antietam 5 September 17, 1862 0900 to 1300 Towards mid-morning, Confederate troops were chased out of the cornfields and beaten back to a defensive location theyd secured earlier. They began hunkering down in an 80-yard trench, which had been hollowed out by the heavy wagons of nearby farms. Improvising, they stacked argue rail to help shield themselves from the Unions unrelenting barrage.McClellans men unplowed advancing and Lees men kept defending from their carved out patch of earth. No side showed any signs of surrender, so ammunition continued to fly. The southern troops managed to repel at least four hearty Union advances at the cost of 5 ,600 lives.. The most(prenominal) shocking quantity of casualties took place in and just about this trench, now called, all-fired Lane. The scenes captured by American photographers sobered Americans, communicating the true and gritty reality of war. After three hours in the trench, a Confederate officer -misunderstanding his commands- uniform his troops to evacuate the sunken lane.Others followed suit. The Confederate Army ran back through the cornfields toward the outskirts of the village. McClellan had the upper hand, but decided against pursuing Lees forces although, he could have dispatched his available fresh reserves to complete the task. This hesitation on his part, bought the Confederate troops more time. Earlier that morning, Lee positioned soldiers and Georgian sharpshooters well-nigh the Antietam Bridge, where they spent most of the morning warding off the Norths advance.Finally around 1300, the line broke through. After a two hour rest, the North continued their ad vance. The renewed northern soldiers had the southerners Battle of Antietam 6 on the make for again. At this point, the southern army was in retreat mode, filling the Sharpsburg streets and point for cover. But hope arrived around 1540. One of Lees generals from Harper Ferry (who had been detained) arrived on the scene with 3000 men. Blindsiding the Union troops, they bombarded their left flank. In this brisk turn of events, Lee regained ground.In these last hours of the battle, more Union casualties occurred than Confederate. McClellan suffered great loss, disdain the reserve still available to him. He was hesitant to dispatch his dependable resources and this hesitation allowed the Confederate Army enough leash to fight again another day. Severely depleted in numbers and morale, they retreated crossways the Potomac River, only to rally again for the next battle. In November, McClellan was dismissed from duty. some(prenominal) sides were devastated 12,410 Confederate soldier s and 10,700 Union soldiers died fighting for their way of life.General Lees men withstood incredible resistance, but the North was most advantaged by the battles outcome. President Lincoln used the battles marginal victory as a stepping stone in the Federal agenda. Now the war had a dual purpose to preserve the Union and abolish slavery. (NPS, 2001) And, that is on the dot what happened. Battle of Antietam 7 References James M. McPherson (2004). Crossroads of Freedom Antietam, 3, XVI. National viridity Services (2001). Battle of Antietam. Retrieved December 8, 2008, from http//www. nps. gov/archive/anti/battle. htm.