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Antietam National Battlefield - Overview
Overview of The Civil War's Bloodiest Day
Why explore this site?
The Battle of Antietam was fought on September 17th, 1862. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee had been capitalizing on recent battlefield successes in Virginia by invading the North. The Union Army of the Potomac under Gen. George B. McClellan countered the invasion. The Union general placed his units to attack the Confederates, moving cautiously and slowly, despite the fact that his huge army outnumbered Lee’s by more then 2 to 1.
McClellan’s plodding and overcautious pace proved to be a fortunate break for Lee and his army, as was McClellan’s refusal to commit reserves for follow up attacks. Lee’s army barely managed to hold on and endure. But they did, and the Civil War would go on for two and a half years after the battle that many historians (as well as president Abraham Lincoln) believed should have seen the end of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
The Battle of Antietam ended Lee’s first invasion of the north. This marginal victory was the first major success the Union had had in the eastern part of the war. The modest triumph gave President Lincoln the political strength to release the Emancipation Proclamation, which was the beginning of the end of slavery in the United States.
The one-day battle was the bloodiest single day of violence in American history. With over 3600 soldiers killed outright, and 17000 more wounded, a greater number of Americans lost their lives on September 17th 1862 then in World War II’s D-Day invasion of June 6th, 1944 or on the attacks of September 11th 2001.
Why explore this site?
The Battle of Antietam was fought on September 17th, 1862. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee had been capitalizing on recent battlefield successes in Virginia by invading the North. The Union Army of the Potomac under Gen. George B. McClellan countered the invasion. The Union general placed his units to attack the Confederates, moving cautiously and slowly, despite the fact that his huge army outnumbered Lee’s by more then 2 to 1.
McClellan’s plodding and overcautious pace proved to be a fortunate break for Lee and his army, as was McClellan’s refusal to commit reserves for follow up attacks. Lee’s army barely managed to hold on and endure. But they did, and the Civil War would go on for two and a half years after the battle that many historians (as well as president Abraham Lincoln) believed should have seen the end of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
The Battle of Antietam ended Lee’s first invasion of the north. This marginal victory was the first major success the Union had had in the eastern part of the war. The modest triumph gave President Lincoln the political strength to release the Emancipation Proclamation, which was the beginning of the end of slavery in the United States.
The one-day battle was the bloodiest single day of violence in American history. With over 3600 soldiers killed outright, and 17000 more wounded, a greater number of Americans lost their lives on September 17th 1862 then in World War II’s D-Day invasion of June 6th, 1944 or on the attacks of September 11th 2001.
Ways to tour
Auto Tour
The battlefield is ideal for tour by car. The National Park Service provides an excellent touring map of eleven car stops for a self-guided tour. Fortunately for the modern historian, the action of the battle progressed from north to south, making it fairly easy to follow key events chronologically from stop to stop.
Besides the pittance of an entrance fee, there’s no charge for touring the park. Any visitor can have a productive day tour armed only with the brochure. It should, however be noted that in 2004 TravelBrains released a combination CD audio tour and Field Guide. This guide is available for sale at the visitor center, and is loaded with historical information and interesting anecdotes and trivia. Let your budget and interest dictate whether or not this is right for you.
Cornfield Hiking Trail
Burnside’s Bridge Hiking Trail
Final Attack Hiking Trail
Snavely’s Ford Hiking Trail
Cornfield Hiking Trail
Burnside’s Bridge Hiking Trail
Final Attack Hiking Trail
Snavely’s Ford Hiking Trail
posted by Brian Henley at
10:09 PM
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