The heavy fog that shrouded Antietam Creek on the morning of September 17, 1862, was disturbed by the boom of Federal artillery fire. The carnage and chaos began in the East Woods and Cornfield and continued inexorably on as McClellan's and Lee's troops collided at the West Woods, Bloody Lane and Burnside Bridge. Though outnumbered, the Rebels still managed to hold their ground until nightfall. Chief historian of the Antietam National Battlefield, Ted Alexander renders a fresh and gripping portrayal of the battle, its aftermath, the effect on the civilians of Sharpsburg and the efforts to preserve the hallowed spot. Maps by master cartographer Steven Stanley add further depth to Alexander's account of the Battle of Antietam.

Battle of Antietam

“The best account of the Battle of Antietam” from the award-winning, national bestselling author of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville (The New York Times Book Review). The Civil War battle waged on September 17, 1862, at Antietam Creek, Maryland, was one of the bloodiest in the nation’s history: in this single day, the war claimed nearly 23,000 casualties. In Landscape Turned Red, the renowned historian Stephen Sears draws on a remarkable cache of diaries, dispatches, and letters to recreate the vivid drama of Antietam as experienced not only by its leaders but also by its soldiers, both Union and Confederate. Combining brilliant military analysis with narrative history of enormous power, Landscape Turned Red is the definitive work on this climactic and bitter struggle. “A modern classic.”—The Chicago Tribune “No other book so vividly depicts that battle, the campaign that preceded it, and the dramatic political events that followed.”—The Washington Post Book World “Authoritative and graceful . . . a first-rate work of history.”—Newsweek

Landscape Turned Red

- Now Available in Paperback - First study of the Antietam campaign from civilians' perspectives - Many never-before-published accounts of the Battle of Antietam The battle at Antietam Creek, the bloodiest day of the American Civil War, left more than 23,000 men dead, wounded, or missing. Facing the aftermath were the men, women, and children living in the village of Sharpsburg and on surrounding farms. In Too Afraid to Cry, Kathleen Ernst recounts the dramatic experiences of these Maryland citizens--stories that have never been told--and also examines the complex political web holding together Unionists and Secessionists, many of whom lived under the same roofs in this divided countryside.

Too Afraid to Cry

The definitive account of the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day of the Civil War. The memory of the Battle of Antietam was so haunting that when, nine months later, Major Rufus Dawes learned another Antietam battle might be on the horizon, he wrote, "I hope not, I dread the thought of the place." In this definitive account, historian D. Scott Hartwig chronicles the single bloodiest day in American history, which resulted in 23,000 casualties. The Battle of Antietam marked a vital turning point in the war: afterward, the conflict could no longer be understood as a limited war to preserve the Union, but was now clearly a conflict over slavery. Though the battle was tactically inconclusive, Robert E. Lee withdrew first from the battlefield, thus handing President Lincoln the political ammunition necessary to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. This is the full story of Antietam, ranging from the opening shots of the battle to the powerful reverberations—military, political, and social—it sent through the armies and the nation. Based on decades of research, this in-depth narrative sheds particular light on the visceral experience of battle, an often misunderstood aspect of the American Civil War, and the emotional aftermath for those who survived. Hartwig provides an hour-by-hour tactical history of the battle, beginning before dawn on September 17 and concluding with the immediate aftermath, including General McClellan's fateful decision not to pursue Lee's retreating forces back across the Potomac to Virginia. With 21 unique maps illustrating the state of the battle at intervals ranging from 20 to 120 minutes, this long-awaited companion to Hartwig's To Antietam Creek will be essential reading for anyone interested in the Civil War.

I Dread the Thought of the Place

A richly detailed account of the hard-fought campaign that led to Antietam Creek and changed the course of the Civil War. In early September 1862 thousands of Union soldiers huddled within the defenses of Washington, disorganized and discouraged from their recent defeat at Second Manassas. Confederate General Robert E. Lee then led his tough and confident Army of Northern Virginia into Maryland in a bold gamble to force a showdown that could win Southern independence. The future of the Union hung in the balance. The campaign that followed lasted only two weeks, but it changed the course of the Civil War. D. Scott Hartwig delivers a riveting first installment of a two-volume study of the campaign and climactic battle. It takes the reader from the controversial return of George B. McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac through the Confederate invasion, the siege and capture of Harpers Ferry, the daylong Battle of South Mountain, and, ultimately, to the eve of the great and terrible Battle of Antietam.

To Antietam Creek

Describes events before, during, and after the battle of Antietam, including key players, weapons, and battle tactics.

America's Deadliest Day

“The best battlefield first-person compilation I have read . . . Here it all is—the tactics, the movement, the truth about warfare.” —The Civil War Times In Antietam: The Soldiers’ Battle, historian John Michael Priest tells this brutal tale of slaughter from an entirely new point of view: that of the common enlisted man. Concentrating on the days of actual battle—September 16, 17, and 18, 1862—Priest vividly brings to life the fear, the horror, and the profound courage that soldiers displayed, from the first Federal cavalry probe of the Confederate lines to the last skirmish on the streets of Sharpsburg. Antietam is not a book about generals and their grand strategies, but rather concerns men such as the Pennsylvanian corporal who lied to receive the Medal of Honor; the Virginian who lay unattended on the battlefield through most of the second day of fighting, his arm shattered from a Union artillery shell; the Confederate surgeon who wrote to the sweetheart he left behind enemy lines in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that he had seen so much death and suffering that his “head had whitened and my very soul turned to stone.” Besides being a gripping tale charged with the immediacy of firsthand accounts of the fighting, Antietam also dispels many misconceptions long held by historians and Civil War buffs alike. Seventy-two detailed maps—which describe the battle in the hourly and quarter-hourly formats established by the Cope Maps of 1904—together with rarely-seen photographs and his own intimate knowledge of the Antietam terrain, allow Priest to offer a substantially new interpretation of what actually happened.

Antietam

The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest single day in American history, with more than 6,000 soldiers killed--four times the number lost on D-Day, and twice the number killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks. In Crossroads of Freedom, America's most eminent Civil War historian, James M. McPherson, paints a masterful account of this pivotal battle, the events that led up to it, and its aftermath. As McPherson shows, by September 1862 the survival of the United States was in doubt. The Union had suffered a string of defeats, and Robert E. Lee's army was in Maryland, poised to threaten Washington. The British government was openly talking of recognizing the Confederacy and brokering a peace between North and South. Northern armies and voters were demoralized. And Lincoln had shelved his proposed edict of emancipation months before, waiting for a victory that had not come--that some thought would never come. Both Confederate and Union troops knew the war was at a crossroads, that they were marching toward a decisive battle. It came along the ridges and in the woods and cornfields between Antietam Creek and the Potomac River. Valor, misjudgment, and astonishing coincidence all played a role in the outcome. McPherson vividly describes a day of savage fighting in locales that became forever famous--The Cornfield, the Dunkard Church, the West Woods, and Bloody Lane. Lee's battered army escaped to fight another day, but Antietam was a critical victory for the Union. It restored morale in the North and kept Lincoln's party in control of Congress. It crushed Confederate hopes of British intervention. And it freed Lincoln to deliver the Emancipation Proclamation, which instantly changed the character of the war. McPherson brilliantly weaves these strands of diplomatic, political, and military history into a compact, swift-moving narrative that shows why America's bloodiest day is, indeed, a turning point in our history.

Crossroads of Freedom

The Maryland campaign of September 1862 ranks among the most important military operations of the American Civil War. Crucial political, diplomatic, and military issues were at stake as Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan maneuvered and fought in the western part of the state. The climactic clash came on September 17 at the battle of Antietam, where more than 23,000 men fell in the single bloodiest day of the war. Approaching topics related to Lee's and McClellan's operations from a variety of perspectives, contributors to this volume explore questions regarding military leadership, strategy, and tactics, the impact of the fighting on officers and soldiers in both armies, and the ways in which participants and people behind the lines interpreted and remembered the campaign. They also discuss the performance of untried military units and offer a look at how the United States Army used the Antietam battlefield as an outdoor classroom for its officers in the early twentieth century. The contributors are William A. Blair, Keith S. Bohannon, Peter S. Carmichael, Gary W. Gallagher, Lesley J. Gordon, D. Scott Hartwig, Robert E. L. Krick, Robert K. Krick, Carol Reardon, and Brooks D. Simpson.

The Antietam Campaign

The relative importance of Civil War campaigns is a matter for debate among historians and buffs alike. Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Atlanta have their advocates. Gettysburg certainly maintains its hold on the popular imagination. More recently has come the suggestion that no single campaign or battle decided the war or even appreciably altered its direction. If any one battle was a dividing line, Antietam is a solid contender. In no other campaign were the political, diplomatic, and military elements aligned so favorably for the Confederacy. Yet Lee's retreat after the terrible battle in September 1862 changed everything. Great Britain had second thoughts about intervention; Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation; and Lee's army, while victorious on other fields, proved not to be unbeatable. Across the years, Antietam remains the worst one-day slaughter in American history. The ghastly losses in the Cornfield, the West Woods, and the Sunken Road still appall the reader. Lee's gamble against disaster and George McClellan's inexplicable refusal to press his advantage remain puzzlements.

Explore the sites of the American Civil War’s Battle of Antietam and its history with this extensive guide. September 17, 1862—one of the most consequential days in the history of the United States—was a moment in time when the future of the country could have veered in two starkly different directions. Confederates under General Robert E. Lee had embarked upon an invasion of Maryland, threatening to achieve a victory on Union soil that could potentially end the Civil War in Southern Independence. Lee’s opponent, Major General George McClellan, led the Army of the Potomac to stop Lee’s campaign. In Washington D.C., President Lincoln eagerly awaited news from the field, knowing that the future of freedom for millions was at stake. Lincoln had resolved that, should Union forces win in Maryland, he would issue his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. All this hung in the balance on September 17: the day of the battle of Antietam. The fighting near Sharpsburg, Maryland, that day would change the course of American history, but in the process, it became the costliest day this nation has ever known, with more than 23,000 men falling as casualties. Join historian Daniel J. Vermilya to learn more about America’s bloodiest day, and how it changed the United States forever in That Field of Blood. “I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the Battle of Antietam.... Vermilya is a fine author who has done a great service to this series.” —Gettysburg Chronicle “A meticulous and impressively informative read, That Field of Blood is a very highly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library American Civil War History collections and supplemental studies lists.” —Midwest Book Review “A very good job presenting conclusions and providing a springboard for further discussion about the campaign and its historical consequences. That is what a good historian should do.” —Civil War News “Buy it, read it, think about it...then go to the battlefield. I've always stressed that standing in the very spot where significant historical events took place is essential when attempting to take in the full scale of the history. On the battlefield, That Field of Blood would make a great companion to the experience.” —The Rogue Historian

That Field of Blood

The Battle of Antietam took place on September 17, 1862, and still stands as the bloodiest single day in American military history. Additionally, in its aftermath, President Abraham Lincoln issued his famous Emancipation Proclamation. In this engaging, easy-to-use guide, Carol Reardon and Tom Vossler allow visitors to understand this crucial Civil War battle in fine detail. Abundantly illustrated with maps and historical and modern photographs, A Field Guide to Antietam explores twenty-one sites on and near the battlefield where significant action occurred. Combining crisp narrative and rich historical context, each stop in the book is structured around the following questions: *What happened here? *Who fought here? *Who commanded here? *Who fell here? *Who lived here? *How did participants remember the events? With accessible presentation and fresh interpretations of primary and secondary evidence, this is an absolutely essential guide to Antietam and its lasting legacy.

A Field Guide to Antietam

Describes the political challenges faced by President Lincoln during the summer after the Emancipation Proclamation, including his conflicts with General George McClellan, that ultimately gave General Robert E. Lee his best opportunity to win the war.

The Long Road to Antietam: How the Civil War Became a Revolution

"In early 1862 the war comes within view of the Brannon family farm in Culpeper County, Virginia," affecting the lives of brothers Mac and Will, a new parson in Culpeper, and a budding romance "between the hotheaded Titus and the sophisticated Polly Ebersole."

In Antietam Shadows, Dennis E. Frye warns us to beware of history. It is guaranteed to stimulate debate amongst Civil War buffs, as the author is renowned for blowing up what you know and turning you upside down and inside out. Antietam Shadows isn't about strategy and tactics and bullets and shells. It is the story of human nature—people facing dangerous dilemmas, selecting choices, making hard decisions, and living (or dying) with the consequences.--Cover page [4].

Antietam Shadows

By the 1850s, there were many economic and political differences between the Northern and Southern states in America. The biggest difference was over the issue of slavery. The South's economy depended upon slaves to work the plantations that grew crops such as tobacco and cotton. In the North, slavery was illegal. When Abraham Lincoln, an antislavery candidate, was elected president in 1860, the South believed that their way of life would be destroyed. Soon after, South Carolina seceded, or left, the Union. More Southern states followed. They formed the Confederate States of America, a separate government. Anger built between the two sides. Finally, on April 12, 1861, Southern forces bombed Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Over the next four years, many bloody battles were fought, but none more terrible than the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862. On that day, more than 23,000 American soldiers were killed or wounded-more than on any other day in U.S. history. Book jacket.

The Battle of Antietam

The stone bridge on the southern flank of the Antietam battlefield became one of the Civil War's most powerful symbols of courage and sacrifice. Each stage of the battle is described by extracts from memoirs and diaries of the time, with details of the area as it was in 1862 and as it is today.

Burnside's Bridge

This book explains how the Battle of Antietam—a conflict that changed nothing militarily—still played a pivotal role in the Civil War by affording Abraham Lincoln an opportunity to announce the emancipation of slaves in states in rebellion. Antietam 1862: Gateway to Emancipation examines the connections between the Maryland Campaign culminating in the battle of Antietam in 1862 and the drive to emancipate slaves to win the war for the Union. The work's thematic chapters discuss how slaves' resistance to the Confederacy and flight to Union armies influenced Union domestic and diplomatic politics, Confederate military strategy, and above all, the leadership of President Lincoln. By focusing on the complex topics of antislavery politics, diplomacy, and slaves' resistance rather than the specific occurrences on the battlefield, this book shows how shrewd Abraham Lincoln was in assessing the consequences of fighting a civil war about slavery. The concept that slaves' resistance played a part in Lee and Davis's decision to cross the Potomac and invade Maryland is explored, as is the idea that this strategy delayed and ultimately dashed all of the Confederacy's hopes of help from the British.

Antietam 1862

How much do your students know about the battles of the Civil War? Do they know that the Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single day of fighting in the whole war? The information in this book will help your students understand the importance of the Battle of Antietam, including its connection with the Emancipation Proclamation, one of the most important documents in American history.

Antietam National Battlefield (1862) (ENHANCED eBook)

Antietam is the eagerly awaited second volume of Ezra Carman's magisterial The Maryland Campaign of September 1862. Many authors have written about the climactic September 17 battle of the 1862 invasion of Maryland, but it is impossible to do so without referencing Carman's sweeping and definitive maps and 1,800-page manuscript. His work guides every Civil War historian and comprises the basis of the National Park Service's interpretive programs at Antietam. Indeed, even the basic layout of the National Park battlefield was based upon Carman's groundbreaking work. Carman had the advantage of not only participating in the battle as a colonel in the Union army, but knowing, corresponding, and conversing with hundreds of Northern and Southern soldiers from corps commanders all the way down to privates. Over the decades he amassed a vast collection of letters, maps, and personal memoirs from many key participants. He used this treasure trove of firsthand accounts to create his compelling narrative. No one has devoted more time and effort to understanding what happened at Antietam than did Ezra Carman-the campaign's first true historian. Unfortunately, Carman did not always note from where he obtained his information, making the authenticity and reliability of his work problematic. Editor Thomas G. Clemens, recognized internationally as one of the foremost historians of the Maryland Campaign, has spent more than two decades studying Antietam and editing and richly annotating Carman's exhaustively written manuscript. As Clemens discovered, Carman used his sources judiciously, and the stories he relates withstand scrutiny for accuracy and reliability. Carman's invaluable prose is augmented by his detailed maps of the dawn to nearly dusk fighting on September 17, which have never appeared in their original form in any book on the battle. Even more exciting are the newly discovered 19th century photographs authorized by Carman to document his work laying out the battlefield, a haunting visual record of how the battlefield appeared to Carman as he tried to unravel its mysteries. The result is The Maryland Campaign of September 1862: Antietam, the most comprehensive and detailed account of the battle ever produced. Jammed with firsthand accounts, personal anecdotes, detailed footnotes, maps, and photos, this long-awaited study will be read and appreciated as battle history at its finest. Indeed, we will never see such a study again. About the Authors: Ezra Ayres Carman was born in Oak Tree, New Jersey, on February 27, 1834, and educated at Western Military Academy in Kentucky. He fought with New Jersey organizations throughout the Civil War. He died in 1909 on Christmas day and was buried just below the Custis- Lee mansion in Arlington Cemetery. Thomas G. Clemens earned his doctoral degree at George Mason University, where he studied under Maryland Campaign historian Dr. Joseph L. Harsh. Tom has published a wide variety of magazine articles and book reviews, has appeared in several documentary programs, and is a licensed tour guide at Antietam National Battlefield. A retired professor from Hagerstown Community College, he also helped found and is the current president of Save Historic Antietam Foundation, Inc., a preservation group dedicated to saving historic properties.

The Maryland Campaign of September 1862

Walk through the battlefield of Antietam with those who fought there The Battle of Antietam, waged on September 17, 1862, marked the bloodiest single day's fighting in American history. Five days later, President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. This book brings you face-to-face as never before with the people and events that shaped this epic event. It features: - An introduction discussing the history and preservation of the present-day site - A timeline that adds further texture to the history described - Concise biographies of key participants - A historical tour - Where to stay and eat, and places to visit nearby - Archival and color photos throughout - Two PopOut maps—an archival map showing the battle as it unraveled, and another showing the same location today About the Timeline series These one-of-a-kind books bring you face to face with the people and events that have shaped American history and who have left their mark on some of the nation's most important historical landmarks and locations.

Readers learn about the Battle of Antietam, a major turning point of the Civil War.

Battles of the Civil War: Antietam

"This book explores various perspectives surrounding the Battle of Antietam in the Civil War. Readers are immersed in the action as their choices guide the narrative."--Provided by publisher.

At the Battle of Antietam

The morning of September 17, 1862, dawned peacefully in the farming community of Sharpsburg, Maryland. But this day would be like no other in American history. The quiet would soon be shattered by an all-day assault that would become the bloodiest single day of the Civil War, with more than 27,000 casualties. Antietam: Day of Courage and Sorrow tells the story of the cruelest battle of the War Between the States. Meet the Union soldier who foiled General Robert E. Lee's strategy by finding his secret plans wrapped around cigars. Explore how President Abraham Lincoln used the battle as a means to free those in slavery in the South. Discover why, even though the battle was considered a draw, Antietam proved to be a turning point of the Civil War.

Author Phillip Thomas Tucker reveals the triumph and tragedy of the greatest sacrifice of life of any battleground in America. On September 17, 1862, the forces of Major General George B. McClellan and his Union Army of the Potomac confronted Robert E. Lee's entire Army of Northern Virginia at the Battle of Antietam in Sharpsburg, Maryland. The Union forces mounted a powerful assault on Lee's left flank in the idyllic Miller Cornfield. It was the single bloodiest day in the history of the Civil War. The elite combat units of the Union's Iron Brigade and the Confederate Texas Brigade held a dramatic showdown and suffered immense losses through vicious attacks and counterattacks sweeping through the cornstalks.

Miller Cornfield at Antietam

The Battle of Antietam has long been known as the bloodiest day in American military history with more than twenty thousand soldiers either dead, wounded, or missing. The Confederacy, emboldened after a conclusive victory at the Battle of Second Manassas, launched the Maryland Campaign and considered a decisive battle on northern soil as a lynchpin to their objectives. As Gen. Robert E. Lee pushed his veteran Army of Northern Virginia deeper into Maryland, Gen. George B. McClellan hastily assembled a refurbished Army of the Potomac. After engagements at South Mountain and Harpers Ferry, Lee concentrated his forces near the small village of Sharpsburg. On September 17, 1862, McClellan attacked at dawn, igniting a battle that raged until sunset. By the end of the following day, Lee's battered army began its withdrawal. The eventual Confederate retreat provided the Lincoln Administration a much sought after victory. President Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation just four days later, dramatically altering the very nature of the war. Decisions at Antietam introduces readers to critical decisions made by Confederate and Union commanders throughout the battle. Michael S. Lang examines the decisions that prefigured the action and shaped the contest as it unfolded. Rather than a linear history of the battle, Lang's discussion of the critical decisions presents readers with a vivid blueprint of the battle's developments. Exploring the critical decisions in this way allows the reader to progress from a sense of what happened in these battles to why they happened as they did Complete with maps and a guided tour, Decisions at Antietam is an indispensable primer, and readers looking for a concise introduction to the battle can tour this sacred ground--or read about it at their leisure--with key insights into the battle and a deeper understanding of the Civil War itself. Decisions at Antietam is the ninth in a series of books that will explore the critical decisions of major campaigns and battles of the Civil War.

Decisions at Antietam

Five essays detail the artillery used by both Union and Confederate forces in the Battle of Antietam, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, in September 1862. The core essay was written in 1940 for the National Park Service but first published here. Together they discuss the types and capabilities of the artillery pieces, the problems faced by the commanders, and what can be conjectured about their placement and engagement. Also includes six reports by Union officers just after the battle. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Artillery Hell

The Battle of Antietam was a turning point in the Civil War. In the span of several hours, there would be more loss of American life than in any other battle before or since, leaving one in four of the soldiers who took part either dead or wounded by the end of the day. Inside you will read about... ✓ Maryland, My Maryland… ✓ McClellan’s Army ✓ The Opening Gambit ✓ Harper’s Ferry ✓ Dunker Church & The Woods ✓ The Cornfield ✓ Bloody Lane And much more! What led to such a disastrous conclusion? And could something positive come from such an appalling massacre? The focus of the war was about to change. So too was how the American people viewed war as a whole.

Using personal accounts of commanders and ordinary soldiers, this book puts the battles of Antietam into the political and strategic contexts the second year of the Civil War. It includes the battles of Miller's Cornfield, the Dunker Church, Burnside's Bridge and the Bloody Lane.

Visual Antietam Vol. 1: Ezra Carman's Antietam Through Maps and Pictures: Dawn to Dunker Church containing sixty-three images and twenty-six original maps, brings Ezra A. Carman's Antietam manuscript to life allowing readers to see the Antietam battlefield today and as it was only days after the battle.

Visual Antietam Vol. 1

Ezra A. Carman is regarded as the father of Antietam historiography. Colonel of the 13th New Jersey Infantry during the battle, he spent the better part of his later life writing a comprehensive manuscript detailing the Maryland Campaign. He also spent a significant amount of effort to build an accurate order of battle, along with the strength of the armies engaged. The result was a detailed and meticulously researched account of the actions in Maryland and Virginia during that fateful September 1862. Adding to this work, he created a series of maps showing the movement and flow of the battle over the course of the day. His work has served as the foundation for much of the following history of the battle. Though written more than a century ago, it holds up to modern scrutiny quite well. The Visual Antietam series publishes Carman's manuscript with a heavy emphasis on maps and photographs. Visual Antietam Vol. 2: Ezra Carman's Antietam Through Maps and Pictures: The West Woods to Bloody Lane contains sixty (60) images, both period and modern, allowing the reader to see the battlefield today and as it was only days after the battle. Fifty-three (53) original maps explain the troop movements during the course of that morning and afternoon.

Visual Antietam Vol. 2: Ezra Carman's Antietam Through Maps and Pictures: The West Woods to Bloody Lane

The Antietam Campaign was a bizarre conflict marked by brilliance and ineptitude, incidents of chance, stunning bravery and useless slaughter.

This staff ride guide examines the Maryland Campaign and Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in American history. On 17 September 1862, the Army of the Potomac met the Army of Northern Virginia on the rolling farmlands around Sharpsburg, Maryland. While General Lee sought to bring the war to the North and "liberate" Maryland, General McClellan, having gained important intelligence, would endeavor to defeat Lee and reverse the momentum of several Union losses. Though neither the Union nor the Confederate side gained the decisive victory both desired, the battle provides many lessons in command and control, communications, intelligence, technology versus tactics, and the "fog of war."

The Battle of Antietam, fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland, was the bloodiest day in American history, with more than twenty-three thousand dead, wounded and missing. This book invites the reader to walk the routes of some of the units on the field through the stories of thirty-six individual soldiers who fought on that day. The images of the soldiers in this work, many of which have never been published before, give faces to the fighting men at Antietam, as well as insight into their lives. Join Matthew Borders and Joseph Stahl as they share their expertise and grant glimpses into the lives of those who fought to preserve the Union.

Faces of Union Soldiers at Antietam

Antietam National Battlefield, Maryland

The Maryland Campaign and the Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862, during the American Civil War, was a pivotal conflict that took place near Sharpsburg, Maryland. It stands as one of the bloodiest single days in American history, with over 23,000 casualties. General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army clashed with General George B. McClellan's Union forces in a brutal struggle for control. Despite the inconclusive outcome, it had significant repercussions as it halted Lee's invasion of the North, provided President Lincoln with a critical opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, and ultimately set the stage for the Union's eventual victory in the Civil War. Today, Antietam is remembered not only for its military significance but also as a symbol of the nation's enduring commitment to freedom and unity.

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