Antietam, MD

Date(s): September 16-18, 1862

Location: Please click on link below for map.

Campaign(s): Maryland Campaign [September 1862]  

Battles in Campaign:

• Harpers Ferry, WV - September 12-15, 1862 B

• South Mountain, MD - September 14, 1862 B

• Antietam, MD - September 16-18, 1862 A

• Shepherdstown, WV - September 19-20, 1862 C¹

Situation:

Commanders:

• Union: Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan

• Confederate: Gen. Robert E. Lee

Principal Forces:

• Union: 75,000

• Confederate: Army of Northern Virginia [18,000]

Description:

• On September 16, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan confronted Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia at Sharpsburg, Maryland.

• At dawn September 17, Hooker’s corps mounted a powerful assault on Lee’s left flank that began the single bloodiest day in American military history.

• Attacks and counterattacks swept across Miller’s cornfield and fighting swirled around the Dunker Church.

• Union assaults against the Sunken Road eventually pierced the Confederate center, but the Federal advantage was not followed up.

• Late in the day, Burnside’s corps finally got into action, crossing the stone bridge over Antietam Creek and rolling up the Confederate right.

• At a crucial moment, A. P. Hill’s division arrived from Harpers Ferry and counterattacked, driving back Burnside and saving the day.

• Although outnumbered two-to-one, Lee committed his entire force, while McClellan sent in less than three-quarters of his army, enabling Lee to fight the Federals to a standstill.

• During the night, both armies consolidated their lines. In spite of crippling casualties, Lee continued to skirmish with McClellan throughout the 18th, while removing his wounded south of the river.

• McClellan did not renew the attacks and after dark, Lee ordered the battered Army of Northern Virginia to withdraw across the Potomac into the Shenandoah Valley.

Photo Gallery:²

Antietam National Battlefield - Visitor Center	Antietam National Battlefield - Visitor Center	Antietam National Battlefield Tour Map	Union and Confederate Uniforms
Rifles and Bayonets	Presentation Sword Belonging to Gen. George McClellan	Witness to the Battle - James Hope	Dunker Church - "Symbol of Peace and Brotherhood" Tour Stop 1
Dunker Church	Dunker Church	The State of Maryland Monument	The State of Maryland Monument
Relief of Actions Showing Maryland Units at Antietam The State of Maryland Monument	Relief of Actions Showing Maryland Units at Antietam The State of Maryland Monument	Relief of Actions Showing Maryland Units at Antietam The State of Maryland Monument	Relief of Actions Showing Maryland Units at Antietam The State of Maryland Monument
Relief of Actions Showing Maryland Units at Antietam The State of Maryland Monument	Clara Barton Monument Tour Stop 2 - North Woods	Seventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Monument	Joseph Poffenberger Farm
"The Battle Opened" Tour Stop 3	4th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps Monument	North Woods	Marker Describing Actions of William's Division Twelth Union Army Corp
12th Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument	Mansfield Monument Mansfield Monument Road	East Woods Tour Stop 3	Union General Mansfield Monument
Union Encampment Tour Stop 3	Tour Stop 4
	The Bloody Cornfield	"With Flags Flying" Tour Stop 4	"The Jaws of Death" Tour Stop 5
Tour Stop 5 - West Woods	Tour Stop 5 - West Woods	"We May Never Meet Again" Tour Stop 5 - West Woods	West Woods Tour Stop 5 - West Woods
			"The End of the Confederacy was in Sight" Tour Stop 8
Monument to 132 Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Tour Stop 8	Sunken Road Tour Stop 8 For nearly 4 hours, Union and Confederate infantry contested this sunken country road, resulting in over 5,000 casualties	Roulette Farm Tour Stop 8	Monument to Pennsylvania Infantry Tour Stop 8
Tour Stop 8	Jackson's Command - Bodes' Brigade Tour Stop 8	Roulette Farm Tour Stop 8
Irish Brigade Monument	Sunken Road Observation Tower	View of the Sunken Road and Roulette Farm from Observation Tower	View of the Sunken Road and Roulette Farm from Observation Tower
View of Roulette Farmhouse from Observation Tower	Stairs Inside Observation Tower		Approaching Lower Bridge (Burnside's Bridge) over Antietam Creek
Confederate Positions on West Side of Antietam Creek	Description of Actions by Georgia Units at Burnside's Bridge	Fifty-First New York Infantry Monument	View from Burnside's Bridge
Union Position at Burnside's Bridge Tour Stop 9	Union Position at Burnside's Bridge Tour Stop 9	"Will You Give Us Our Whiskey?" Tour Stop 9	51st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Tour Stop 9
View of Antietam Creek from Burnside's Bridge	Confederate position at Burnside's Bridge held by Georgia Units	William McKinley Monument on Georgians Overlook	Positions Held by Georgia Units in Defense of Lower Bridge
Georgians Overlook	View from Georgians Overlook		"Destroy the Rebel Army"
			"I Hate Cannons"
Twentieth Regiment New York Volunteer Infantry Monument	20th New York Infantry Monument	State of New York Memorial	State of New York Memorial

Classification³: A

Casualties⁴:

• Union: 12,400

• Confederate: 10,320

Results: Union Victory

Battlefield Websites:

• Antietam National Battlefield - National Park Service

• The Battle of Antietam - Wikipedia

• Antietam - HistoryAnimated.com Flash Presentation

• Battle of Antietam: Two Great American Armies Engage in Combat - Civil War Times article

Recommended Resources:

¹ National Park Service summary.

² Please click on the image to enlarge it. You may copy the images if you include the following note and link with each image: "Courtesy of civil-war-journeys.org."

³ Classification:

• A - having a decisive influence on a campaign and a direct impact on the course of the war

• B - having a direct and decisive influence on their campaign

• C - having observable influence on the outcome of a campaign

• D - having a limited influence on the outcome of their campaign or operation but achieving or affecting important local objectives

⁴ Casualties are someone killed, injured, wounded, captured or missing.

Revised 09/26/2008