The Union Prevails at Antietam

The Union Prevails at Antietam

On September 17, 1862 the Union clashed with the Confederates at Antietam Creek just outside Sharpsburg. 23,000 men died in what is the most bloodiest battle to date. The battle begun when Union troops under the command of George B. McClellan attacked the Confederates near the Dunker Church. It would later spread to the Sunken Road and a bridge over Antietam Creek. In a meadow near Frederick where the Confederates had camped, a Union corporal found three cigars wrapped in a piece of paper. It turned out to be a copy of Lee's special orders. The Union commander knew Lee was dividing his army. After he knew this information he did nothing for 16 hours. On September 15 Lee and the 18,000 Confederates with him took up positions along the crest of a three-mile ridge just east of the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland. McClellan soon met Lee with 95,000 of his own. The Sunken Road, remembered as Bloody Lane, rapidly filled with bodies two and three deep. After bloody fighting, the Confederates center had splintered. One more push might have broken it apart, but McClellan decided, "It would not be prudent" to attack again. The 3rd battle took place on the Confederates right, where General Burnside corps tried to fight its way across Antietam Bridge. Burnside eventually pushed the Confederates back to Sharpsburg, but not after he lost of a lot of men. Just as the Union thought they won, A.P. Hill with 3,000 men came and attacked their left flank. As night fell Burnside withdrew to the bridge his men fought so hard to seize. The fighting died away. The Union lost 2,108 dead and 10,293 wounded or missing. Lee lost 10,318. 18 generals were killed or wounded, nine Confederate and nine Union, including Hooker. The Union victory at Antietam encouraged President Lincoln to pass the Emancipation Proclamation.