Antietam/Sharpsburg
September 17, 1862
Objectives
• Learn why the South changed their war plans.
• Learn what happened at the three distinct
battles of September 17, 1862.
• Learn what happened as a result of the battle.
Lee Invades Maryland
On September 3, 1862,
General Lee wrote to Jefferson
Davis seeking permission to
invade Maryland, take the war
out of Virginia, and forage the
late summer harvests.
Permission is granted, and Lee
moves north.
Southern Blunder
A copy of Lee’s plans are lost in a
meadow at Frederick Md.
McClellan now knew Lee had
divided his army. But instead of
attacking, he delayed allowing
some of Lee’s men to rejoin. He
finally attacks at South Mountain
September 14, but fails to deliver
a fatal blow.
Antietam
By September 17, both armies had
deployed along Antietam Creek by
Sharpsburg MD. On that day
McClellan’s 70,000 man army would
clash with Lee’s forces numbering
40,000. There would be three
distinct engagements: Cornfield,
Sunken Road, and Burnside Bridge.
Cornfield
General Joseph Hooker sent his I
Corps into a 40 acre patch of
corn. Stonewall Jackson’s men
met the advance. The fighting
swayed back and forth for four
hours.
Hood’s Division
The rebels threw in their last
reserves, John Bell Hood’s Texans,
which brought an end to the
fighting at that portion of the
battlefield.
Result
By 9:00 am over 8,000 dead and wounded covered the field.
The Confederates had held.
Sunken Road
The Sunken Road was the name the wagon road that went between
the farms but the weight of the wagons and erosion had caused the
road to sink. This made for a ready made rifle pit.
John B. Gordon
In command of the Confederates
was Georgian John B. Gordon. He
proclaimed, We are going to stay
here until the Sun goes down, or
victory is won.
Union Advance
The Union charged Brown’s
position, Joseph K. Mansfield,
first time in battle, led the
charge. When the confederates
opened fire, Mansfield was the
first to be struck down.
Bloody Lane
Union troops finally gained a position to shoot down on the
rebels. The carnage there led to the renaming of the road,
“Bloody Lane”. When the fighting ended, over 6,000 casualties
had occurred on both sides.
Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose E. Burnside, know
for his distinctive whiskers,
or sideburns, had 12,000
troops assigned to cross the
bridge that now bears his
name. Then his troops
would swoop in in Lee’s
troops from behind.
Burnside Bridge
A span across Antietam Creek. It was defended by Robert Toombs
and only 500 Georgians.
Finally Across
After two failures, Burnside offers extra rations of whiskey to
soldiers to get across. Two New York regiments get across and
drive the confederates from the bluff guarding the bridge. They
then start heading for town.
A. P. Hill
In the nick of time, General A. P.
Hill arrives after a 17 mile march
to stop Burnside’s advance.
McClellan’s Failure
Lee’s army was out of ammunition.
McClellan still had 12,000 men who
had not seen action. Had he thrown
them into action, he could have
crushed Lee’s army and ended the
war that day. Instead, fearing the
human cost would be too high, he
did not attack. The war would
continue for 2 and one half more
years.
Results
There would be over 24,000 casualties, the greatest single day total
in American History. Because Lee’s invasion was halted, many
northerners considered it a victory. McClellan is relieved of
command.
Emancipation
Lincoln took the opportunity
to announce the preliminary
emancipation of the slaves. It
would go into effect January 1,
1863.