One day we visited the site of the Battle of Antietam near Sharpsburg, Md. Although Gettysburg produced higher total casualty numbers over the course of the three-day battle, the more than 23,000 killed, wounded or missing remains the most ever in one day in American military history.
In September of 1862 Lee decided to take the war to the enemy, much as he would a year later at Gettysburg. He collided with the Union Army near Sharpsburg. Although the Union attack was blunted, Lee's losses were so great he withdrew to Virginia, ending his planned invasion of the North.
The retreat of Lee's army allowed President Lincoln to move forward with the Emancipation Proclamation and thus added freedom from slavery to preserving the Union to form a dual reason for prosecuting the war with the Rebels.
This peaceful scene belies the blood and carnage that ruled over 150 years ago.
Peggy checking the burial list.
The capture and crossing of the Stone Bridge gave Union forces a temporary edge in the battle but were soon driven back across and for all practical purposes the battle was over. While the outnumbered Confederates fought the Union to a standstill, Lee's foray into Maryland was thwarted and he withdrew back into Virginia. This allowed the Union to claim victory and more importantly gave President Lincoln the breathing space he needed to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. This in turn gave pause to the English government's plan to recognize the Confederate States of America.
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