Download Battle of Antietam

Battle of Antietam
By Cathy Pearl
1
In 1862, General Robert E. Lee decided to march his troops north into Maryland. He wanted to win a
victory for his army in the North. He was sure it was an important step in winning the war. He also hoped
that a win in the North would force other countries to recognize the Confederacy as its own country. These
countries would then be willing to send supplies that the South badly needed.
2
Luck was against Lee from the beginning. A Union soldier found a copy of Lee's plans at a camp. It
was a perfect opportunity for General George McClellan to beat the Southern army once and for all. A
strong win at this battle would cripple the Southern army. The South would have a hard time building
another one.
3
McClellan did not use the chance he had to attack the Confederates. He waited too long to make a
decision. By the time he started to march his army toward Lee, Lee knew of the lost plans and was
strengthening his army.
4
The two armies fought smaller battles on September 14 in mountain passes. Lee tried to stop the
Union army from marching farther south. He could not. He decided to make a stand near the Antietam
Creek. This creek was near the town of Sharpsburg. This is what the Confederates would call the battle.
5
The battle started the morning of September 17. That day would turn out to be the bloodiest day of the
Civil War. For the next seven hours, the Union army attacked the left and right sides of the Confederate
line.
6
After fighting for hours, neither side could gain an advantage. First one side, then the other, had
controlled the battle. As the day went on, the Confederate line was pushed back, but not broken. But the
number of Union troops was overwhelming them.
7
In the afternoon, a Union general gained control of a bridge over the creek. The Union army had a
chance to crush the Southern army. That chance was lost when more men came to support the Southern
army. The fresh troops pushed the Union army back over the bridge. McClellan still had more troops in
reserve and could have attacked the Southern army one final time. He chose not to. The Southern troops
were able keep the army together to fight another day.
9
By the time the day was over, more than 23,000 men had been killed or injured. Lee's army went back
into Virginia. Lee's invasion of the North had failed. The South had also failed to gain any support from
other countries. The North claimed victory in the battle because Lee's army had retreated to Virginia.
10
One famous landmark during the battle was the Dunker Church. Battle reports that were written days
later mention the small white building. The church was used as a medical station for the wounded. A truce
between the two sides to exchange the injured and the dead may also have taken place there.
11
Within days of Lee going back into Virginia, on September 22, Lincoln issued the Emancipation
Proclamation. From this point, the war was not only being fought to restore the Union. It was also being
fought to end slavery in the country.
1. What happened to Lee's plans?
2. What did the South call the battle?
3. What did Lincoln issue days after the battle had ended?
4. Was Lee's invasion of the North successful?
5. Who was in charge of the Union troops?
6. When did the Battle of Antietam start?
7. George McClellan lost many chances to destroy the Southern army. If you had been Abraham Lincoln,
how would you have reacted?
8. The Battle of Antietam changed the war. Why was the South being unable to win so important?