Day 3 – Antietam Civil War Battlefield

Posted byweegtravelPosted in2022, West Virginia

We had a different start to the day. Both of us had zoom meetings. My husband’s was at 8 am and mine at 11 am. Once Brian’s meeting was finished we packed up and drove to today’s sightseeing location before my meeting at 11 am. I managed to participate in a 2 1/2 board meeting and do the guided auto tour of the Battlefield. The wonders of modern technology.

Antietam Civil War Battlefield And National Park

Sharpsburg, MD

According to the National Parks website, 23,000  of the more than 100,000 soldiers engaged in the battle were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862, including 6 generals… the bloodiest day in American History. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia’s first invasion into the North and led Abraham Lincoln to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.

Src: Wikipedia

After pursuing Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee into Maryland, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan of the Union Army launched attacks against Lee’s army who were in defensive positions behind Antietam Creek. At dawn on September 17, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker‘s corps mounted a powerful assault on Lee’s left flank. 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. In the afternoon, Union Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside‘s corps entered the action, capturing a stone bridge over Antietam Creek and advancing against the Confederate right. At a crucial moment, Confederate Maj. Gen. A. P. Hill‘s division arrived from Harpers Ferry and launched a surprise counterattack, driving back Burnside and ending the battle. 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 September 18, while removing his battered army south of the Potomac River.

It was a significant turning point in the war in favor of the Union due in large part to its political ramifications: the battle’s result gave Lincoln the political confidence to announce his Emancipation Proclamation, which freed more than 3.5 million slaves in the Confederate states (but not in Union slave states), beginning the process of emancipation in the United States. This effectively discouraged the British and French governments, which were strongly opposed to slavery and had in fact abolished slavery prior to the American Civil War, from recognizing the Confederacy.

Clara Barton

Photograph of Clara Barton by Civil War photographer Mathew Brady

Arguably the most famous Civil War nurse, Clara Barton went to great lengths to see after the sick and wounded and to ensure that they were treated both expediently and humanely. Her work in the war led her to found the American Red Cross, an organization that would provide humanitarian relief for a wide variety of crises

The battle started in the northern part of the map at early light through the cornfields and ended late day in the southern portion near Burnside Bridge.
Poffenberger Farm where Union General Hooker’s men spent the night before the battle. At first light the Union attack advanced south towards Jackson’s lines.

Dunker Church, a Union focal point in the morning of the battle.
Mumma Farm and cemetery. The only deliberate destruction of property during the battle was the burning of this Farm by the Confederates, fearful of its use by Union sharpshooters. The family fled to safety and rebuilt in 1863.

Sunken Road aka Bloody Lane.
Monument to Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross

Burnside Bridge where Union soldiers, without a leader, took matters into their own hands by rushing the Bridge after sensing a lull from the Confederates. This changed the course of the day for the Union.

Hagerstown/Antietam KOA, Williamsport. MD is home for tonight. We have a nice campsite on a rather wide creek. The weather today was hot but not like yesterday. A bit of rain this afternoon made things pleasant. It waited until we had finished lunch. Nice relaxing afternoon with a ‘beach reading’ book on my kindle. Dinner is pasta and salad. It promises to be a lovely evening after the rain. There are kids and dad ‘fishing’ in the creek near us. Fun to listen to them.

FO 76… sorry Fo 76ers, we are in Maryland and tomorrow we start the Frank Lloyd Wright portion of the trip although we do pass through Berkely Springs on the way.

Home away from home… no awning up because of the rain.

Ok. Time for wine.