The Greatest Battles in History: The Battle of Antietam

The Greatest Battles in History: The Battle of Antietam

*Includes pictures of important people, places, and events.
*Analyzes the generalship of the battle's most important leaders, including Lee, McClellan, Burnside, and others.
*Includes descriptions of the fighting from the post-battle reports of some of the leading generals.
*Includes a Bibliography for further reading.
*Includes a Table of Contents.

"Those in whose judgment I rely tell me that I fought the battle splendidly and that it was a masterpiece of art. ... I feel I have done all that can be asked in twice saving the country. ... I feel some little pride in having, with a beaten & demoralized army, defeated Lee so utterly." - George McClellan

The names of historyâ€™s most famous battles still ring in our ears today, their influence immediately understood by all. Marathon lent its name to the worldâ€™s most famous race, but it also preserved Western civilization during the First Persian War. Saratoga, won by one of the colonistsâ€™ most renowned war heroes before he became his nationâ€™s most vile traitor. Hastings ensured the Normansâ€™ success in England and changed the course of British history. Waterloo, which marked the reshaping of the European continent and Napoleonâ€™s doom, has now become part of the English lexicon. In Charles River Editorsâ€™ Greatest Battles in History series, readers can get caught up to speed on historyâ€™s greatest battles in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

The bloodiest day in American history took place on the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. On September 17, 1862, Robert E. Leeâ€™s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia fought George McClellanâ€™s Union Army of the Potomac outside Sharpsburg along Antietam Creek. That day, nearly 25,000 would become casualties, and Leeâ€™s army would barely survive fighting the much bigger Northern army.

The fighting that morning started with savage fighting on the Confederate left flank near Dunker church, in a corn field and forests. The Confederates barely held the field in the north sector, but even still, Leeâ€™s army may have been saved by the Northern armyâ€™s inability to cross the creek near â€œBurnsideâ€™s Bridgeâ€. Ambrose Burnside had been given command of the "Right Wing" of the Army of the Potomac (the I Corps and IX Corps) at the start of the Maryland Campaign for the Battle of South Mountain, but McClellan separated the two corps at the Battle of Antietam, placing them on opposite ends of the Union battle line. However, Burnside continued to act as though he was a wing commander instead of a corps commander, so instead of ordering the IX corps, he funneled orders through General Jacob D. Cox. This poor organization contributed to the corpsâ€™s hours-long delay in attacking and crossing what is now called "Burnside's Bridge" on the right flank of the Confederate line.

The delay allowed General A.P. Hill's Confederate division to reach the battlefield from Harpers Ferry in time to save Leeâ€™s right flank that afternoon. Fearing that his army was badly bloodied and figuring Lee had many more men than he did, McClellan refused to commit his reserves to continue the attacks. The day ended in a tactical stalemate

Although the battle was tactically a draw, it resulted in forcing Leeâ€™s army out of Maryland and back into Virginia, making it a strategic victory for the North and an opportune time for President Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves in the rebellious states.

The Greatest Battles in History: The Battle of Antietam comprehensively covers the fighting, analyzes the decisions made by the battleâ€™s most important leaders, and explains the aftermath of the battle and the legacies that were made and tarnished by the battle. Along with a bibliography, maps of the battle, and pictures of important people and places, you will learn about the Battle of Antietam like you never have before.
Country USA
Manufacturer Charles River Editors
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2012-11-26
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Charles River Editors
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2012-11-26
Format	Kindle eBook

The Greatest Battles in History: The Battle of Antietam

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