Antietam


 * Principal Commanders:** Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan (Union), Gen. Robert E. Lee (Confederacy)
 * Where did his happen:** Washington Country Near Sharpsburg, Maryland
 * Who won:** The Union
 * Date:** September 16-18 1862


 * Events leading up to the battle:** The Maryland Campaign of 1862, the first invasion North by Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia. Lee wanted to move the battle from the South into the North to liberate Maryland, a slave state.

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 * The Battle:** Gen. Hooker began the battle by launching a powerful assault on the Confederate left flank, and began the single, most bloody day in American military history. McClellan's battle plan was to attack the left and then right flank, followed by an attack to the center of Lee's lines but once the battle started it broke down into a series of uncoordinated attacks and counter-attacks. In just 8 hours 15,000 soldiers had died. On the opposite flank, Gen. Burnside started to advance on the Confederates over a bridge, but was held off for 3 hours by Confederate forces on higher ground. After 1:00p.m he finally captured the bridge, but was turned back from Confederate forces reinforcing from Harper's Ferry. Neither of the Confederate flanks fell back far enough for McClellan's plan to take action, so a sizable portion of the Union Army didn't see action. Despite the fact that there were 23,000 casualties out of the 100,000 soldiers that engaged, neither side would retreat. The next day, the 18th, both sides decided to bury their dead and that night Lee retreated his forces back into Virginia, ending Lee's first evasion of the North.

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 * "Artillery Hell"** More then 500 cannon were used in the battle, and because of the numerous ridges, infantry were sitting ducks for the cannon.Posted on ridges, the cannons devastated soldiers marching through the low-lying fields. Because of all the cannon fire the battle was nicknamed Artillery Hell.

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