What can you say about a battle that had 23,000 casualties (dead, wounded, missing) in one day, the largest one day number in American history? 1 out of every 4 who fought in the battle. First some basic facts. It’s September of 1862, Virginia, where the main Union and Confederate armies have been circling and fighting for the past year is worn out, tired and out of food. General Lee of the Confederacy wanted to give VA a break. Secondly, Lee needed a fertile new territory to feed his troops - why not the north? Third, he wanted to take the war to the North to depress their morale and make them know what war was like. Finally, if he had a victory in the North, England and France, which were sitting on the fence, would recognize the Confederacy and help them.
He wrote up the orders, Orders 191, sent them to his commanders and moved north. Oops, someone wrapped a copy of these orders around 3 cigars, dropped them, a Union soldier found them, smoked the cigars and sent the Order 191 on, they were read by General McClellan and he knew he had a gold mine. But, he hesitated and didn’t move north as quickly as he should have. Lee was able to send Stonewall Jackson to Harper’s Ferry and capture the garrison and weapons there, gather his troops and set up a line in Antietam, MD.
McClellan, put into overall command 3 days before the battle, intended to attack all along the line but it didn’t work that way. On the northern side of the line, the rifle fire of the attack leveled the corn field like a scythe and the armies moved back and forth across it. In the middle, the Confederates were caught in a road depression in the land but McClellan held back a reserve force and the attacks were again indecisive. In the south the Union got over a small bridge but the Confederates mounted a counter attack and this to was a stalemate.
Thus, the Confederates retreated back south, the North claimed a victory, both England and France held off on recognition and aid for the South and Lincoln, with a victory in hand, decided to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
We stayed for a interpretive Ranger presentation. This time it was given by a young intern (who hopes to one day become a National Park Ranger and, given this presentation, he is well on his way) who portrayed a common soldier in the Civil War. Sometimes he wears his Confederate uniform but today he was in his Union uniform - though many of the experiences were the same - Union or Confederate.
We’ve heard a lot about fighting during this time but we hadn’t heard about the shoes: flat and slippery on the bottom: no friction. How die soldiers hike in the mud, how did they run downhill into battle, how many died because they slipped and fell?
Of course, the soldiers were clad in wool, great in the winter with lower temperatures but - ugh - in the summer with 90 degree temps and 90 % humidity. Plus wool was cheaper than cotton: the North didn’t have much cotton during the Civil War and the South needed to export all of theirs to get cash to finance the war.
We then walked much of the battlefield, it was much more condensed that other battlefields and thus easier to walk. We walked by the Dunker Church, founded by Germans who believed in full immersion during baptism. It’s been restored to its original shape.
The NPS had put in some paths to get around the battlefield. During the battle, this forest was cut down and there were no trees.
We walked down what became ‘Bloody Lane’ where 2200 Confederates held off 10,000 for several hours before falling back,
we walked by the cornfield where bullets mowed down the corn stalks like scythes (one regiment suffered 60% casualties here) and then we walked down to Burnside Bridge where Union soldiers crossed 10 abreast into deadly Confederate fire from above.
The hike up the hill was fun but the thought of soldiers running downhill, over the bridge and up the hill on the opposite bank was not. During the battle, there was very little vegetation.
What were the results of the battle? Well, because the Union won the battle (or rather, Lee retreated back to Virginia) Lincoln decided to issue the Emancipation Proclamation - but only in the southern states, not in the border states like Maryland which was part of the Union.
Britain and France decided to hold off on recognizing the Confederacy and withheld any military aid.
Several of Matthew Brady’s photographers photographed the battlefields before the dead had been removed, published their pictures and brought the war’s horrors home to the viewers.
Clara Barton supplied much needed supplies to the battlefield doctors and conceived the American Red Cross and the practice of aid to civilians after natural disasters.
An ambulance corps was established right before the battle and put into use during it. A revolution in medical help after a battle.
Was it all worth it?
The Visitor Center had a marvelous book store, a wonderful museum, some great paintings done right after the battle,
an excellent presentation by the intern and the battlefield walk was instructive. Before we stopped there we hit the local Amish bakery which is difficult to spot since it is in a ranch style home in a neighborhood. But the aroma emanating from the home give the location away.
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