battle of antietam?

Question

who won the battle of antietam

Answer 1

The Battle of Antietam (also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the South), fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with almost 23,000 casualties.[1]

After pursuing Confederate General Robert E. Lee into Maryland, Union Army Major General George B. McClellan launched attacks against Lee's army, in defensive positions behind Antietam Creek. Despite having superiority of numbers, McClellan's attack failed to achieve concentration of mass, resulting in a three-phase battle that Lee was able to counter by shifting forces to meet each challenge. Despite ample reserve forces that could have been deployed to exploit localized successes, McClellan failed to destroy Lee's army. Nevertheless, Lee's invasion of Maryland was ended, and he was able to withdraw his army back to Virginia without interference from the cautious McClellan. Although the battle was tactically inconclusive, it had unique significance as enough of a victory to give President Abraham Lincoln the confidence to announce his Emancipation Proclamation.

Answer 2

Everyone above is correct. I would only say that, when questioned after the war, Lee always said Antietam was the battle he was the most proud of. That is really something coming from the general who architected such great offensive victories as 2nd Manassas and Chancellorsville and who fought defensively at Antietam. So many lives lost and such at tragedy, but it must also be considered the prime example of Lee's defensive brilliance. To answer the question Lee, despite being outnumbered 2 - 1, inflicted far more casualties. That means he achieved "tactical" victory. But at the same time he could no longer operate in Northern territory and had to retreat back to Virginia which was a 'strategic" setback. Add it all up and it's hard to consider Antietam anything but a Northern victory, albeit a very narrow and controversial one.

Answer 3

The battle of Antietam occured in the middle of September 1862 in Maryland in a place near Sharpsburg. It was the bloodiest battle up to that time and the Northerners won a very narrow victory because it stopped Lee's drive to the North and a delay in the South being recognized as an independent nation. It gave Lincoln the political opportunity that he was desperate for, namely to issue the Emancipation Proclamation which did not free any slave but it gave the North a booster shot to carry on believing that they were fighting a righteous cause to end slavery. It was a deadly setting because of the huge cornfields being ready to be harvested in preparation of winter and made for good cover to ambush. therefore the armies on the defensive who held their positions had the advantage but both sides suffered immense carnage. The victory did not come by whom shed more or less blood but the North kept the South out of the North for nearly a year and gave Lincoln hope of somehow better days were ahead.

Answer 4

Union won the battle but failed to follow up as it was too beat up to attack. It just followed the rebels back to Virginia this resulted in the firing of the union general McClellan I think.

Answer 5

I think it was a draw, though the union suffered more casualties