What Happened in the Battle of Antietam?

Question

I need to know what happend in this battle but I dont need a 5 parahraph essay just a one paragraph summary of what happened....

Answer 1

As part of an overall defensive plan for the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis hoped to see his army commanders move into United States territory - for Robert E. Lee it would be the invasion of Maryland. It was thought that the state of Maryland might break away from the Union and join the Confederacy. Morale was high in the Army of Northern Virginia, and Lee hoped to move away from war-ravaged Virgina. The idea that Europeans governments might recognize the Confederate Government was also strong in their minds.
Lee had united his army along the high ground of the town of Sharpsburg, to his front ran the Antietam Creek. McClellan planned to attack Lee's left by making a diversionary attack on the right, and he opened the attack on Sept. 17th. Five separate attacks, without the use of two of the six corps diluted McClellan's advantage in numbers (80,000 Union vs 55,000 Confederate). The Union attacks were not coordinated, and rippled from the north to the south of their lines. In the south Ambrose E. Burnside tried to cross the Antietam Creek with his forces shortly after noon as part of the diversionary attack, but was beaten back twice. By 3:00, Burnside had his troops across the creek, but was met by A.P. Hill's infantry who had just completed a 17-mile forced march. Burnside's troops were forced back, and Hill's troops had stopped the last Union penetration of the day. McClellan declined to attack on the second day, Lee (who had lost nearly a quarter of his command - 22,000) began his withdraw on the night of the 18th. The Confederates had beaten back the Union's attacks, but failed to inavde Maryland, and failed to gain any European recognition.

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What Happened in the Battle of Antietam?
I need to know what happend in this battle but I dont need a 5 parahraph essay just a one paragraph summary of what happened....

Answer 3

Here is A real Brief Summarry to a very nasty Battle....
Just to put things in Perspective..In ONE DAY over 20,000
Americans DIED...ouch..not to mention thousands wounded.

The Battle of Antietam(Sharpsburg) in one Paragraph:
On September 16, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan confronted Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia at Sharpsburg, Maryland. At dawn September 17, Hooker’s corps mounted a powerful assault on Lee’s left flank that began the single bloodiest day in American military history. 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. Late in the day, Burnside’s corps finally got into action, crossing the stone bridge over Antietam Creek and rolling up the Confederate right. At a crucial moment, A.P. Hill’s division arrived from Harpers Ferry and counterattacked, driving back Burnside and saving the day. 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 the 18th, while removing his wounded south of the river. McClellan did not renew the assaults. After dark, Lee ordered the battered Army of Northern Virginia to withdraw across the Potomac into the Shenandoah Valley.
Some say it was a Strategic Union Victory..i tend to disagree...nonetheless,it happened,and it was Sad...

Answer 4

Check out the article on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Antietam

Good luck!

Answer 5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Antietam

Answer 6

http://www.nps.gov/archive/anti/battle.htm, read on