Battle of Antietam 1862
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 17 September 1862 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1862 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
| Era | 19th century (1800–1913) | derived from year |
| Location | United States | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | North America | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | American Civil War, Maryland Campaign | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Confederate States of America, Union Army | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 39.4733, -77.7447 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Antietam ( an-TEE-təm), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg (particularly in the Southern United States) took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, near Antietam Creek and Sharpsburg, Maryland, between the Army of Northern Virginia, led by Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and the Army of the Potomac, led by Union Major General George B. McClellan. Part of the Maryland Campaign, it was the first field army–level engagement in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War to take place on Union soil. It remains the bloodiest day in American history, with a tally of 22,726 dead, wounded, or missing on both sides. Although the Union army suffered heavier casualties than the Confederates, the battle was a major turning point in the Union's favor.
After pursuing Lee into Maryland, McClellan and the Union army launched attacks against Lee's army who were in defensive positions behind Antietam Creek. At dawn on September 17, Major General Joseph Hooker's corps mounted a powerful assault on Lee's left flank. 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.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Antietam (revision 1380654379), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
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- Battle of Albuquerque 1862
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- Battle of Baton Rouge (1862) 1862
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All 498 battles of the American Civil War →
Browse more: battles in United States · North America · 19th century battles