Why antietam was fought

The Significance of the Battle of Antietam. Antietam on the Web. Special Orders No. Why did Lee Enter Maryland? But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. The Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, , involved nearly , combatants, the largest concentration of troops in any Civil War battle. Ambrose Burnside, the newly appointed commander of the Army of the Potomac, had ordered his more than , troops to cross the Lee marched his Army of Northern Virginia into Pennsylvania in late The battles of Cold Harbor were two American Civil War engagements that took place about 10 miles northeast of Richmond, Virginia, the Confederate capital.

Fought in Grant in the spring of In May , Confederate forces clashed with the advancing Union Army in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, which lasted for the better part of two weeks and included some of the bloodiest fighting of the Civil War.

After an indecisive battle in the dense Virginia woods The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, took place from April 6 to April 7, , and was one of the major early engagements of the American Civil War The battle began when the Confederate Army launched a surprise attack on Union forces Antietam enabled the Union to repel the first Confederate invasion of the North. A tide of momentum swept Robert E. Live TV. This Day In History.

History Vault. The Confederates launched a counterattack. Sedgwick's men suffered a fifty percent casualty rate in this assault. While Sedgwick's division was attempting to turn the Confederate left flank, Union General William French led his division against the center of the Confederate position.

Confederates, under the command of General D. Hill, had taken a position along a sunken road. Years of use by farmers and their wagons had caused the road to be several feet lower than the surrounding terrain.

The Confederates also placed fence rails along one side of the road to provide additional cover from Union fire. Between a. Each time the Confederates stopped the attack. Shortly before 1 p. From this position, the Union soldiers were able to fire into the heart of the road. The Confederates quickly withdrew. By the time that the fighting was completed in this part of the battlefield, approximately 5, Union and Confederate soldiers lay dead or dying along the sunken road.

The Confederates began to retreat towards Sharpsburg. After the fierce fighting earlier in the day, McClellan did not order his men to pursue the Confederates. Some historians believe that Robert E. Lee might have had to surrender his entire army if McClellan had continued his attack. Fighting also was raging along the Confederate right flank.

General Ambrose Burnside led twelve thousand Union soldiers against this portion of the Confederate line. The Union soldiers had to cross Antietam Creek. A group of Confederates defended the bridge across the creek. Despite having more men, the Union force did not succeed in crossing the bridge until nearly 1 p. The Union soldiers then rested for two hours. Around 3 p. Confederate General A. Hill's division arrived at approximately the same time from Harper's Ferry. With these reinforcements, the Confederates were able to drive Burnside's force back to the bridge.

Edwin Sumner, marched towards the West Woods in an attempt to eventually sweep south, driving the Confederates from the field. Shortly after moving into the woods, a Confederate attack struck the flank of the Union soldiers and in twenty minutes, 2, out of 5, men had fallen killed or wounded. Following the struggle in the West Woods, by a. Close to 10, soldiers had been killed or wounded during those first four hours of fighting.

Due to confusion on the side of the Union and the fact there were no infantry men to push into the battle at this point, the attack sputtered out. By p.

Ambrose Burnside, was struggling to cross the Antietam Creek. Burnside and his men were tasked with crossing the Antietam and then attacking the right flank of the Confederate line.

Around p. At approximately p. Just as the Federals reached the end of Lee's line, Confederate infantry, led by Gen.

Hill, arrived on the field. These troops had been involved in the capture of Harpers Ferry, on September 15, and had marched approximately fifteen miles on the day of the battle to arrive on the flank of the Union line.