Battle Analysis

593 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Civil war north vs south

The battle of Antietam is known as the bloodiest single day in American history during the Civil war. The battle took place near Sharpsburg, Maryland on September 17, 1862 between the Union Army of the Potomac under the command of General George McClellan and the
Confederate Army of Northern Virginia led by General Robert E Lee. The battle of Antietam is known as the bloodiest day in American history because there was one casualty every 2 seconds for the 12 hours the battle lasted totaling 23,000 men killed or wounded in the fields, woods and dirt roads, and it changed the course of the Civil War. (Bowman, 2012)
This was Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the north. Following his recent victories over the Union during the Seven Days battles and Second Manassas, Lee wanted to continue his good fortunes with an attack into Maryland. (Antietam, 2013) General Lee planned to take his troops to pressure northern politicians to liberate Maryland so that he could add another state to the
Confederate’s cause, with hopes of defeating the union on Northern soil and forcing European countries to support the Confederacy. However he was intercepted by General McClellan who marched 87,000 union soldiers from Washington.
On the dawn of 17 September the battle of Antietam began after General Robert E Lee marched 45,000 soldiers from northern Virginia to invade the North with the hopes of defeating the union. General Lee with half the Soldiers of General McClellan decided to split his forces sending half of his soldiers south to capture Harpers Ferry under the command of General
Stonewall Jackson and the other half to take Hagerstown. Once General Jackson captured
Harpers Ferry he was to meet back up with General Lee in Hager...

... middle of paper ...

...l war academy.com: http://www.civilwaracademy.com/Antietam.html

Battle of Antietam. (2009). Retrieved from History.com: http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-antietam

Bowman, T. (2012, September 17). Antietam: A Savage Day In American History. Retrieved from NPR: http://www.npr.org/2012/09/17/161248814/antietam-a-savage-day-in-american-history

Heisey, C. (n.d.). Antietam. Retrieved from civil war trust: http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/antietam.html?tab=facts

Mitchell, B. (2007, September 06). antietam battlefield still holds valuable lessons. Retrieved from Sound off: http://www.ftmeadesoundoff.com/news/4665/antietam-battlefield-still-holds-valuable-lessons/

Union troops discover Rebels' Antietam battle plan. (2014). Retrieved from The History Channel website.: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-union-discovers-lost-order.

Show More
Related

  • Book Analysis of Stephen W. Sears’ Landscape Turned Red

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stephen W. Sears’ Landscape Turned Red is an account of political and military plans. Especially General Robert E. Lee’s Maryland Campaign as well as the Battle of Antietam. Sears frames his work around the pending support of Great Britain and France to the Confederate cause due to cotton. Landscape Turned Red covers the battle of Antietam. It offers a vivid account of both armies, the soldiers and officers, and the bloody campaign. It analyzes the impact of Antietam on the Civil War as a whole. Sears' use of diaries, dispatches, and letters recreate the Battle of Antietam. You experience the battle not only from its leaders but also by its soldiers, both Union and Confederate. Sears attempts to examine the tactical moves of both Lee and General George McClellan. He also talks about the foolish decisions that troubled both the Federal and Confederate forces. Sears' use of traits, political pursuits, and tactical preferences, explain the thoughts of many. Some of these include President Lincoln, General Halleck and General McClellan, and their subordinates. Stephen Ward Sears is an American historian specializing in the American Civil War. He is a graduate of Oberlin College and an attendant to a journalism seminar at Radcliffe-Harvard. As an author he has concentrated on the military history of the American Civil War. Such as the battles and leaders of the Army of the Potomac. He was an editor for the Educational Department at American Heritage Publishing Company. American Heritage Publishing two of his ten books.

    Read More

  • The Confederate's Defeat in the Battle of Gettysburg

    1922 Words  | 4 Pages

    The famous Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1 to July 3 of 1863 in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle proved to show the most casualties of the entire war and resulted in a crushing defeat of the Confederates. The Battle of Gettysburg is generally considered to be the turning point of the American Civil War. This paper will demonstrate the various reasons as to why the Confederates, led by General Robert E. Lee, were unsuccessful in the Battle of Gettysburg during their invasion of the north. General Lee’s over-confidence, the confederate army’s disorganization and failed coordination, and the shift of intelligence all contributed to the crushing defeat of the confederates at Gettysburg. Following his “flawless” battle at Chancellorsville, General Lee was instilled with absolute confidence in his men and failed to see any deficiencies in his army’s offensive capabilities. Lee was not only over-confident, but also knew less than his opponent during the most crucial stages of the battle. The final contributing factor as to why the confederates were defeated was Alexander’s failure to provide effective artillery bombardment and his failure to advise General Pickett not to make the charge after the ineffective bombardment.

    Read More

  • Robert E. Lee 's Life and Achievements

    680 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lee’s first military campaign was in West Virginia during the Civil War. There he took command of the Eastern Army of Virginia but, only after General Johnson was injured. Lee was greatly outnumbered by the Union Army. Lee came up with a plan to make up for his numbers by attacking General McClellan’s army. In the next days there were a number of skirmishes between Lee’s advancing forces and against McClellan’s army which became know as the Days Battle. After Lee’s success at the Days Battle, Lee gained control of the Army of North Virginia, the biggest army in Virginia.

    Read More

  • Battle Of Little Round Top Essay

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    Two months before Gettysburg Lee had dealt a stunning defeat to the Army of the Potomac at Chancellorsville Virginia. He then created plans for a Northern invasion in order to relieve pressure on war-weary Virginia and to seize the initiative from the Yankees. His army at a number

    Read More

  • A Stillness at Appomattox

    1344 Words  | 3 Pages

    On the final day the Union soldiers were told that “if they hurried this was the day they could finish everything” although that inspired them, they were also promised that once they reached Appomattox Station rations would be handed out. Many of the men later admitted they did so “because they figured it was the quickest way to get breakfast.” After a small skirmish near Appomattox Station Lee decided to surrender his army right before the Union carried out their attack.

    Read More

  • Why The North Won the Civil War

    1524 Words  | 4 Pages

    The American Civil War was fought between the North (The Union) and the South (The Confederates), because of the South wanting to secede from the North. Lincoln's election as president in 1860, triggered southerners' decision to secede believing Lincoln would restrict their rights to own slaves. Lincoln stated that secession was "legally void" and had no intentions of invading the Southern states, but would use force to maintain possession of federal property. Despite his pleas for the restorations of the bonds of union, the South fired upon the federal troops stationed at Fort Sumter, in Charlestown, Virginia. This was the event that decided the eventual beginning of the Civil War. Despite the advantages of Northerners, their victory in the ...

    Read More

  • The Battle of Antietam

    1924 Words  | 4 Pages

    Luvaas J., & Nelson H.W. (1987). The U.S. Army War College Guide to the Battle of Antietam The Maryland Campaign of 1862. (pg. 302). 3/21/2014

    Read More

  • Lincoln Assassination

    575 Words  | 2 Pages

    scheme ending in frustration. After Lee had surrendered to the Army of the Potomac, in the second week

    Read More

  • Battle of Antietam

    1563 Words  | 4 Pages

    The battle at Antietam Creek occurred in the fall of 1862. The following section of this case study will cover the key events in the months leading up to the battle, which will help to understand the state of mind of the military commanders on both sides of the engagement. During the summer of 1862 the Confederacy was feeling defeated after going sometime without a decisive victory over the Union forces. Additionally President Davis had not received any good news from the battle fronts in months.

    Read More

  • The Battle of Gettysburg Analysis

    1961 Words  | 4 Pages

    After the Confederate victory at Chancellorsville in May of 1863, General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia embarked on their 2nd invasion of the north. General Lee’s first campaign into the north resulted in the Confederate defeat at Antietam. The failure of Lee’s first northern campaign raises the question of his motives. The Confederate Army was...

    Read More

  • Battle Of Wilderness

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Battle of the Wilderness, fought from May 5 to May 7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition against Lee's army and, eventually, the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia. The battle was tactically inconclusive, as Grant disengaged and continued his offensive.

    Read More

  • Turning Points of the Civil War: Antietam and Gettysburg

    659 Words  | 2 Pages

    History helps us understand and learn about the turning points during the Civil war that made an impact in our country. One of this turning points was the battle of Antietam and Gettysburg. It was the bloodiest single day of fighting in American history with the death of 2,100 soldiers and 2,700 Confederates. In addition to that about 18,500 soldiers and Confederates were tragedy wounded. Even though it was not a military victory, it was surely a strategic defeat for the Confederacy.

    Read More

  • Antietam In The Civil War

    345 Words  | 1 Pages

    In Sharpsburg, Maryland on september 17, 1862 the south planed to take back stolen territory and threaten Washington D.C. General Lee planned to do two things in maryland. Take over railroads going into D.C. cutting their supplies and to gather people who favored the confederacy. If he would succeed then General Lee planned to move on to pennsylvania and force Lincoln to stop his war efforts.

    Read More

  • Failure of Mission Command by General McClellan

    2308 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Battle of Antietam could have been a devastating and fatal blow to the Confederate Army if Gen. McClellan acted decisively, took calculated risks, and veered away from his cautious approach to war. There are many instances leading up to the battle and during the battle in which he lacks the necessary offensive initiative to effectively cripple and ultimately win the war. This paper is intended to articulate the failure of Mission Command by GEN McClellan by pointing out how he failed to understand, visualize, describe and direct the battlefield to his benefit.

    Read More

  • Ulysses S. Grant: The Battle of Vicksburg

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    As being a victorious general for the Union, Ulysses S. Grant leads his Union troops to Vicksburg, Mississippi to capture the Mississippi River, and take control of the west to win over the power of the Confederates and have a higher advantage in the Civil War.

    Read More

More about Battle Analysis

Open Document