Antietam
...arguably the most important single battle in the United States Civil War. Often, the depiction of the battle of Antietam is defined solely in terms of the great number of casualties on both sides. Often, the battle plays second or even third fiddle to battles like Gettysburg in terms of its overall significance. Often, the intricacies of the battle are viewed as secondary to the greater themes which underlie its causes and results. The intricacies of the battle of Antietam are what made it a significant one. By examining and analyzing these intricacies a historian is able to comprehend fully the importance of the war. Comparing the historical facts to the writings of a first hand foreign observer of the battle illuminates the more intriguing aspects of such an important battle in the United States Civil War.
One of the greatest battles of all time began Wednesday, September 3, 1862, four days after General Robert E. Lee's Confederate triumph at the second Battle of Bull Run. Lee sent out a letter to the confederate President Jefferson Davis. In his letter Lee declared his intention to carry the fighting onto Union soil for the first time in the Eastern Theater. Lee hoped a decisive confederate victory might encourage England and France to aid the confederacy in winning the war and that invading the north would force the Union to sue for peace. Lee wrote his letter from headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia where his soldiers were taking rest. Lee’s Chantilly headquarters were located less than twenty-five miles from Washington. Lee was tempted to strike directly at Washington, but even the daring and highly successful general knew such an attack would be neither wise nor easy . Lee pondered two other courses of action for the confederate attack. The first was a withdrawal to the south behind Rappahannock River to rest. The second was to remain in...
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