When Americans are asked “what is the bloodiest day in American history?” mna will say September 11, 2001, June 6, 1944, otherwise known as D-day,or
December 7, 1941, otherwise known as Pearl Harbor. Although all of these occurrences were extremely tragic, the bloodiest time in American history is the
Battle of Antietam.
The battle of Antietam is a three part battle, consisting of The Cornfield,
The Sunken Road, and Burnside Bridge. After Confederate general Robert E. Lee brought his troops into Maryland, which is Union soil, Union General George B.
McClellan launched attacks at Lee’s army, who were in defensive positions behind
Antietam Creek. Lee’s army consisted of no more than 18,000 men, roughly ⅓size of the Federal army. Confederates moved to the Southern end of Miller cornfield by dawn. As Union soldiers emerged onto the cornfield, gunfire erupted. The configuration caused heavy casualties and was described as “artillery Hell.” The cornfield was a bloody stalemate.
Next is Sunken Road, which is where Confederate soldiers had lain in a natural trench at the top of a ridge built by wagon traffic. The Union sent a series of brigade sized assaults, killing 1750 of the 5000 men whom were in the sunken road. Caldwell, a Union officer, discovered a weak point in the sunken road, where there were very few men. This allowed the Union to get enfilade fire into the
Confederate line, turning it into a death trap. This was an unexpected change of momentum for the Federal advance