Battle of Sharpsburg Essay

There had never been a bloodier day in American history than September 17, 1862. The Battle of Sharpsburg, also known as the Battle of Antietam, took place in Sharpsburg, Maryland, on September 17, 1862, and was the first battle to be commanded by the army after the American Civil War. With great force, the Northerners overwhelmingly invaded Confederate land. The Sunken Road was renamed the Bloody Lane because the bloodiest death toll occurred there along with that lane after Union bullets failed to spare the lane leading to the Confederate troops. The battle left over 23,000 dead, wounded, and others went missing. It was considered a Union victory and marked an important political landscape where Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Declaration. This paper will thus discuss the Battle of Antietam in various respects and also highlight some of the significant happenings in the war.

The Battle of Antietam was Indeed a Turning Point during the Civil War

General Lee Robert had several reasons which made the Maryland invasion inevitable. Both Lee and the then Confederate President, Jefferson Davis assumed that it is only through invasion the North will be convinced to accept the independence of the South. They further postulated that by fighting the battle and emerging with a victory on the Northern soil, the South would quickly be recognized by the British. The invasion provided an opportunity for the Peace Democrats to control the Congress in the mid-term elections which were yet to be conducted. Another reason for Lee to head the North was that the Northern farms had plenty of food for feeding his troops and had a hidden agenda of throwing out the Union troops from Virginia during the season of harvest. McClellan had been sent after Lee, and when Lee discovered the same, he ordered for a congregation of his troops near Sharpsburg, Maryland.in the meantime, McClellan concentrated his forces along the Antietam Creek, due east of Lee. McClellan’s forces commenced attacks against Lee’s on September 17, 1862. The battle of Antietam saw more than 6,000 men killed and another 16,000 severely wounded. Although McClellan never subdued Lee’s side entirely, Lee experienced many casualties and decided to retreat to Virginia.

The union considered the Battle of Antietam a crucial victory. The British government had all the capacity to intervene in the battle as a mediator in case Lee’s invasion materialized. It also had plans to have the Confederacy recognized in the event the North could reject the mediation. However, the fact that Lee was subdued at Antietam implied that everything could change. The British had to wait to establish the course of the war and as such the South lost, the opportunity to gain international recognition as well as support. The South’s failure to be internationally recognized had political implications in the United States. It signaled Lincoln that time had ripened to for slavery to end in the South.

The Battle of Antietam Changed America in Many Ways

The battle gave an opportunity for Abraham Lincoln to give the Emancipation Proclamation., Lincoln had initiated an order to proclaim that slaves could be freed in the territories considered as rebels within a period of two months. The order had been lying in his desk drawer awaiting the news of victory from the battlefield. On September 22, 1862, barely five days past the battle, the president made a declaration to his government, “time has come now.” He further commented that the army’s actions against the rebels were quite unfortunate and he liked them the least. However, he admired the fact that the rebels could no longer be in Maryland and no risk of invasion could be experienced in Pennsylvania. Lincoln made a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation which opted to set free all slaves in rebel territories with effect from January 1, 1863. The Only Union Border States were an exemption. His words read otherwise the slaves “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.”

Britain and France got sidelined during the Antietam Battle

Not until the thundering guns from the Antietam war disturbed the world did Britain and France could see the need to intervene. The 1862 summer Confederate victories brought Great Britain and France almost to recognize the independence claimed by the “Confederate States of America.” The two nations intervened appropriately on mediation to end the war, despite the adverse consequences they suffered from the short supply of the Southern cotton. Before the battle news could reach London, Britain informed the Confederate envoys the long-awaited diplomatic recognition could soon be realized. However, when Antietam and Emancipation Proclamation news made their way overseas, the Europeans powers decided to back off and remained neutral.

The Battle Helped to Uplift the Union Morale

Antietam eliminated the desperation which engulfed the war-torn North during the invasion of Maryland. New York’s Sunday Mercury remarked that since the battle commenced no moment did the Union experienced more uncertainty and despair than a week before. He further commented that since the first gunshot was heard, the nation’s hope seemed much fair that moment than before. In what can be seen as contrast, the Confederacy became disheartened as suggested by the words of the Confederate secretary who regarded Davis as “very low down after the battle of Sharpsburg.”

The Americans Experienced Devastating Horrors from the Antietam Photographs

Alexander Gardner, a photographer, arrived at Antietam a short while after the battle and became the first one to take images of the battlefield littered with dead bodies. The shots included twisted bodies that littered all over the filleted landscape. The bodies were also stacked in heaped similarly to slaughtered livestock not only depicted a show animosity but were pretty shocking. Groups of people gathered at the New York-based Matthew Brady’s gallery to catch a glimpse of one in a lifetime bloodiest episode. Gardner’s images were stereographs to enhance 3-D depictions covering the carnage in the living rooms of most Americans. The images showcased the dreadful reality of a battle in a manner words never could. The Antietam lacked a description whether remote or romantic.

Furthermore, the Antietam battle saved Lincoln a potential defeat ahead of midterm election. Just weeks into the midterm elections, the Antietam assured Lincoln together with his allied Republicans a boost in military and politics. The Democrats campaigned bitterly after the war failed and threatened to take over the Congress. The move rebuked Lincoln and pressured him to terminate the war. Furthermore, the 1862 election results revealed that Republicans emerged with more Senate seats and assumed a House majority. In addition to this, the battle ended the reign of General George McClellan. After taking over office following his narrow reelection, Lincoln ordered the Potomac Army Commandant to ruin the Antietam rebel army. McClellan with well-equipped forces as well as an enemy of Potomac had sufficient opportunities to retaliate but choose not to do so. Nevertheless, McClellan did not stage up the fight against Lee in spite of his severely decimated forces. He granted the retreat and had to write to his wife informing her of his intentions to fight the war splendidly and in it, he could find a masterpiece of art. McClellan could not spare Lincoln the honor he deserved, and at one day he could refer to him as a “well-meaning baboon.” However Lincoln did not take part in insulting the general’s ego. Later on, embarked to pursue the enemy which led to the exasperated Lincoln to relieve McClellan of his command in November 1862. Ironically, McClellan was reported to mount a campaign during the war which only made him lose his Democratic presidential bid in 1864. One Union officer took advantage of his defeat to demeanor him, “with no better success as a politician than as a general.”

The Union’s Objection of the Confederate Invasion of the North

A tremendous momentum swept the Army of North Virginia under the leadership of Robert Lee in September 1862, despite the fact that they had mounted a summer campaign that ended successfully and emerged with a victory during the secondary “Battle of Bull Run.” However, the union grew stronger than before, and Lee confirmed to Jefferson Davis, the Confederate President, why they could no longer remain idle. While they considered themselves as weaker compared to their opponents regarding men and weapons, they were determined to harass them if only they could not destroy them. The Confederates had hopes that a strong campaign on the Union could amount to victory and while they crossed the Potomac River, the Lee allied force could be heard singing “Maryland, My Maryland.” Unfortunately, they lost a considerable number of their troops at Antietam. The loss necessitated Lee’s retreating forces to return to the other side the river late on September 18, 1862.

Effect of the War on the South and North Economies

Despite the objection, the war still continued and led to significant impacts on the North and the South economies. For instance, suppressed by costs of the battle, the North and South were determined to drive their economies. The South, with meager financial resources and few industries, suffered critical shortages and wartime inflation. The North partly industrialized and heavily supported by banks adjusted quickly to the consequences of the war.

Southern Shortages and the Falling Morale

The South started to experience the effects of the Antietam as 1862 approached an end. Most farms initially cotton plantations had been converted to raise food crops. The transport system of the South had collapsed, and the Union troops occupied major agricultural regions. Consequently, severe food shortages engulfed the South, during the winter season of 1862. The Southern morale deteriorated supply as a result of the chronic food shortages, and people asked more questions concerning the sacrifices. The severity of the hardships compelled a majority of the Confederate soldiers to desert and attended to their families. The food crisis matured to riots during the spring of 1863. The impact felt by communities led to the seizure of shops by women armed with knives and guns to search for food. In Richmond, hundreds of women broke into cafeterias to steal bread. They also looted various stores which contained food, clothing, and shoes alongside other valuables. Jefferson Davis to the initiative to end the war by confronting the mob with militia troops. He also ordered the rioting groups to disperse.

The War Boom for North

Unlike the South, the war granted the North an economic boom. Its growing industries supplied the troops with munitions, clothes and other necessities whereas innovations substituted for the lost labor in agriculture as men left their farms and home to fight in the warfront., Mechanized mowers and reapers were exclusively employed making it easier to farm with a few workers, the majority of whom were women. Various industries including clothing and shoemaking firms hired women to fill the labor shortages. Further, new sewing machines boosted seamstresses’ productivity. Also, the influx of women into the textile industry enabled the North to produce clothes in abundance most of which were used by soldiers. Hence, the industry benefited from increased access to government contracts.

Opportunities Lost during the Battle of Antietam

McClellan had been issued with a copy of General Lee’s plans which constituted Special Orders No. 191, early enough on September but it was not sufficient either .interestingly one could speculate on how General McClellan might have devised smart plans and tormented the poorly organized troops allied to Lee. Instead, Lee acted fast to capture the Harpers Ferry and gathered his army at Sharpsburg without McClellan’s notice. McClellan’s armed retaliated much late. He, therefore, lost an opportunity by failing to attack Lee immediately he reported at Sharpsburg, though he have might considered it wise not to act before he learnt of his enemy’s strength as well as position. The Lee-led forces were disintegrated until September 17, when Jackson corps’ last Division reported at the field right from Harpers Ferry. McClellan’s forces battled with the Confederates using a piecemeal fashion, Division after another. Lee took advantage to concentrate his men in the war hot spots with less concern for the outcome.

McClellan could have himself for blame by not following success on the field. Had he committed his reserves with only “one more push,” he could have dismantled the Confederate’s position. However, the hindsight serves us the better knowledge to establish how bare Lee’s center was by the noon of September 17. The center provided grounds where the artilleries stood while facing the Federals when the position of the Sunken Road was lost. In contrast, McClellan was more determined to protect his army and Washington from rebel counterattacks than defeating the enemy.

The union lost an excellent opportunity on September 18. Rather than retreating, Lee decided to rest and his army assumed their positions. Despite the tyranny of numbers with around 30,000 fresh troops and others on the way, McClellan ignored to renew the attacks. Lee found waded across the Potomac back to Virginia the same night through the dawn of the next morning uncaught. Except for a bloody encounter at Shepherdstown, where Federals were repulsed, Lee was not pursued by McClellan any further until six weeks later.

Lee suffered a considerable disappointment during the Maryland campaign. Were it not for the capture of the adequately stocked stores, ordinance as well as the Union soldiers from Harpers Ferry; he had little to prove his mighty. He possessed the cornfield when the battle ended and realized more casualties. It was much ironical for the Sharpsburg-based battle to be viewed as a Confederate victory. Despite the fact that Army of Northern Virginia had high morale, they missed their final fight.

Conclusion

Conclusively, the battle of Antietam is still regarded as one of the bloodiest wars to have happened during the civil war. The rivalry between two armies, one led by Robert Lee and another by M McClellan led to the war that involved the North and the South. By the time the war ended, the devastating social, psychological, economic and ecological effects were evident. Indeed, it can get concluded that the war was responsible for economic problems that faced the North and the South region of America in the 1800s.

Bibliography

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