This Day in Civil War History September 17th, 1862 Battle of Antietam

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/antietam-the-bloodiest-day-in-american-history ^

[mainepatsfan]

Sep 17, 1862:

Antietam: The Bloodiest Day in American History

Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union General George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac fight to a standstill along a Maryland creek on the bloodiest day in American history. Although the battle was a tactical draw, it forced Lee to end his invasion of the North and retreat back to Virginia.

After Lee's decisive victory at the Second Battle of Bull Run on August 30, 1862, the Confederate general had steered his army north into Maryland. Lee and Confederate President Jefferson Davis believed that another Rebel victory might bring recognition and aid from Great Britain and France. Lee also sought to relieve pressure on Virginia by carrying the conflict to the North. His ragtag army was in dire need of supplies, which Lee hoped to obtain from Maryland farms that were untouched by the war.

Lee split his army as he moved into Maryland. One corps marched to capture Harpers Ferry, Virginia, while the other two searched for provisions. Although a copy of Lee's orders ended up in the hands of McClellan, the Union general failed to act quickly, allowing Lee time to gather his army along Antietam Creek at Sharpsburg, Maryland. McClellan arrived on September 16 and prepared to attack.

[mainepatsfan]

[central_va]

Except for the stupid stone observation tower at the sunken road, this battlefield is almost the same as it was 150 odd years ago.

[manc]

good post, thank you.

Sadly a battle which is largely forgot and not known off many

[mainepatsfan]

I lived in Hagerstown for a couple of years and I got to know this battlefield quite well. I got chills every time I walked through the corn field.

[Non-Sequitur]

This is also Constitution Day.

[The_Media_never_lie]

Sad and tragic loss of life, brought about by the evils of slavery, Northern intransigence and Southern hardheadedness.

[Huck]

Brought about by the consolidation of power created by the Constitution. Had we remained a confederation, the slavers would have had nothing to fear, and the abolitionists would have had no power to harass them.

[central_va]

Northern intransigence and Southern hardheadedness.

Brought about by Northern taxation, tariffs and hypocrisy:

"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that."

              -- The "Illinois Butcher™"

Without the South, the USA would be a Socialist Marxist Country by now.

[manc]

take it you don’t know what Lincoln said about slavery then and why he went to war, psstt it was not slavery... a little speech about preserving the union and not freeing slaves.
I’ll let you search it through Bing etc

[manc]

I was supposed to go to their place this summer but money is tight right now, hell money is not just tight it's just not there. I see there has already been one dig with in the first third post. why can't we just remember something, talk about how it went and the way the battle was conducted . I'd be interested to hear others opinions about this battle and how another strategy could have changed the outcome etc instead we have the usual digs and if troll gets on then that's it thread ruined again.

[central_va]

Here is the moral of the story. You cannot invade MD with 1/3 of your Army still in Harper’s Ferry. Men can only march so fast.

[Non-Sequitur]

Brought about by Northern taxation, tariffs and hypocrisy:

Nonsense.

What was the reason that induced Georgia to take the step of secession? This reason may be summed up in one single proposition. It was a conviction, a deep conviction on the part of Georgia, that a separation from the North-was the only thing that could prevent the abolition of her slavery. -- Speech of Henry Benning to the Virginia Convention

Without the South, the USA would be a Socialist Marxist Country by now.

Without the rest of the country, the confederacy would be a totalitarian police state with socialist leanings by now.

[Non-Sequitur]

...and why he went to war, psstt it was not slavery...

It was the South that initiated the war. And their rebellion was motivated by defense of slavery.

[Non-Sequitur]

You cannot invade MD with 1/3 of your Army still in Harper’s Ferry.

Yeah, what kind of moronic general tries that?

[manc]

good point

[I Buried My Guns]

"Without the rest of the country, the confederacy would be a totalitarian police state with socialist leanings by now."

I want some of what you're smoking, FRiend. C'mon, pass that doobie.

[Non-Sequitur]

I want some of what you're smoking, FRiend. C'mon, pass that doobie.

I suggest you read up on Jeff Davis and his policies while in power. That'll open your eyes wider than any narcotic will. The confederacy was, for all practical purposes, a police state. Davis trampled in state's rights in ways Lincoln would never dreamed of doing, ignored his constitution at will, and nationalized whole industries while running the economy into the ground through his central planning. Why shouldn't we believe those policies would have continued had the south won their rebellion? In addition to the Yankee horde they would have had that fractious slave population to contend with.

[I Buried My Guns]

Point taken. I have read about some of that, but I tend to romanticize the South. It's a defect in me, I know.

Still, it's Friday, so, you know, puff puff, pass!

[matt1234]

I always thought that an interesting tour would be:

1. Antietam (1862 invasion of north)
2. Gettysburg (1863 invasion of north)
3. Monocacy (1864 invasion of north)

[Ditto]

Had we remained a confederation, the slavers would have had nothing to fear, and the abolitionists would have had no power to harass them the 13 states driven by bankruptcy and dissention would have ended up as British colonies again within 20 years.