The Battle of Antietam

On September 17, 1862, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War was fought. More lives were lost on this day than on any other day in the history of the country. The North and South were fighting over possession of the Miller Farm cornfield.

General Robert E. Lee was the leader of the Confederate army. He had his men positioned along the banks of the country lane. The general for the Union army was George B. McClellan. This general had a scout that had gotten a copy of the Confederate army’s plan. This was very helpful for the Union.

Bullets rained down on the Confederate soldiers. The Union soldiers broke through the line and killed thousands. The country lane where the Confederates were hiding became known as “Bloody Lane” because of all the people who died there.

More than 23,000 men were killed, wounded, or missing in this battle. But the Confederate army was not finished. They would go on to fight another bloody battle with the Union army known as the Battle of Gettysburg.