Good Day My Civil War friends,

This day in history September 15, 1862 saw some 40,000 Confederate troops led by General Robert E. Lee and some 86,000 Union troops under  Major General George McClellan troops trudging their way toward the most horrific and bloody one day battle known to man. This battle was known as the battle of Sharpsburg and also as the battle of Antietam. The fray took place on the 17th of September 1862; it was the first major battle to be fought on northern soil. It happened less than three weeks after a major Reb victory at the battle known as Second Manassas. The battle that ensued in essence happened like this. Lee’s troops had entered Maryland in early September.

With General McClellan in command the Union army was on the move in Maryland doing double duty, they were guarding Washington and seeking out Lee’s army. This took place from the 4th-7th of September.

Lee had gathered his Army near Frederick, MD on the 7th of September. Lee then dispatched Stonewall Jackson's forces to capture and secure the town of Harpers Ferry, which was about 20 miles distant from Frederick.

By the 11th of September, the maneuvering of both armies was taking place for the battle that ensued at Sharpsburg on the 17th. Longstreet was on guard to the north near Hagerstown and D.H. Hill’s forces were safeguarding the passes at South Mountain. Stonewall Jackson’s troops attacked the Union defense force at Martinsburg driving the Federal forces in the direction of Harpers Ferry.

This article continues in the next post.