The Effect of the Battle of Antietam

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In the early stages of the Civil War, the battle of Antietam had significant strategic importance for both sides. Following the Union loss at the battle of second Manassas, or the second Bull Run, Union forces had little confidence in their leadership. Antietam, the bloodiest battle to take place during the war, was driven by more mistakes than it was by sound military decision making. Confederate leaders lost sensitive maneuver orders that forced them to change the plans for the Corps and Divisions quickly, not an easy task to accomplish. Union leaders, with valuable intelligence in hand, did not act on it quickly enough to gain any real advantage. The Battle of Antietam would set the stage for pivotal benchmarks that would steer the Civil War. One of the most important products of this battle was the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. President Lincoln seized the opportunity to claim victory of the Battle of Antietam and drive home his anti-slavery agenda.
General Robert E. Lee commanded the Confederate Army of North Virginia which consisted of two corps, ten divisions, forty-two brigades and just over 38,000 troops (Sears, pp. 389). MAJ GEN James Longstreet commanded the 1st Infantry Corps, that included five divisions, twenty-one brigades, and six artillery battalions. MG Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson commanded the 2nd Infantry Corps, encompassing four divisions, eighteen brigades, and four artillery battalions. MG James E.B. Stuart was the commander of the Cavalry Division. This division was three brigades and a battalion of horse artillery. Commanding the Reserve Artillery was BG William N. Pendleton. The Reserve Artillery involved four battalions and three miscellaneous artillery batteries.
MAJ GEN George B...

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...am” US National Park Service. N.d. Web. 12 Feb 2014.
< http://www.nps.gov/anti/historyculture/casualties.htm>
Catton, Bruce. "Antietam on the Web: Exhibits." American Heritage. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
Fisch, Arnold G., and Robert K. Wright. The Story of the Noncommissioned Officer Corps: the backbone of the Army. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, U.S. Army :, 1989. Print.
Horton, James O. . "Confronting Slavery and Revealing the "Lost Cause"." National Parks Service. National Parks Service, 8 Feb. 2014. Web. 13 Feb. 2014. http://www.nps.gov/resources/story.htm
Sears, Stephen. Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam. Boston Houghton Milton, 1983.
Print.
"Special Order 191." American Civil War Forum. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. .

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