Reenactors dressed as Union soldiers helped recreate the Battle of Antietam.
Over the weekend of September 15–16, about 5,000 Civil War reenactors gathered on farmland near Sharpsburg, Maryland, to recreate the Battle of Antietam. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the battle that took place on September 17, 1862. Some of the reenactors dressed in the blue uniforms of Union soldiers. Others dressed in the gray uniforms of the Confederates. Using rifles, cannons, and other props, they acted out parts of the bloodiest one-day battle in American history.
Antietam was a major Civil War battle fought at Antietam Creek, near Sharpsburg, Maryland. Confederate General Robert E. Lee wanted to invade the North and end the war with a Confederate victory. Lee’s army, however, was stopped by Union troops commanded by Major General George B. McClellan. The battle that followed had the highest number of casualties in one day during the entire Civil War. Union casualties numbered about 2,100 killed and more than 9,500 wounded. Confederate casualties totaled about 1,500 killed and more than 7,700 wounded. General Lee and the Confederate forces retreated to Virginia.
Even though both sides suffered terrible losses, the battle had an important result. Just five days later, President Abraham Lincoln announced that he would issue an order freeing all enslaved people in areas still fighting against the Union. This order, known as the Emancipation Proclamation, gave the Union forces two important goals—to preserve the Union and bring an end to slavery.
Other events took place near Sharpsburg to commemorate the Battle of Antietam’s 150th anniversary. A remembrance ceremony was held on September 17 at Antietam National Cemetery. In the ceremony, historians and descendants of some of the soldiers took turns reading the names of all the soldiers who were killed in the battle. That evening, actors dressed as injured soldiers led a three-mile walk from Sharpsburg to pay tribute to all those who cared for the wounded and dying. The Antietam anniversary gave Americans time to think about the importance of the Civil War in shaping the nation’s history. It also allowed them an opportunity to reflect on the great cost of war in human lives.
Image credit: ©Matt McClain for The Washington Post via Getty Images
Related Link
- Antietam National Battlefield
Learn more about the Battle of Antietam and the events that helped commemorate it.
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