The Confederates invaded north into Union territory twice during the Civil War. The second invasion culminated with the most famous and important battle of the war at Gettysburg (also nearby but not the subject today). The first invasion attempt, not ten months prior, ended after the battle of Antietam near Sharpsburg, MD. This is another very interesting spot close to where we now live, about 40 minutes away and one county over.
In the months following the election of President Lincoln in 1860, a number of southern states seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. Lincoln rejected the idea states could leave or that the Confederacy was a legitimate government. The war got started with the attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston, SC, a fort held by American (now Union) troops which fell on April 13, 1861. After Sumter both the north and south mobilized.
The primary theater of the war was driven by the proximity of the capitals in DC and Richmond, VA. Only one large battle, the rout at the First Battle of Bull Run (or Manassas), was fought out east in 1861. It was there that Confederate General Thomas Jackson earned the moniker 'Stonewall.' Primary war operations began in 1862. General George B McClellan had been picked to lead the large Union 'Army of the Potomac.' General Robert E Lee soon helmed the Confederate 'Army of Northern Virginia.' Feeling confident after the failed Union Peninsula Campaign and more in Virginia, plus desiring to take wars' brutal effects to Union soil, Lee struck north into Maryland in September 1862. On the 17th McClellan met Lee at Antietam in what would be the single bloodiest day in American history.
The battle of Antietam is usually broken into three parts, though a park ranger helpfully described it as a singular collision between the advancing Union army and the fortified Confederates. At the north end of the battlefield, just out of the surrounding woods, is an exposed 24-acre cornfield where, in the hours after dawn, the two armies butchered each other with artillery. The sunken road, central on the battlefield, was the middle of the Confederate line and saw heavy fighting through the middle of the day. Worn by years of wagon traffic for the nearby farms, this road is literally several feet below the rest of the terrain and offered tremendous cover for Confederate soldiers to shoot from. At the southern end of the battlefield is a small bridge over Antietam Creek, now called Burnside's Bridge. It was held by only a few hundred Georgians and faced more than 10,000 Union soldiers. The sharpshooters held off the attackers for much of the day by utilizing clear lines of sight and higher ground. It took several assaults before the Union soldiers finally took the bridge mid-afternoon. They were quickly met with late arriving Confederates who forced a final retreat back over the creek. The 12 hour battle ended around 530pm with more than 24,000 total casualties. Each side saw about 12,000 dead or wounded, though the Confederates had 3,000 dead versus 2,000 for the Union. More than half of this, 13,000 casualties, was in or around the cornfield during the first few hours alone.
In simple terms the battle was a horrible stalemate. As was typical, General McClellan was overly cautious with what should've been overwhelming numbers (87,000 Union vs ~40,000 Confederates). To make matters worse the Union forces were poorly organized and units often came piecemeal in a way that strongly favored the defenders. When the middle of the Confederate line gave way McClellan didn't (and never would) commit his reserves, a move that could've secured an outright victory. AP Hill's late arrival, after a march from Harpers Ferry, drove Burnside back across the bridge late in the day and saved the remaining Confederate Army. That's how it ended. So, tactically, neither side won here. Strategically however it gets chalked up for the Union because Lee withdrew overnight and left Maryland. Lincoln was furious that McClellan didn't pursue him but he did use the aftermath of the battle to announce the Emancipation Proclamation. He'd been waiting for a victory and with the Confederate invasion northward repulsed, that was good enough.
Like at Gettysburg, Antietam is set up wonderfully to visit. While I'm not sure how much is open in the visitors center at the moment, we enjoyed both the short film explainer (~20 minutes?) and a ranger group talk upstairs overlooking most of the battlefield. If choosing only one, I'd meet with the rangers every time. When ready get in your car and drive around using the mostly one-way roads, meanwhile progressing through the fight. There are well-signed parking lots at the notable places marked on the map, which may or may not have more park rangers. I'm most amazed at the small size of the area, especially considering the number slaughtered there in just one day. My favorite place on the battlefield has to be the sunken road, which is so weirdly low. Definitely check out the observation tower right there too. If you want to spend a little extra time you could do some of the walking/hiking trails that crisscross the battlefield.
If you're fascinated by the Civil War or American history in general I highly suggest seeing Antietam National Battlefield. Since it was a single day battle it's not challenging to see everything in only a couple hours if you desire. How close we are to so much history is one of the things I've really enjoyed about living here in Maryland and this is one place I'm glad we checked out.
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