What was the aftermath of the Battle of Antietam?

It was the bloodiest day in America's bloodiest war: September 17, 1862. Shortly after dawn, Confederate troops spied hazy blue figures emerging from a fog-enshrouded cornfield outside Sharpsburg, Maryland, and unleashed an artillery storm that mowed down dozens of Union soldiers within minutes. read more

The battle of Antietam, Maryland, is correctly referred to as the single bloodiest day of the American Civil War. There were more casualties on 17 September 1862 than any recorded on any other field on any other day during the conflict. read more

The most notable strategic effect of the Battle of Antietam was that it prompted President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all slaves would be freed by the end of the war, and for the first time illustrating the full commitment of the Union to final victory over the Confederacy and abolishment of slavery. read more