Who Won the Battle of Antietam?

Who won the Battle of Antietam? There was not necessarily a clear winner of this battle, but the Union Army declared itself the winner.

The Battle of Antietam was considered the turning point in the Civil War because the Union Army prevented the Confederates from moving into Northern territory. Thus, the Union Army claimed to have won the Civil War.

Many believe, however, that there was no clear winner or loser in this battle, because of the massive amount of casualties that both sides suffered. The approximate number of total losses on both sides totaled 23,100 soldiers.

What Happened at the Battle of Antietam

To understand who won the Battle of Antietam, it is helpful to look at what happened during this battle. The Battle of Antietam took place as follows:

• The Battle of Antietam began on September 16, 1862. The Union Army from the Potomac led by Major General George B. McClellan engaged the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia led by Robert E. Lee.
• Part of the Union Army included a corps led by Major General Joseph Hooker. On the morning of September 17, 1862, this corps attacked the left flank of Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army. The attack was powerful and unrelenting.
• The fighting continued throughout the entire day of September 17, 1862. The battle swirled around Dunker Church and swept across Miller’s cornfield.
• Despite being outnumbered, Lee’s Confederate Army from Northern Virginia held their ground at the church, thanks to the help of Stonewall Jackson.
• The Union troops outnumbered the Confederate troops by about two to one. While Lee sent in his entire Northern Virginia Army to fight this battle, McClellan had sent in less than three quarters of the troops he had at his disposal.
• At the same time, Union troops attacked and penetrated the center line of the Confederate Army, giving them the upper hand. However, this victory was not followed up by any further advances.
• Further along the battlefield, later in the day, Major General Ambrose Burnside advanced his corps to attack the left flank of the Confederate Army by crossing a stone bridge over Antietam Creek. However, a counterattack by the Confederate Army troops led by A.P. Hill, who had arrived at Harper’s Ferry, came just in time to drive back the Union Army and keep them from declaring victory.
• On the evening of September 17, 1862 both sides drew back to collect their dead and wounded and to consolidate their troops. Lee pulled back to South of the Potomac where he gathered his wounded.
• Despite the massive casualties on both sides, Lee continued to fight the Union Army and McClellan on September 18, 1862. Although the Confederates fought back in order to hold their position, they did not actively pursue the Union Army.
• At the end of the day on September 18, 1862, the Battle of Antietam had ended and the Union Army proclaimed themselves victorious.

So why doesn't everyone agree that the Union were the ones who won the Battle of Antietam? Because the Union had lost approximately 12.410 soldiers and the Confederates had lost approximately 10,700 soldiers.

Still, the North considered this battle the turning part in the Civil War because it prevented the Confederates from moving any further North by driving Lee’s troops out of Maryland and because it gave President Lincoln the opportunity to deliver the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all of the slaves.