Although Lee had gained another victory, at Second Bull Run, it was unclear as to the best way to press his advantage. His forces could not stay in this area of northern Virginia, but to fall back would be to negate the advantages of his recent victory. His decision, therefore, was to invade Maryland. He hoped to gain support from the local populace of the state, and he also saw an opportunity to sway foreign opinion if he could win another victory on Northern soil. Washington, D.C. itself Lee knew was too strong to attack, but he hoped to be able to capture the 12,000 man Federal garrison at Harper's Ferry during his advance. To do so, he would have to take the risk to divide his army in enemy territory, but he felt that the Army of the Potomac was still demoralized from its recent defeats and McClellan, if remaining true to form, would react with all the speed of a tortoise.

On September 04 Lee crossed into Maryland at White's Ferry. On September 07 he concentrated his Army at Frederick before sending Stonewall Jackson to capture Harper's Ferry. On September 4 McClellan resumed command of the Federal army and advanced cautiously to find Lee and cover Washington.

The Army of the Potomac however, was not demoralized; it was to the contrary, still full of fight. Maryland did not welcome the Confederates with open arms, as had been hoped, and worst of all, McClellan had come by a copy of Lee's entire plan of operations for the Maryland Campaign. With this information in front of him, even McClellan was capable of moving fairly quickly.

Lee learned that McClellan had come into possession of a copy of his orders from an informer. His Army of Northern Virginia was now split into five segments. Lee desperately needed time to concentrate these elements to defend himself from the attack he knew McClellan would be planning. It was a near-run thing, but D.H. Hill, with reinforcements from Longstreet, was able to hold McClellan's army at bay at Turner's Gap in South Mountain long enough for Lee to form a defensive position at Sharpsburg, Maryland, behind Antietam Creek on September 15, 1862. The 12,500 man garrison at Harper's Ferry surrendered that same day. On September 16, McClellan was facing, at most, some 18,000 Confederates in line of battle. If he had attacked that day, he almost certainly would have crushed this small force. However, he did not attack, but instead spent the day planning and investigating the terrain; all this time, more and more Confederate reinforcements were arriving.

On September 17, McClellan finally attacked. Though Confederate reinforcements, in the form of the divisions of McLaws, Anderson, and A.P. Hill would be arriving throughout the day, McClellan at no time faced odds worse than two to one in his favor. Believing faulty intelligence estimates of Lee's strength, McClellan was unwilling to fully commit his army to the attack for fear of a Confederate trap. The result was a bloody see-saw battle that saw Lee and his outnumbered Confederates put in one of their best tactical performances and fight McClellan's army to a draw.

Lee retreated the following night and despite repeated urgings, McClellan failed to press forward a pursuit of Lee's forces. Antietam went down in history as the bloodiest single day of the war, with over 23,000 total casualties. Although a tactical failure for McClellan, he could count it a strategic victory since the Confederates had to retreat. This gave Lincoln the opportunity to issue his Emancipation Proclamation on September 23, 1862.

Despite continuing urging from Lincoln, McClellan could not be induced to advance and during the period of October 10-12, Stuart's cavalry again rode completely around the Federal army and did over $250,000 in damages, causing the government much embarrassment. Lincoln had had enough -- he fired McClellan and replaced him with Ambrose E. Burnside.

Learning that the garrison at Harpers Ferry had not retreated after his incursion into Maryland, Lee decided to surround the force and capture it. He divided his army into four columns, three of which converged upon and invested Harpers Ferry. On September 15, after Confederate artillery was placed on the heights overlooking the town, Union commander Col. Miles surrendered the garrison of more than 12,000. Miles was mortally wounded by a last salvo fired from a battery on Loudoun Heights. Jackson took possession of Harpers Ferry, then led most of his soldiers to join with Lee at Sharpsburg. After paroling the prisoners at Harpers Ferry, A.P. Hill's division arrived in time to save Lee's army from near-defeat at Sharpsburg.

Result(s): Confederate victory

Other Names: None

Location: Jefferson County

Campaign: Maryland Campaign (September 1862)

Date(s):September 12-15, 1862

Principal Commanders:Col. Dixon S. Miles [US]; Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson [CS]

Forces Engaged: Corps

Estimated Casualties: 12,922 total (US 44k/173w/12,419 captured; CS 39k/247w)

Source:

CWSAC Battle Summaries
CWSAC Reference #: WV010
National Park Service
Washington, DC

After invading Maryland in September 1862, Gen. Robert E. Lee divided his army to march on and invest Harpers Ferry. The Army of the Potomac under Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan pursued the Confederates to Frederick, Maryland, then advanced on South Mountain. On September 14, pitched battles were fought for possession of the South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. By dusk the Confederate defenders were driven back, suffering severe casualties, and McClellan was in position to destroy Lee's army before it could reconcentrate. McClellan's limited activity on September 15 after his victory at South Mountain, however, condemned the garrison at Harpers Ferry to capture and gave Lee time to unite his scattered divisions at Sharpsburg. Union general Jesse Reno and Confederate general Samuel Garland, Jr., were killed at South Mountain.

Result(s): Union victory

Other Names: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps

Location: Frederick County and Washington County

Campaign: Maryland Campaign (September 1862)

Date(s): September 14, 1862

Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan [US]; Gen. Robert E. Lee [CS]

Forces Engaged: Corps

Estimated Casualties: 4,500 total

Source:

CWSAC Battle Summaries
CWSAC Reference #: MD002
National Park Service
Washington, DC

Sept. 4:
Lee's army crosses into Maryland at White's Ferry.

Sept. 7:
Lee concentrates his army at Frederick before sending Stonewall Jackson to capture Harper's Ferry.

Sept. 4-7
McClellan resumes command of the Federal army and advances cautiously to find Lee and cover Washington.

Sept. 11:
D. H. Hill's Confederates guard the passes in South Mountain while Longstreet watches to the north at Hagerstown.

Sept. 11-12:
Jackson attacks the Federal garrison at Martinsburg and drives them towards Harper's Ferry.

Sept. 13:
McClellan reaches Frederick and discovers Lee's plans in the mislaid Confederate Order 191.

Sept. 13-15:
Jackson seals the southern exit to Harper's Ferry and bombards the Federal garrison.

Sept. 13-15:
McLaws Confederate division captures Maryland Heights, cutting off a Federal retreat northwards.

Sept. 13-15:
Walker's Confederate division occupies Loudon Heights and completes the cordon around Mile's division. The Federals surrendered 12,000 troops at Harper's Ferry on the 15th.

Sept. 14:
Federal I and IX Corps capture Turner's Gap from D. H. Hill and Longstreet, forcing a Confederate Retreat.

Sept. 14:
A portion of McLaw's Confederates delay Franklin's Federal VI Corps at Crampton Gap.

Sept. 15:
With the imminent fall of Harper's Ferry, Lee determines to make a stand along Antietam Creek at Sharpsburg.

Source:
Robert N. Scott, Bvt. Lieutenant Colonel, Third US Artillery, Under direction of the Secretary of War
The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederata Armies
Washington Goverment Printing Office. Published pursuant to Act of Congress Approved June 16, 1880
Washington, DC, 1880

On September 16, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan confronted Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Sharpsburg, Maryland. At dawn September 17, Hooker's corps mounted a powerful assault on Lee's left flank that began the single bloodiest day in American military history. Attacks and counterattacks swept across Miller's cornfield and fighting swirled around the Dunker Church. Union assaults against the Sunken Road eventually pierced the Confederate center, but the Federal advantage was not followed up. Late in the day, Burnside's corps finally got into action, crossing the stone bridge over Antietam Creek and rolling up the Confederate right. At a crucial moment, A.P. Hill's division arrived from Harpers Ferry and counterattacked, driving back Burnside and saving the day. Although outnumbered two-to-one, Lee committed his entire force, while McClellan sent in less than three-quarters of his army, enabling Lee to fight the Federals to a standstill. During the night, both armies consolidated their lines. In spite of crippling casualties, Lee continued to skirmish with McClellan throughout the 18th, while removing his wounded south of the river. McClellan did not renew the assaults. After dark, Lee ordered the battered Army of Northern Virginia to withdraw across the Potomac into the Shenandoah Valley.

Result(s): Inconclusive (Union strategic victory.)

Other Names: Sharpsburg

Location: Washington County

Campaign: Maryland Campaign (September 1862)

Date(s): September 16-18, 1862

Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan [US]; Gen. Robert E. Lee [CS]

Forces Engaged: Armies

Estimated Casualties: 23,100 total

Source:

CWSAC Battle Summaries
CWSAC Reference #: MD003
National Park Service
Washington, DC

6 am: Hood's Federal Corps begins the attack but his left bogs down under artillery fire from Nicodemus Hill.

7 am: Hood's Confederates counterattack and stop I Corps' advance at the Miller cornfield.

7:30-9 am: Mansfield's XII Corps attacks to the Dunker Church but fresh Confederate reinforcements drive them back.

10 am: Sedgwick's division of Sumner's II Corps attacks into the West Woods but is flanked and repulsed with heavy losses.

1 pm: Richardson's and French's division of Sumner's II Corps capture Bloody lane and Breach Lee's center.

10 am-1 pm: Burnside's IX Corps seize the bridge across the Antietam after repeated attempts to cross.

1 pm: Rodman's division of IX Corps wades through Snavely's Ford and flanks Toombs' Confederates above the bridge.

3 pm: Burnside launches a general assault pushing Longstreet's Confederates back to the outskirts of Sharpsburg.

4 pm: A.P. Hill's Confederate division arrives from Harper's Ferry just in time to cripple Burnside's advance with a counterattack against the Federal left flank.

Source:
Robert N. Scott, Bvt. Lieutenant Colonel, Third US Artillery, Under direction of the Secretary of War
The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederata Armies
Washington Goverment Printing Office. Published pursuant to Act of Congress Approved June 16, 1880
Washington, DC, 1880

On September 19, a detachment of Porter's V Corps pushed across the river at Boteler's Ford, attacked the Confederate rearguard commanded by Brig. Gen. William Pendleton, and captured four guns. Early on the 20th, Porter pushed elements of two divisions across the Potomac to establish a bridgehead. Hill's division counterattacked while many of the Federals were crossing and nearly annihilated the 118th Pennsylvania (the "Corn Exchange" Regiment), inflicting 269 casualties. This rearguard action discouraged Federal pursuit. On November 7, President Lincoln relieved McClellan of command because of his failure to follow up Lee's retreating army. Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside rose to command the Union army.

Result(s):

Other Names: Boteler's Ford

Location: Jefferson County

Campaign: Maryland Campaign (September 1862)

Date(s): September 19-20, 1862

Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter [US]; Brig. Gen. William Pendleton and Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill [CS]

Forces Engaged: Brigades

Estimated Casualties: 625 total

Source:

CWSAC Battle Summaries
CWSAC Reference #: WV016
National Park Service
Washington, DC

Last Updated 21 April 2002

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