Antietam
Bloodiest day of the Civil War
Casualties
Union 12,400
Confederate 10,320
Major Generals
George B. McClellan
Union General
Robert E. Lee
Confederate General
T.J "Stonewall" Jackson
Confederate General
Significance
Antietam led to the Emancipation Proclamation
Issued on January 1, 1863, it stated that slaves in the rebelling southern states were now free. This did not apply to the border states with slavery. President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamtion to prevent France and Britain to support the Confederacy. He knew they wouldn't help a "country" that had slavery.
Estimated Casualties
All together, the estimated number of soldiers killed, wounded, missing, and captured are 22,717. This marked the single bloodiest day of the Civil War.