Battle of Antietam / Sharpsburg Timeline (September 17th, 1862)
The Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) saw a much larger Union force claim the strategic victory - though the battle as a whole was deemed tactically inconclusive.
There are a total of (17)Battle of Antietam / Sharpsburg Timeline (September 17th, 1862) events in the CivilWarTimeline.net database. Entries are listed below by date-of-occurrence ascending (first-to-last). Other leading and trailing events are also included for perspective.
UNION STRATEGIC VICTORY
COMMAND(S): George B. McClellanARMY FORCE(S):
Army of the Potomac
STRENGTH: 87,164 menCASUALTIES*:
12,410 men (14.2%)
* Includes killed, wounded, and missing.
COMMAND(S): Robert E. LeeARMY FORCE(S):
Army of Northern Virginia
STRENGTH: 38,000 menCASUALTIES*:
10,316 men (27.1%)
* Includes killed, wounded, and missing.
Force Strength
Casualties Comparison
Day-by-Day Timeline of Events
September 4, 1862
Near Leesburg, Virginia, the Army of Northern Virginia begins its crossing along the Potomac River.
September 7, 1862
General Robert Lee has amassed his army at Frederick, Maryland.
September 7, 1862
General George McClellan begins a slow advance away from Washington, D.C. to meet the Confederate threat emerging from Virginia.
September 9, 1862
Special Orders 191 is given by General Lee, ordering a special column formation to be taken by his troops to increase the chances of overtaking Harpers Ferry and the Union forces garrisoned there.
September 11, 1862
General Lee assigns General Longstreet to guard the approaches from the north while General Hill is given the task of the defending the approaches from the south of Harpers Ferry.
September 11, 1862
General Jackson engages Union forces at Martinsburg and drives them back towards Harpers Ferry.
September 12, 1862
The Battle of Harpers Ferry begins. Generals Miles and White lead a Union force of 14,000 against some 26,000 Confederate attackers under the command of generals Stonewall Jackson and A.P. Hill.
September 13, 1862
The Army of the Potomac arrives at Frederick, Maryland. Once there, soldiers recover a copy of General Lee's plans.
September 14, 1862
The Battle of South Mountain takes place. It is a Union victory for General McClellan, General Burnside and General Franklin over General Lee and General Hill.
September 14, 1862
The Battle of Crampton's Gap (Burkittsville) is a Union victory for General Franklin over General Cobb. Forces number 12,800 to 2,100, respectively.
September 15, 1862
General Jackson's forces open up with artillery strikes against Union forces at Harpers Ferry.
September 15, 1862
The Battle of Harpers Ferry ends as a Confederate victory.
September 15, 1862
A Confederate division under the command of General John Walker takes Loudoun Heights.
September 15, 1862
General Dixon Miles quickly surrenders the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry.
September 15, 1862
General Lee arranges his army behind Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland.
September 16, 1862
Having suffered a mortal wound at the Battle of Harpers Ferry, General Dixon Miles dies.
September 17, 1862
The Battle of Antietam is had near Sharpsburg, Maryland and results of the one-day engagement are tactically inconclusive. 87,164 Union troops (led by McClellan) face off against 38,000 Confederates (led by Lee). Casualties are 12,410 and 10,316 respectively.
