September 16-18, 1862, outside the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland, between the Potomac River and Antietam Creek, was the site of the bloodiest battle in American history. Confederate Colonel Stephen D. Lee described it as "artillery hell" because of the frightening toll his artillerymen and horses took from Federal counterbattery and infantry fire. (AotW, 2014) The Battle of Antietam, or Battle of Sharpsburg, claimed approximately 23,100 total casualties (Luvaas and Nelson, 1987). The death toll far exceeded any of the other three battles fought in the Maryland Campaign (Harpers Ferry, South Mountain, and Shepherdstown). This battle was a contributing factor to the outcome of our country and the rest of the world. The Union Army desperately needed a victory at Antietam; however, a victory for the Confederate rebels could well have earned them international recognition as a sovereign country in the eyes of the rest of the world. The Federal Army, which belonged to the Union States, was an all-volunteer army and was a larger army than that of the Confederate States. Although the Battle of Antietam was inconclusive, President Lincoln went on to read the Emancipation Proclamation to the country, effectively ending slavery and ensuring that no foreign nation would intervene in the Confederates' behavior. The Battle of Antietam was full of state-of-the-art weapons in its time. Smoothbore and rifled guns were employed on both sides, which helped contribute to the high casualty numbers; the terrain was also decisive in key points of the battlefield. Such key locations were the cornfield north of Sharpsburg, Dunker's Church, Sunken Road, and Burnside Bridge, which helped both... middle of paper... and preserve the Union. By the end of the war, he had influenced citizens to accept the abolition of all slaves in both the North and the South. The 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States, was passed on December 6, 1865. Works Cited Alexander T. (2013). "Historynet.com" Battle of Antietam: Two large American armies engage in combat . 03/21/2014 Elder D. (2003). "NCOhistory.com" Extraordinary Sergeants: Ten Vignettes of Noteworthy NCOs 3/21/2014 Luvaas J. and Nelson H. W. (1987). The U.S. Army War College Guide to the Battle of Antietam The Maryland Campaign of 1862. (p. 302). 3/21/2014“Antietam on the Web”< http://antietam.aotw.org/exhibit.php?exhibit_id=11> 3/21/2014Battle maps 3/21/2014