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Battle of Antietam 150th

September 17, 2012

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Profile America -- Monday, September 17th. When dark days in U.S. history are remembered, they usually include Pearl Harbor and the September 11 terrorist attacks, which killed about 2,400 and 3,000 people, respectively. But the single bloodiest day in American history occurred 150 years ago today, in the Civil War battle of Antietam, near Sharpsburg, Maryland. Forces of Union General George McClellan and the Confederate troops of General Robert E. Lee met in a daylong pitched battle. By its end, more than 23,000 soldiers had been killed or wounded. During the Civil War, 140,000 Union soldiers alone were killed in battle. This is almost half the U.S. battle deaths during World War II, when the armed forces were eight times larger. Profile America is in its 16th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2012, p. 456
www.civilwar.com
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2004, t. 506
http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab2001_2005.html