The Battle of Antietam
On September 16, 1862, the Union army of the Potomac, under the control of Major General George B. McClellan, went to war against Robert E. Lee’s Confederate soldiers who were a part of the Army of Northern Virginia. The war began in Sharpsburg, Maryland at dawn on September 17, when the Union corps under the control of Major General Joseph Hooker led a strong assault against Robert E. Lee’s left flank. This is ultimately what began the Battle of Antietam, which turned out to be the single bloodiest day in American military history. The fate of this battle went back and forth, with every strong Union attack resulting in strong Confederate counterattacks. Later in the day, a crucial turning point took place. Union …show more content…
Lee was born on January 19,1807, in Stratford, Virginia. He was born into a family that previously consisted of a president, a chief justice of the U.S, and men who had signed the Declaration of Independence. Lee’s father, Henry Lee, was known as “Light-Horse Harry” when he served as a cavalry leader during the Revolutionary War. Lee thought of himself as another great, important figure in his family. He enrolled at West Point Military Academy when he was eighteen years old and began to get very serious about his work. He was one of only six cadets who never received a single demerit before graduating. He also received perfect scores in artillery, infantry, and cavalry. Once he graduated from West Point, Robert E. Lee married Mary Custis, the great-granddaughter of Martha Custis (Martha Washington). They eventually had seven children, three sons and four daughters. When the United States went to war against Mexico, Robert E. Lee served under General Winfield Scott as a commander and tactician. Once the United States won the war, Lee was considered to be a hero. General Winfield Scott praised Robert E. Lee, saying that if the United States ever went into another war, “the government should consider taking out a life insurance policy” on …show more content…
Disaster struck terrifyingly hard during the battle of Antietam, and Lee and his army just barely escaped the deadly battle. During that battle, almost fourteen thousand of his men were killed, wounded, or captured.
From July 1 until July 3, in 1863, Lee’s forces suffered very heavy casualties during the Battle of Gettysburg. Losing this many men, two battles in a row, caused for Lee’s army to nearly fall apart. This put an end to his invasion of the North, which aided in turning to war around for the Union.
By early 1865, Ulysses S. Grant had gained the upper hand. During the second week of April, Lee surrendered to Grant in Appomattox, Virginia. Lee was facing the punishment of being hanged for being a traitor until President Lincoln and Grant forgave him. In 1865, Lee returned home to his family and became the president of a small college in western Virginia. Robert E. Lee suffered a massive stroke in October 1870, and passed away at his home on October
On September 16, 1862, the Union army of the Potomac, under the control of Major General George B. McClellan, went to war against Robert E. Lee’s Confederate soldiers who were a part of the Army of Northern Virginia. The war began in Sharpsburg, Maryland at dawn on September 17, when the Union corps under the control of Major General Joseph Hooker led a strong assault against Robert E. Lee’s left flank. This is ultimately what began the Battle of Antietam, which turned out to be the single bloodiest day in American military history. The fate of this battle went back and forth, with every strong Union attack resulting in strong Confederate counterattacks. Later in the day, a crucial turning point took place. Union …show more content…
Lee was born on January 19,1807, in Stratford, Virginia. He was born into a family that previously consisted of a president, a chief justice of the U.S, and men who had signed the Declaration of Independence. Lee’s father, Henry Lee, was known as “Light-Horse Harry” when he served as a cavalry leader during the Revolutionary War. Lee thought of himself as another great, important figure in his family. He enrolled at West Point Military Academy when he was eighteen years old and began to get very serious about his work. He was one of only six cadets who never received a single demerit before graduating. He also received perfect scores in artillery, infantry, and cavalry. Once he graduated from West Point, Robert E. Lee married Mary Custis, the great-granddaughter of Martha Custis (Martha Washington). They eventually had seven children, three sons and four daughters. When the United States went to war against Mexico, Robert E. Lee served under General Winfield Scott as a commander and tactician. Once the United States won the war, Lee was considered to be a hero. General Winfield Scott praised Robert E. Lee, saying that if the United States ever went into another war, “the government should consider taking out a life insurance policy” on …show more content…
Disaster struck terrifyingly hard during the battle of Antietam, and Lee and his army just barely escaped the deadly battle. During that battle, almost fourteen thousand of his men were killed, wounded, or captured.
From July 1 until July 3, in 1863, Lee’s forces suffered very heavy casualties during the Battle of Gettysburg. Losing this many men, two battles in a row, caused for Lee’s army to nearly fall apart. This put an end to his invasion of the North, which aided in turning to war around for the Union.
By early 1865, Ulysses S. Grant had gained the upper hand. During the second week of April, Lee surrendered to Grant in Appomattox, Virginia. Lee was facing the punishment of being hanged for being a traitor until President Lincoln and Grant forgave him. In 1865, Lee returned home to his family and became the president of a small college in western Virginia. Robert E. Lee suffered a massive stroke in October 1870, and passed away at his home on October