Antietam
In September 1862, two great armies faced off across Antietam Creek, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, knowing that the fate of the United States and the future of millions of slaves were at stake. From behind-the-scenes conversations to the action on the front lines, renowned nonfiction writer Jim Murphy provides an in-depth look at the battle that prompted Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation and changed America forever. Murphy uses photographs, maps, and first-person accounts to sweep young readers into the chaos and confusion of battle. Gritty and utterly engaging, this is a powerful portrayal of a day on which 22,717 people were killed or wounded--the single bloodiest day in American history. Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books. Hardcover, 103 pages. Measures 10.25" x 9.25" x 0.6". Weighs 1 lb 7.8 oz.
In September 1862 the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac conducted one of the truly great campaigns of the Civil War. At South Mountain, Harpers Ferry, and Antietam, North and South clashed in engagements whose magnitude and importance would earn this campaign a distinguished place in American military history. The siege of Harpers Ferry produced the largest surrender of U.S. troops in the nation's history until World War II, while the day-long battle at Antietam on September 17 still holds the distinction of being the single bloodiest day of combat in American history. This invaluable book provides a clear, convenient, stop-by-stop guide to the sites in Maryland and West Virginia associated with the Antietam campaign, including excursions to Harpers Ferry and South Mountain. Thorough descriptions and analyses, augmented with vignettes and numerous maps, convey the mechanics as well as the human experience of the campaign, making this book the perfect companion for both serious students of the Civil War and casual visitors to its battlefields. Publisher: University of Nebraska. Paperback, 264 Pages. Measures 9"x5.9"x0.5" . Weighs 14.1 oz.
A fresh and gripping recounting of the seminal battle is told in this exciting history. The heavy fog that shrouded Antietam Creek on the morning of September 17, 1862, was disturbed by the boom of Federal artillery fire. The carnage and chaos began in the East Woods and Cornfield and continued inexorably on as McClellan's and Lee's troops collided at the West Woods, Bloody Lane and Burnside Bridge. Though outnumbered, the Rebels still managed to hold their ground until nightfall. Chief historian of the Antietam National Battlefield, Ted Alexander renders a fresh and gripping portrayal of the battle, its aftermath, the effect on the civilians of Sharpsburg and the efforts to preserve the hallowed spot. Maps by master cartographer Steven Stanley add further depth to Alexander's account of the Battle of Antietam. Publisher: The History Press. Paperback, 192 Pages. Measures 8.9"x5.9"x0.5" . Weighs 14.1 oz.
This story of Charley King, a 12-year-old drummer boy from Pennsylvania, who is caught up in the excitement and patriotism during the early stages of the Civil War, is based on an actual person. Mustered into Company F of the Pennsylvania 49th Volunteers in September 1861, his journey begins with the defense of Washington as part of Major General George McClellan's Army of the Potomac. Charley is involved in the transport of that huge army down the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk, and then, by land, the grueling progression of the Peninsula Campaign and its disappointing retreat, eventually arriving at the Battle of Antietam. Publisher: White Mane Kids. Paperback, 170 pages. Measures 5.5" x 8.5" x 0.4". Weighs 7.7 oz.
The definitive account of the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day of the Civil War. The memory of the Battle of Antietam was so haunting that when, nine months later, Major Rufus Dawes learned another Antietam battle might be on the horizon, he wrote, "I hope not, I dread the thought of the place." In this definitive account, historian D. Scott Hartwig chronicles the single bloodiest day in American history, which resulted in 23,000 casualties. The Battle of Antietam marked a vital turning point in the war: afterward, the conflict could no longer be understood as a limited war to preserve the Union, but was now clearly a conflict over slavery. Though the battle was tactically inconclusive, Robert E. Lee withdrew first from the battlefield, thus handing President Lincoln the political ammunition necessary to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. This is the full story of Antietam, ranging from the opening shots of the battle to the powerful reverberations--military, political, and social--it sent through the armies and the nation. Based on decades of research, this in-depth narrative sheds particular light on the visceral experience of battle, an often misunderstood aspect of the American Civil War, and the emotional aftermath for those who survived. Hartwig provides an hour-by-hour tactical history of the battle, beginning before dawn on September 17 and concluding with the immediate aftermath, including General McClellan's fateful decision not to pursue Lee's retreating forces back across the Potomac to Virginia. With 21 unique maps illustrating the state of the battle at intervals ranging from 20 to 120 minutes, this long-awaited companion to Hartwig's To Antietam Creek will be essential reading for anyone interested in the Civil War. Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press. Hardcover, 960 Pages. Measures 10.5" x 7.5" x 2.25" . Weighs 4 lbs 2 oz.
Approximately 110,000 soldiers of the Union and Confederate armies fought along the banks of Antietam Creek in the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. In 12 hours of fighting, approximately 23,000 men fell, either killed, wounded, or missing, forever scarring the landscape around the town of Sharpsburg. Established as the Antietam Battlefield Site in 1890, Antietam National Battlefield became a National Park Service landmark in 1933. The park grew from 33 acres in the 1890s to encompassing over 3,000 acres today. Some of the Civil War's most recognizable landmarks now sit within its boundaries, including Dunker Church, Bloody Lane, and Burnside Bridge. The events that occurred across the fields and woodlots around Sharpsburg and along Antietam Creek bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to Antietam National Battlefield every year. Kevin Pawlak serves as a certified battlefield guide at Antietam National battlefield. Antietam National Battlefield is filled with historic photographs of the battlefield and its development from the collections at Antietam National Battlefield Library, the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, the United States Army Heritage and Education Center, private collections, and more. Publisher: Arcadia Publishing. Paperback, 128 Pages. Measures 9.1"x6.5"x0.2" . Weighs 10.8 oz.
Sharpsburg, with only eight streets, has an international reputation as a travel destination. Best known as the site of the Battle of Antietam, it is also the location of the annual Memorial Day celebration observed since 1868. However, Sharpsburg and the surrounding area are more than a battle site. The "Big Spring" served Native Americans long before Joseph Chapline laid out the town's 187 lots in 1763. Gen. Robert E. Lee, inventor James Rumsey, and abolitionist John Brown all stayed in town. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, many businesses lined Main Street. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Belinda Springs resort were well known. The resort is gone, but the canal's towpath is popular with hikers and bikers. The businesses and industries of an earlier Sharpsburg have disappeared, but churches and cemeteries sit on original lots. The remaining structures of log and stone still line the streets, although they are no longer dirt lanes. Many properties retain their stables, chicken coops, or necessary houses. Publisher: Arcadia Publishing. Paperback, 128 Pages. Measures 9.1"x6.5"x0.2" . Weighs 11.1 oz.
Michael and Derek don't expect the adventure of a lifetime visiting a Civil War museum with their grandmother. But the mysterious museum keeper invites them to play a game, and before they know it, they're walking through a door straight into a very realistic depiction of 1863. They see the destruction at the battlefield of Antietam, and even meet President Lincoln. Soon, they start to wonder if it's really a game, after all-and suddenly they're racing across Confederate-occupied land to return to their own time before it's too late. Patricia Polacco's time-travel premise is fascinating- who knew that history museums could literally be doorways into the past? She makes history exciting for young readers, drawing them into a pivotal part of our nation's development. Ages 7-9. Publisher: Puffin Books. Paperback, 48 pages. Measures 8.5" x 11" x 0.25. Weighs 7.1 oz.
September 17, 1862--one of the most consequential days in the history of the United States--was a moment in time when the future of the country could have veered in two starkly different directions. Confederates under General Robert E. Lee had embarked upon an invasion of Maryland, threatening to achieve a victory on Union soil that could potentially end the Civil War in Southern Independence. Lee's opponent, Major General George McClellan, led the Army of the Potomac to stop Lee's campaign. In Washington D.C., President Lincoln eagerly awaited news from the field, knowing that the future of freedom for millions was at stake. Lincoln had resolved that, should Union forces win in Maryland, he would issue his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. All this hung in the balance on September 17: the day of the battle of Antietam. The fighting near Sharpsburg, Maryland, that day would change the course of American history, but in the process, it became the costliest day this nation has ever known, with more than 23,000 men falling as casualties. Join historian Daniel J. Vermilya to learn more about America's bloodiest day, and how it changed the United States forever in That Field of Blood. Publisher: Savas Beatie. Paperback, 165 pages. Measures 6" x 9" x 0.4". Weighs 10.8 oz.
One of the bloodiest days in American military history, the Battle of Antietam turned the tide of the Civil War in favor of the North and delivered the first major defeat to Robert E. Lee's army. In The Gleam of Bayonets, James V. Murfin gives a compelling account of the events and personalities involved in this momentous battle. The gentleness and patience of Lincoln, the vacillations of McClellan, and the grandeur of Lee--all unfold before the reader. The battle itself is presented with precision and scope as Murfin blends together atmosphere and fact, emotions and tactics, into a dramatic and coherent whole. Originally published in 1965, The Gleam of Bayonets is now recognized as a classic and the standard against which all books on Antietam are measured. Publisher: Lousiana State University Press. 454 Pages. Measures 9"x6"x0.75" . Weighs 1 lb 5.7 oz.