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September 17, 1862: Antietam in Images

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By Callie Oettinger

“All campaigns have a turning point a moment or a day (or sometimes longer) where the tide turned inevitable in the direction of one side over another. In some instances those campaign turners were perceived almost immediately during the campaign or by the close of it. When General Robert E. Lee ended his Maryland campaign by crossing his army over the Potomac River back to Virginia in September of 1862, the Battle of Antietam was nearly universally recognized as the cause of it.”

Gary Ecelbarger, author of The Day Dixie Died

View of part of field taken on day of Battle of Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
View of part of field taken on day of Battle of Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
Captain J.M. Knap's Penn. Independent Battery "E" Light Artillery. Sept. 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
Captain J.M. Knap’s Penn. Independent Battery “E” Light Artillery. Sept. 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
Antietam, Maryland. General John C. Caldwell and staff on battlefield. Credit: Library of Congress.
Antietam, Maryland. General John C. Caldwell and staff on battlefield. Credit: Library of Congress.
A lone grave on battlefield of Antietam. Sept 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
A lone grave on battlefield of Antietam. Sept 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
Gen. Hooker's Headquarters, Battle of Antietam. Credit: Library of Congress.
Gen. Hooker’s Headquarters, Battle of Antietam. Credit: Library of Congress.
Antietam, Maryland. 93rd New York Infantry, headquarters Army of the Potomac. Sept. 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
Antietam, Maryland. 93rd New York Infantry, headquarters Army of the Potomac. Sept. 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
Forge scene at Gen. McClellan's headquarters, Antietam. Sept. 22, 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
Forge scene at Gen. McClellan’s headquarters, Antietam. Sept. 22, 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
Photograph from the main eastern theater of the war, Battle of Antietam, September-October 1862. 1. Col. Delos B. Sacket, I.G. 2. Capt. George Monteith. 3. Lt. Col. Nelson B. Sweitzer. 4. Gen. George W. Morell. 5. Col. Alexander S. Webb, Chief of Staff, 5th Corps. 6. Gen. George B. McClellan. 7. Scout Adams. 8. Dr. Jonathan Letterman, Army Medical Director. 9. Unknown. 10. President Lincoln. 11. Gen. Henry J. Hunt. 12. Gen. Fitz-John Porter. 13. Unknown. 14. Col. Frederick T. Locke, A.A.G. 15. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys. 16. Capt. George Armstrong Custer. Credit: Library of Congress.
Photograph from the main eastern theater of the war, Battle of Antietam, September-October 1862. 1. Col. Delos B. Sacket, I.G. 2. Capt. George Monteith. 3. Lt. Col. Nelson B. Sweitzer. 4. Gen. George W. Morell. 5. Col. Alexander S. Webb, Chief of Staff, 5th Corps. 6. Gen. George B. McClellan. 7. Scout Adams. 8. Dr. Jonathan Letterman, Army Medical Director. 9. Unknown. 10. President Lincoln. 11. Gen. Henry J. Hunt. 12. Gen. Fitz-John Porter. 13. Unknown. 14. Col. Frederick T. Locke, A.A.G. 15. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys. 16. Capt. George Armstrong Custer. Credit: Library of Congress.
Antietam, Md. President Lincoln and Gen. George B. McClellan in the general's tent. Oct. 3, 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
Antietam, Md. President Lincoln and Gen. George B. McClellan in the general’s tent. Oct. 3, 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
Allan Pinkerton, President Lincoln, and Maj. Gen. John A. McClernand, Oct. 3, 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
Allan Pinkerton, President Lincoln, and Maj. Gen. John A. McClernand, Oct. 3, 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
Group at Secret Service headquarters at Antietam, Maryland. (Title from paper accompanying photograph) Photograph shows fourteen men, including Allan and William Pinkerton, and several Union Army officers posed in front of a tent. Below each is a hand-written number which corresponds to a list on the back of the mount which identifies the men in the photograph: 1. Wm. Pinkerton 2. Geo. Washington (Cook) 3. Harry Thomas 4. A. E. Keneaster 5. Lt. Col. Calhoun, A.D.C. 6. Capt. McLellan, A.D.C. 7. Sidney Denning 8. Chas. Hazzlett, Postmaster 9. Allan Pinkerton 10. Geo. H. Bangs 11. Col. Howard, A.D.C. 12. Mr. Kennedy of the War Dept. 13. Chas. Gerald 14. A. K. Littlefield. Credit: Library of Congress.
Group at Secret Service headquarters at Antietam, Maryland. (Title from paper accompanying photograph) Photograph shows fourteen men, including Allan and William Pinkerton, and several Union Army officers posed in front of a tent. Below each is a hand-written number which corresponds to a list on the back of the mount which identifies the men in the photograph: 1. Wm. Pinkerton 2. Geo. Washington (Cook) 3. Harry Thomas 4. A. E. Keneaster 5. Lt. Col. Calhoun, A.D.C. 6. Capt. McLellan, A.D.C. 7. Sidney Denning 8. Chas. Hazzlett, Postmaster 9. Allan Pinkerton 10. Geo. H. Bangs 11. Col. Howard, A.D.C. 12. Mr. Kennedy of the War Dept. 13. Chas. Gerald 14. A. K. Littlefield. Credit: Library of Congress.
Lt. Rufus King, Lt. Alonzo Cushing, Lt. Evan Thomas and three other artillery officers in front of tent, Antietam, Md. Sept. or Oct. 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
Lt. Rufus King, Lt. Alonzo Cushing, Lt. Evan Thomas and three other artillery officers in front of tent, Antietam, Md. Sept. or Oct. 1862. Credit: Library of Congress.
President Roosevelt paying tribute to the nations heroes unveiling of Jersey's monument, Antietam Battlefield, Sept. 17, 1903. Credit: Library of Congress.
President Roosevelt paying tribute to the nations heroes unveiling of Jersey’s monument, Antietam Battlefield, Sept. 17, 1903. Credit: Library of Congress.

 

CALLIE OETTINGER  was Command Posts’ first managing editor. Her interest in military history, policy and fiction took root when she was a kid, traveling and living the life of an Army Brat, and continues today.

 

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