antietam

listen to the pronunciation of antietam
English - English
a battle in the American Civil War, in which General Robert E. Lee's army tried to reach Washington but was defeated by Union soldiers
{i} creek that flows from southern Pennsylvania through northwest Maryland into the Potomac river (USA), creek that was the site of the Battle of Antietam in 1862 during the American Civil War

Related Terms

Battle of Antietam
{i} Battle of Sharpsburg, bloodiest one-day battle of the American Civil War that took place on September 17th 1862
Battle of Antietam
(Sept. 17, 1862) Decisive and bloody battle of the American Civil War that halted the Confederate advance on Maryland. Following victory in the Second Battle of Bull Run, Gen. Robert E. Lee moved his troops into Maryland with an eye to capturing Washington, D.C. They were stopped by Union troops under George B. McClellan at Antietam Creek, Md. Confederate casualties numbered some 13,700, and Union losses were about 12,400. McClellan was criticized for allowing Lee's forces to retreat to Virginia, but the victory encouraged Pres. Abraham Lincoln to issue a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation