The Bloodiest Day

The battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862 was the first major Civil War engagement on Northern soil, and it remains the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. Of the 90,000 troops that fought, over 23,000 were killed or wounded. Antietam also marked a significant turning point: General Lee's bold invasion of the North was halted by the Union's stiff resistance, and the Union's success gave President Lincoln the victory he needed to announce his Emancipation Proclamation. By the day's end, the fate of the Confederacy was sealed. This book illustrates this significant, but costly, Union victory through 36 pages of comic book-style narrative and eight pages of background information, detailing the key players, the experience of the forces and the aftermath of the battle.