September 17th Bloodiest day in american history

Sharpsburg, Maryland, September 17, 1862
The Army of the Potomac, under the command of George McClellan, mounted a series of powerful assaults against Robert E. Lee’s forces.
The morning assault and vicious Confederate counterattacks swept back and forth through Miller’s Cornfield and the West Woods. Later, towards the center of the battlefield, Union assaults against the Sunken Road pierced the Confederate center after a terrible struggle. Late in the day, the third and final major assault by the Union army pushed over a bullet-strewn stone bridge at Antietam Creek. Just as the Federal forces began to collapse the Confederate right, the timely arrival of A.P. Hill’s division from Harpers Ferry helped to drive the Army of the Potomac back once more. The bloodiest single day in American military history ended in a draw.

www.civilwar.org...

September 17 produced the bloodiest day in American combat history with over 23,000 casualties on both sides. More than twice as many Americans were killed or mortally wounded in combat at Antietam that day as in the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Spanish-American War combined.

In the american civil war fighting typically only occurred during daylight hours only.They usually would awake shortly before sunrise have breakfast and then march or maneuver into position to launch an attack against the enemy.All that marching and maneuvering usually took the better part of the day and the attack wouldn`t actually start until well into the afternoon.

At antietam both armies had done their marching and maneuvering in the days leading up to the actual battle, so on september 17th at sunrise the fighting started and continued non stop until sunset 12 hours later.
I don`t know if they were extremely brave,extremely stupid or just extremely dedicated and loyal to the cause they were fighting for,but 23,000 casualties in 12 hours averages out to be one person killed or wounded every 1.87 seconds for 12 hours straight.
The limited range and accuracy of the guns in 1862 made fighting an up close and personal, in your face type of fighting,the slaughter must have been unimaginable.
on this September 17,2013 I take a moment to remember and salute all the soldiers on both sides who
fought at Antietam,it truly must have been hell on earth.

reply to post by Tardacus

Here is a National Park Service link to Gardner's Photos taken after the battle. NPS-Gardner Photos
Bloody Lane was the scene of the most vicious fighting in the battle.