Dead of Antietam

The Dead of Antietam refers to those who lost their lives during the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, a significant Civil War battle in Maryland. It remains the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with around 23,000 soldiers wounded or killed. The high number of casualties shocked the nation and influenced President Abraham Lincoln to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. The battle's brutal aftermath led to mass burial sites, such as the famous "Bloody Lane," and helped shape the direction of the war and the future of the United States.