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Sharpsburg in Washington County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

1862 Antietam Campaign

Lee Invades Maryland

 
 
1862 Antietam Campaign - Lee Invades Maryland Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, July 28, 2007
1. 1862 Antietam Campaign - Lee Invades Maryland Marker
Inscription. Fresh from victory at the Second Battle of Manassas, Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia crossed the Potomac River on September 4-6, 1862, to bring the Civil War to Northern soil and to recruit sympathetic Marylanders. Union Gen. George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac pursued Lee, who had detached Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s force to capture the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry. After the Federals pushed the remaining Confederates out of the South Mountain gaps, Lee awaited Jackson's return near Sharpsburg and Antietam Creek.

On September 17, at the Battle of Antietam, the two armies clashed in the bloodiest single day in American history and suffered some 23,000 casualties. Lee soon retreated across the Potomac, ending his first invasion of the north.

Follow in the footsteps of Gens. Lee and McClellan along Maryland Civil War Trail’s Antietam Campaign: Lee Invades Maryland, a 90 mile tour route that allows you to explore the stories of triumph and tragedy at more than 60 Civil War sites. Please travel carefully as you enjoy the beauty and history along the trail.
 
Erected by Maryland Civil War Trails.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition,
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it is included in the Maryland Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1755.
 
Location. 39° 27.672′ N, 77° 44.421′ W. Marker is in Sharpsburg, Maryland, in Washington County. Marker is on Shepherdstown Pike (Maryland Route 34), on the left when traveling north. At the Battlefield Overlook parking area, across the street from the National Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Sharpsburg MD 21782, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862 (here, next to this marker); Companies G. I. and K., 4th U.S. Infantry (within shouting distance of this marker); Jones' Battalion, Reserve Artillery (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Reserve Artillery (about 400 feet away); Squires’ Battery, 1st Company Washington Artillery of New Orleans (about 500 feet away); Not For Themselves, But For Their Country (about 500 feet away); Antietam National Cemetery (about 500 feet away); Unknown Union Soldiers of the Irish Brigade (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sharpsburg.
 
More about this marker. This is an example of the standard marker used for Civil War Trails - Antietam Campaign sites, and is duplicated in several locations in Maryland,
1862 Antietam Campaign - Lee Invades Maryland Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, July 28, 2007
2. 1862 Antietam Campaign - Lee Invades Maryland Marker
Virginia, and West Virginia. The marker features portraits of Gens. Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan. Newspaper drawing depict Union troops storming Crampton’s Gap and Confederate forces crossing the Potomac. A map indicates important sites related to the Antietam Campaign.
 
The Sunken Road image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, December 30, 2006
3. The Sunken Road
One of the critical phases of the Battle of Antietam unfolded along this old farm lane.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on November 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 3, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,539 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on August 3, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 28, 2024