Civil War Combat

Among all of the killing fields of the Civil War, certain battlegrounds have earned the right to be called legendary: Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg and Cold Harbor. With a level of destruction and a rate of causalities unprecedented in American military history, each of these clashes would play a pivotal role in shaping the course and the ultimate outcome of the War Between the States. Civil War Combat would be useful for classes on American History, Military History and American Culture. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

OBJECTIVES: Students will examine the battlefield strategy of some of the Civil War's greatest conflicts. They will learn the causes and the impact of the Civil War and understand the enormity of the conflict that divided the nation.

NATIONAL HISTORY STANDARDS: Civil War Combat fulfills the following National Standards for History for grades 5-12: Chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research capabilities, historical issues-analysis and decision-making for Era 5.

The Bloody Lane at Antietam

In September of 1862, Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee invaded the North for the first time. His advance was blocked by Union troops in a battle fought near a small Maryland stream called Antietam Creek. Of all the fighting, the most ferocious clash took place at a sunken wagon track immortalized as Bloody Lane. Here, waves of Union soldiers charged repeatedly against well-protected, well-trained rebel lines. The casualties stunned both sides—and figured significantly in President Lincoln's decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation—an act that would drastically alter the tenor and course of the war.

Discussion Questions

  1. The Battle of Antietam took place near Sharpsburg, Maryland. Why did General Robert E. Lee attack Maryland and not Washington DC?

  2. After the battle, the Sunken Road was referred to as The Bloody Lane. Why? How did this new name reflect the ferocity of the battle?

  3. The North called the fight the Battle of Antietam, but the South had a different name. What was it? How did the North and South name their battles?

  4. The Irish Brigade was one of the toughest brigades of the Union Army. What were the origins of the Irish Brigade? How did the Irish Brigade reflect the immigration of the era?

  5. Discuss the colorful history of the leader of the Irish brigade, Thomas Meagher.

  6. Who were the Raccoon Roughs?

  7. Discuss the characteristics of Robert E. Lee's Army of the Northern Virginia that made them such formidable opponents.

  8. Discuss the shortcomings of George McClellan. How did these inadequacies contribute to the length of the war?

  9. What was the Sunken Road?

  10. How did the Confederates use the terrain of the Sunken Road to fight at Antietam?

  11. Why did Israel Richardson's men have so much respect and admiration for him?

  12. What were the results of the Battle of Antietam?

  13. How did Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation change the ideology of the war?
Extended Activities

  1. Design a recruitment poster for the Irish Brigade.

  2. Design a memorial for the fallen soldiers of the Battle of Antietam.
Related Videos
Primary Sources
  • Emancipation Proclamation September 22, 1862

Air Dates

Classroom Materials