Users' questions

Who took the photos at Antietam?

Who took the photos at Antietam?

Alexander Gardner
Alexander Gardner took 70 photographs of the battlefield starting just two days after the battle. This was the first time an American battlefield had ever been photographed before the dead had been buried.

Was the Battle of Antietam photographed?

The battlefield of Antietam was extensively photographed immediately after the battle took place, providing images that would shock the nation as to the brutal carnage of the young war.

Why might Gardners photographs be useful evidence about the Battle of Antietam?

Gardner had gained permission to photograph the battle from President Lincoln. The dead in Gardner’s photographs were disproportionately Confederate soldiers. This photograph shows deceased Confederate soldiers after the Battle of Antietam.

What did photographs show for the first time at Antietam?

Gardner and Gibson, two of the many photographers Brady hired to document the war, produced at least 95 images at Antietam. Their images were the first to show dead bodies on the field.

How did New Yorkers respond to Mathew Brady’s photographs of Antietam?

New Yorkers were shocked and appalled. The New York Times stated that Brady was able to “bring home to us the terrible reality and earnestness of war. If he has not brought bodies and laid them in our door-yards and along streets, he has done something very like it…”

Why did Lincoln Fire General McClellan?

That same month, McClellan succeeded Winfield Scott as general-in-chief of the Union Army. Lincoln removed McClellan as general-in-chief in March of 1862, stating that McClellan needed to focus his full attention on an attack on the South.

What was the significance of Battle of Antietam?

Antietam, the deadliest one-day battle in American military history, showed that the Union could stand against the Confederate army in the Eastern theater. It also gave President Abraham Lincoln the confidence to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation at a moment of strength rather than desperation.

What does the photograph tell us about the Battle of Antietam?

If you had to pick just one picture to represent the Battle of Antietam, which would you choose? A photograph of a young girl wearing mourning ribbons and holding a photograph of her father could symbolize the wide-spread and lasting losses suffered after the single bloodiest day of fighting in American history.

Who photographed dead and dying soldiers in Civil War battlefields?

The National Archives and Records Administration makes available on-line over 6,000 digitized images from the Civil War. Mathew Brady and his associates, most notably Alexander Gardner, George Barnard, and Timothy O’Sullivan, photographed many battlefields, camps, towns, and people touched by the war.

Why did Matthew Brady go broke?

After the Civil War, Brady was faced with mounting debts. In an effort to save his business, he tried to sell his collection of war views. Having risked his fortune on his Civil War enterprise, Brady lost the gamble and fell into bankruptcy.

Why was Ambrose Burnside fired?

Believing that his officers had been insubordinate during the campaign, Burnside asked Lincoln to either relieve several generals from duty or accept his resignation. Lincoln chose to remove Burnside from command, replacing him with General Joseph Hooker in January 1863.

Why was McClellan a bad general?

McClellan was definitely in the first category. McClellan’s worst problem was that he was a complete washout as a battlefield commander. He was cautious and timid on the battlefield. To justify his inaction, he overestimated enemy numbers, even though the Union Army had twice as many soldiers as the Confederate Army.

What are facts about the Battle of Antietam?

Facts About the Battle of Antietam The Union had around 87,000 soldiers, while the Confederates had only 38,000. Around 3,500 soldiers were killed and 17,000 wounded. The battle was named by the Union after the nearby creek called Antietam. It was called the Battle of Sharpsburg by the South.

What were the effects of the Battle of Antietam?

The most notable strategic effect of the Battle of Antietam was that it prompted President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all slaves would be freed by the end of the war, and for the first time illustrating the full commitment of the Union to final victory over the Confederacy and abolishment of slavery.

What was the significance of the Battle of Antietam?

Significance of the Battle of Antietam: The Battle of Antietam forced the Confederate Army to retreat back across the Potomac River. President Abraham Lincoln saw the significance of this and issued the famous Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862.

Where was the Battle of Antietam fought?

The Battle of Antietam was fought on 17th September 1862 near Antietam Creek in Sharpsburg, Maryland.