USA Battle of Antietam Civil War Commemorative Medallion

USA Battle of Antietam Civil War Commemorative Medallion

Also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, the Battle of Antietam was one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. On September 17, 1862, Confederates under General Robert E. Lee engaged the Union Army of the Potomac under Major General George B. McClellan at Antietam Creek, just outside of Sharpsburg, Maryland. Casualties were staggering, totalling over 22,000 wounded, captured, or killed across the two armies. It was, however, one of the major turning points of the war, with the Confederates turned back and Lee's army crippled. The victory gave President Abraham Lincoln the confidence to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which, in addition to freeing more than 3.5 million enslaved people as of January 1, effectively blocked Great Britain and France from recognizing the Confederacy. After all, if slavery was abolished in the Union, recognizing the Confederacy would be an act of support for a slave state -- political suicide in 1862, when slavery had been abolished for years in both countries.

This commemorative medallion features portraits of both McClellan and Lee on the obverse, in front of the Union and Confederate flags. The reverse shows the Private Soldier Monument at Antietam National Cemetery.