Which Civil War battle was the bloodiest single-day battle in U.S. history, with about 23,000 casualties, and forced General Robert E. Lee to retreat across the Potomac?

Which Civil War battle was the bloodiest single-day battle in U.S. history, with about 23,000 casualties, and forced General Robert E. Lee to retreat across the Potomac?

• A. Gettysburg
• B. Antietam
• C. Chancellorsville
• D. Bull Run

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is the battle famous for the heaviest single-day losses in U.S. history and for forcing Robert E. Lee to withdraw across the Potomac. Antietam fits this exactly: on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, about 23,000 soldiers were killed or wounded in a single day of brutal fighting. That extraordinary toll makes it the bloodiest day of the war. After the fighting, Lee pulled his troops back across the Potomac into Virginia, stopping his invasion of the North for that year. That combination of extreme one-day casualties and a strategic retreat is why this battle is the correct answer. Gettysburg, while extremely deadly and historically famous, happened over three days with a much larger total toll. Chancellorsville was a significant Confederate win but did not involve a retreat across the Potomac. Bull Run battles occurred earlier and had far fewer casualties.

The main idea here is the battle famous for the heaviest single-day losses in U.S. history and for forcing Robert E. Lee to withdraw across the Potomac. Antietam fits this exactly: on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, about 23,000 soldiers were killed or wounded in a single day of brutal fighting. That extraordinary toll makes it the bloodiest day of the war. After the fighting, Lee pulled his troops back across the Potomac into Virginia, stopping his invasion of the North for that year. That combination of extreme one-day casualties and a strategic retreat is why this battle is the correct answer.

Gettysburg, while extremely deadly and historically famous, happened over three days with a much larger total toll. Chancellorsville was a significant Confederate win but did not involve a retreat across the Potomac. Bull Run battles occurred earlier and had far fewer casualties.