Step back in time to the pivotal day of September 17, 1862, when the Battle of Antietam, known as Sharpsburg to the Confederacy, marked the bloodiest day of the American Civil War. This fierce confrontation saw Confederate General Lees attempt to invade the North thwarted, and the outcome dramatically shifted the course of the war. This crucial Northern victory inspired President Abraham Lincoln to issue The Emancipation Proclamation, a monumental step towards freeing enslaved individuals in states rebelling against the Union. Published in 1960 as part of the Historical Handbook series by the U.S. National Park Service, this edition is enriched with valuable maps detailing troop movements. The author, a World War I veteran and esteemed Civil War historian, served as chief historian for the Gettysburg National Military Park during the 1950s and 1960s. - Summary by David Wales