Book Review

Crossroads of Freedom, Antietam,
The Battle that Changed the Course of the Civil War
by James M. McPherson
(Oxford Univ. Press, 2002)

reviewed by Richard A. Forsten, Esquire

More than twice as many Americans were killed or mortally wounded on September 17, 1862 than on September 11, 2001, or on December 7, 1941. There were four times as many American casualties on September 17, 1862 than on June 6, 1944, D-Day. September 17, 1862 was the day the Army of the Potomac, commanded by George B. McClellan, met the Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by Robert E. Lee, near the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland, at a creek, called Antietam. After the Battle of Antietam, the Civil War, and indeed America itself, would never be the same.

In his new book, Crossroads of Freedom, Antietam, The Battle that Changed the Course of the Civil War, noted historian James M. McPherson succinctly and deftly describes not only the battle itself, but the political and military situation leading up to the battle, as well as the situation following the battle. McPherson is a good writer and a good teacher. He tells his story in a clear and concise manner which can be appreciated by both those who already have extensive knowledge of the Civil War and those who are generally unfamiliar with the conflict.

The actual battle occupies only a small portion of this fairly short (156 pp.) book. What makes Antietam so pivotal a moment is not the battle itself. Tactically the battle was more of a draw, and a missed opportunity for the North, which had substantially greater numbers than the South. Lee withdrew from Maryland, to be sure, but McClellan failed to capitalize on his many advantages - not the least of which was a found copy of Lee's orders indicating when and where his different divisions would be.

But while the battle itself may have been indecisive, it was hailed in the North as a great victory. More importantly, it provided President Lincoln with the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves in territory controlled by the Confederacy on January 1, 1863. With the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Civil War, and American history, were changed forever. The war became a war not only to preserve the Union, but a war to end slavery. European recognition, which had been a very real and close possibility prior to Antietam became virtually impossible. Thus, Antietam was a pivotal moment in the Civil War, despite the missed opportunities it also represents.

The South was not beaten after Antietam, and it would still have one final opportunity that ended at Gettysburg, Antietam's more famous cousin, but that does not diminish Antietam's importance. 1862 was a seesaw year in the Civil War. Initial Union successes made victory seem within grasp, but the Confederacy came back, especially in the eastern theatre, with such success that Union morale was crumbling and European recognition of the Confederacy was nearly within reach. Antietam turned things around again, and, with the Emancipation Proclamation, changed what the very war was about.
McPherson's book captures all of this. The drama and tenseness of the summer of 1862, culminating in the Battle of Antietam, all as told in Crossroads of Freedom, is well worth reading.

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