History can at least record Antietam as a strategic Union success. Lee’s invasion of Maryland recoiled more quickly than Bragg’s invasion of Kentucky. Nearly one-third of the rebels who marched into Maryland became casualties. When an unwary regimental band struck up “Maryland, My Maryland” after the retreat across the Potomac, men in the ranks hissed and groaned. Seeing the point, the musicians switched to “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny.” At Whitehall and the White House the battle of Antietam also went down as a northern victory. It frustrated Confederate hopes for British recognition and
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