10 Of The Deadliest Battles In American History
Generations of Americans have known that freedom isn’t free, from Benedict Arnold’s charge at Saratoga to American forces storming the beaches of Normandy. Throughout U.S. history, the most crucial battles have tended to also be the costliest, requiring courage, valor, and a willingness to defend independence at any price. Here are ten battles that are among the deadliest in American history.
10. Battle of Saratoga, Revolutionary War — 800 Americans killed
9. Battle of Antietam, Civil War — 3,654 Americans killed
On the heels of his victory at Manassas, General Robert E. Lee pushed further north into Maryland. His forces met those of Major General George B. McClellan at dawn on September 17, 1862, a day which remains the deadliest in U.S. military history. Of the more than 100,000 who fought at Antietam, 3,654 perished, including 2,108 Union soldiers and 1,546 Confederate soldiers. In total, nearly 23,000 died, were wounded, or went missing. Lee retreated to Virginia. Five days later, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, legally liberating all slaves.