III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 560 

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Maryland Campaign during 

the Civil War. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Ms. MIKULSKI) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Maryland 

Campaign during the Civil War. 

Whereas because of geographic position, Maryland and the 

citizens of Maryland played a key role in the military and 

political struggles of the Civil War; 

Whereas during the conflict, controlling Maryland was key 

due to the proximity to Washington DC, the fact that 

Maryland shared a border with Virginia and the States 

still remaining in the Union, and the position of Baltimore as a key railroad link to the West; 

Whereas, on September 4, 1862, General Robert E. Lee led 

his Confederate Army of northern Virginia across the Potomac River near Leesburg, Virginia into Maryland, 


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marking first invasion by General Lee of the North during the Civil War; 

Whereas, on September 7, 1862, General George B. McClellan moved the Union Army of the Potomac forces out of 

Washington DC in pursuit; 

Whereas, over the ensuing 2 weeks, pitched battles were 

fought in Harper’s Ferry and Shepardstown in West Virginia and South Mountain and Antietam in Maryland, as 

the 2 forces confronted one another amidst the Appalachian Mountains; 

Whereas, on September 17, 1862, the climax of the Maryland 

Campaign took place on the banks of Antietam Creek, 

near the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland; 

Whereas, on September 17, 1862, fighting began before dawn 

when Union forces advanced on Confederate defensive positions behind Antietam Creek, launching 3 assaults 

along the Cornfield, East Woods, West Woods, and 

Sunken Road for 8 hours; 

Whereas the brutal fighting to cross Burnside Bridge and 

into Sharpsburg lasted until the afternoon and both armies suffered heavy casualties, ending the combat after 

a gruesome 12 hours; 

Whereas both sides engaged in slow, savage fighting at close 

range, resulting in the single bloodiest day of war in 

American history, with nearly 23,000 total casualties, 

representing 25 percent of the Union force, and 31 percent of the Confederate force; 

Whereas the tactical result of the battle was inconclusive, as 

each side maintained position until the bitter end; 

Whereas, on September 18, 1862, as the opposing armies 

gathered the wounded and buried the dead, General Lee 


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withdrew the Confederate Army back across the Potomac 

River into Virginia, ending the invasion; 

Whereas the Battle of Antietam pitted Marylanders on opposite sides of the fighting, emblematic of national division 

of the Civil War pitting ‘‘brother against brother’’; 

Whereas the people of the United States honor those Marylanders and others who valiantly fought in the Civil War, 

endured the hardships brought on by the conflict, and 

who made the ultimate sacrifice to form a more perfect 

Union; and 

Whereas during the sesquicentennial of the Maryland Campaign, it is fitting that the National Park Service, the 

Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, and all others involved recognize the bravery and steadfast determination 

of the Marylanders and all people affected by the Civil 

War: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commemorates the 150th anniversary of the 

3 Maryland Campaign of the Civil War, culminating in 

4 the Battle of Antietam; and 

5 (2) recognizes the dedication and commitment 

6 of the National Park Service, the Maryland Heritage 

7 Areas Authority, and all others involved, for pre8 serving the heritage and promoting the rich history 

9 of the United States. 

Æ 


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