[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 127 (Wednesday, September 19, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S6464]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 560--COMMEMORATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
                 MARYLAND CAMPAIGN DURING THE CIVIL WAR

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

                              S. Res. 560

       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 D.C., 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, 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 
     D.C. 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 
     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
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Maryland 
     Campaign of the Civil War, culminating in the Battle of 
     Antietam; and
       (2) recognizes the dedication and commitment of the 
     National Park Service, the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, 
     and all others involved, for preserving the heritage and 
     promoting the rich history of the United States.

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