The Battle of Antietam took place on September 17, 1862 near Sharpsburg Maryland. The battle lasted for about twelve hours, and the front line of fighting was almost unchanged from when the fighting began. One thing that makes this battle significant is 23,000 men died in one day. The union won causing Abraham Lincoln to write the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation was important because it made the abolition of slavery. The confederate felt confident, because they won the second Battle of Bull Run. There was a total of 12,469 Union casualties and 10,316 Confederate casualties making it the bloodiest battle in American history. Most of the fighting was done within close range.