The Saratoga of the Civil war

The Civil war is considered to be one of the most significant events in United States history. It is impossible to understand America today, without understanding the events that took place during the Civil war era. There were many battles that had a great bearing on the outcome of the war. However, many historians point to the Battle of Antietam as the turning point of the war. Some have even referred to this battle as the Saratoga of the Civil war. The Battle took on great importance when Europe and especially Great Britain offered to help the South if they won the battle. If the South had won and Europe had joined them, it is very probable that the war would have turned out differently. During the Revolutionary war, the French had told the colonists they would join them if they won the battle of Saratoga. That victory changed the face of the war and helped America defeat the British. Also, President Lincoln had promised himself and God that he would issue a proclamation to free the slaves if the North won the battle. With all of these things on the line, we would expect to see God’s hand of intervention. The whole key to General Lee’s plan was to surprise the Union by attacking the Northern States. By taking the war to the North he hoped to persuade the North to give up the effort to re-unite the states. On September 13, a Union private found three cigars wrapped in papers that turned out to be Lee’s orders to one of the generals. The orders revealed Lee’s plans as to where he intended to go for the attack. Once Lee learned that his plans had been discovered by the Union, he was forced to take a defensive position at Antietam Creek. The battle was basically a draw, with both sides experiencing 12,000 casualties. Lee was then forced to return to the South, unable to accomplish anything that he had set out to do. Was it luck of chance that allowed the North to find the South’s plans? I believe that God is constantly working to bring about His will. As a result of this battle, Lincoln gave his Emancipation Proclamation and changed the North’s motivation for the war. Now they were fighting for the freedom of the slaves. Also, without the help of England and the rest of Europe, the South lost its only chance to win the war outright. The Battle of Antietam was clearly one of the greatest examples of God’s hand in American history.