Fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland, the Battle of Antietam (Battle of Sharpsburg to Southerners) was the first major battle of the American Civil War to take place in the north. The battle would leave more than 23,000 soldiers dead, its carnage impossible to visualize. The victory of the north gave President Abraham Lincoln the confidence to announce his Emancipation Proclamation, bringing an end to slavery in America.