Which important Civil War battle took place at Harpers Ferry?

The Battle of Harpers Ferry was a critical engagement during the Civil War, occurring from September 12 to September 15, 1862. This battle was significant because it involved the strategic location of Harpers Ferry, which was a junction of several important railroad lines and a critical point for supplies and troop movement.

Union forces, commanded by Colonel Dixon Sutherland, were significantly outnumbered by the Confederate troops led by General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. The Confederates successfully besieged the Union garrison, leading to the surrender of approximately 12,000 Union soldiers, making it one of the largest surrenders of U.S. troops in the history of the Civil War at that time.

The victory at Harpers Ferry was pivotal for the Confederacy as it allowed them to gain control of the crucial supply lines and improved their strategic position in the Northern Virginia campaign, leading up to the Battle of Antietam. The outcome of this battle also had important implications for the morale of both sides and the subsequent military strategies of the Union and Confederate forces.

The other battles listed, such as Bull Run, Gettysburg, and Antietam, were indeed significant in their own right but did not take place in Harpers Ferry.