But after several unexpected and demoralizing Union losses, including Major General John Popes sound defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run, it became clear the Confederacy wasnt going to be easy to crush. The next day, the Army of Northern Virginia set out from Frederick. No constraint upon your free will is intended, no intimidation is allowed, Lee promised. . On the morning of the 13th, the 27th Indiana Infantry paused to rest in a field on the outskirts of Frederick. Not only did the Battle of Antietam change the course of the Civil War, it also brought to light the horror of war in a way never seen before, thanks to photographer Alexander Gardners dramatic battlefield photographs. Sign up to receive the latest information on the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to blaze The Liberty Trail in South Carolina. Join historians and history buffs alike with our Unlimited Digital Access pass to every military history article ever published (over 3,000 articles) in Sovereigns military history magazines. A mile east of the town of Sharpsburg, the creek meanders through the hilly but open countryside, good for long-range artillery and moving infantry. Adding insult to injury, Confederate cavalry under Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for NAMING THE EASTERN SIERRA By Marguerite Sowaal Dirty Sock to Bloody Canyon 1985 at the best online prices at eBay! The 7th Wisconsin and 19th Indiana, moving as flank protection, fired a devastating volley into the two brigades assailing the 6th Wisconsin. Ricketts remaining two brigades, under Colonel William A. Christian and Brig. Antietam, the deadliest one-day battle in American military history, showed that the Union could stand against the Confederate army in the Eastern theater. Colonel Robert H. Chilton, his adjutant, copied the orders for subordinate generals. Elliot captured temporary markers left by Union burial details to record for later reburial teams the mass resting place of several regiments, both Union and Confederate. Stonewall Jackson, Maj. Gen. D.H. Hills division was to follow Longstreet as the armys rear guard. The Confederates lost one of their most promising brigade commanders, Brig. I supposed that we had everything in our own hands, he thought. Within the hour Ezra would be troubled by a much greater lossand discover the ultimate irony of Antietam's bloody Cornfield. Gen. Samuel Sturgis, one of his division commanders, Hallo, Sam, I am dead! Within minutes, Reno proved as good as his word. I was in the hospital in the afternoon, for it was then only that the wounded began to come in. The Union and Confederates fought in the cornfield, many being wounded. A short video presentation on Tour Stop 4, The Cornfield. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. McClellan deployed Hookers I Corps astride the Hagerstown Turnpike to the north. I will have a battery here to help you.. This 24-acre cornfield, owned by D.R. While Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia were indeed triumphant, the Confederate commander realized all too well that his gains were temporary; he needed to undertake a bold stroke while the opportunity still presented itself. Gen. Samuel Garland, mortally wounded just as he completed an assessment of the situation. The Battle of South Mountain began early on September 14, and by 11 am Union troops of Brig. After a Union victory at the Battle of South Mountain and a Confederate victory at the Battle of Harpers Ferry, Confederate general Robert E. Lee opts to make one last stand in the hopes of salvaging his Maryland Campaign. It pitted Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of. Artillery blasted Hoods Texans with double loads of canister, Gibbon moved in to personally direct the fire. Late in the afternoon, reinforcements from Longstreet began to arrive. Gen. George S. Greene, a descendant of Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene. Because Federal and Confederate forces . Hills rear guard remained at Boonsboro with 5,000 troops. Six weeks after Antietam, McClellan finally heeded his bosss advice and led the Army of the Potomac into Virginia, but at a snails pace. North Woods 3. Gathering up his gearEzra discovered hed misplaced the right glove of his newly-purchased pair, a loss that troubled him considerably. When the Confederates withdrew, Franklin was only six miles from Harpers Ferry. Facing threats in front and right, as the enemy advanced the Georgians suddenly realized they were in a tremendous Union vise that was about to literally squeeze the regiment to death. McClellans letters reveal his contempt for his commander-in-chief (whom he sometimes referred to as the Gorilla), and the historical record shows that as the war slogged on, Lincoln became increasingly frustrated with his generals timidity and excuses. If either effort made good progress, McClellan was prepared to pitch every available soldier against the center of Lees line. On September 15, Lee positions his men behind the creek and waits for McClellan to arrive. List Price: $51.99. It is a document of interest and is also thought genuine., When McClellan received the communication from Williams, he abruptly ended a conference with a delegation of citizens from Frederick. During the course of the morning, the cornfield, a space 250 yards long and 400 yards wide, changed hands 15 times. Gen. John Bell Hood went into line on the fringe of the West Woods, a stretch of trees 300 yards wide to the west of the Hagerstown Turnpike, the major thoroughfare that led into Sharpsburg. Walker lost 228 of his 700 soldiers and was forced to retire. Early reports from Stuarts cavalry told him that McClellan was on the road to Frederick, and on September 10 he ordered Longstreet to advance to Hagerstown with 10,000 troops, occupying the village before any Union forces might contest the Confederate rallying point. Hood, however, was unable to consolidate his gains. The water is deep, swift, and crossable only at three stone bridges, making it a natural defensible location. On the afternoon of September 16, Union general George B. McClellan sets his army in motion, sending Maj. Gen. Joseph Hookers First Corps across Antietam Creek to find Lees left flank. Stuarts cavalry was to remain east of South Mountain, screening the movements from the enemy. It is remembered as the site of some of the most savage fighting of the Battle of Antietam, which itself was the bloodiest single-day action of the Civil War. Repeated Union attacks and equally vicious Confederate counterattacks sweep back and forth across Millers cornfield and the West Woods. Civil War Trust.The Peninsula Campaign. Weeks later, he names Burnside commander of the Army of the Potomac. The 5th Virginia's Ezra Stickley awakened and realized the firing had picked up considerably. Then an eighth Union Minie ball suddenly found him By David A. Welker Marcellus Douglass was born in Thomaston, Georgia on October 5th, 1820. The fight began to peter out with the gathering darkness. Hill and his Light Division to take custody of 73 pieces of artillery and 13,000 rifles and revolvers and parole the prisoners at the arsenal. Sergeant E.J. One soldier of the 6th Wisconsin captured the essence of that horrific morning. Even so, the Union claimed victory. It was obvious to the Union veterans that the area had recently served as a Rebel bivouac. Gen. Mansfield was mortally wounded and Gen. Alpheus Williams took command of the Corps. Join us online July 24-26! Travel back in time to see Antietam's battlefield as it looked 134 years ago. Take a virtual tour of Antietam Battlefield by clicking on the links for the battlefield tour stops below. After McClellan fails to pursue Lee on his retreat south, Lincoln loses faith in his general. He takes his opportunity on September 22. The Cornfield Trail starts at Auto Tour Stop 4. By David A. Welker John Continue reading Cowards in the Cornfield? Military historians consider the Battle of Antietam a stalemate. Their fire was devastating. Mansfield was carried from the field and died within hours. The Tigers poured heavy fire into the 2nd and 6th Wisconsin, temporarily checking their advance. After the Confederates abandoned their campsite around Frederick, McClellans army moved in. The two brigades emerged from the North Woods simultaneously and crossed a field of clover. Americas bloodiest day began with heavy fighting that ravaged a previously innocuous cornfield in western Maryland. Lee directed Lt. Gen. James Longstreets three divisions to cross South Mountain, a ridgeline running north to south along the eastern edge of the Cumberland Valley, and proceed to Boonsboro, about halfway to Hagerstown. Hill worked feverishly to extricate his battered brigades, while the 102nd New York Regiment drove relentlessly toward the high ground around the Dunker Church, where Colonel Lees artillerymen were doing their best to limber their guns and retire. The Cornfield: Antietam's Bloody Turning Point tells for the first time the full story of the exciting struggle to control "the Cornfield," the action on which the costly battle of Antietam turned, in a thorough yet readable narrative. About half a mile on the other side of the Hagerstown Turnpike, the East Woods flanked the Smoketown Road, which joined the turnpike at an acute angle. It explains what happened in Antietam's Cornfield and why. Gen. Alpheus Williams and Colonel Samuel Pittman read the document with great interest. Gen. George A. Hartsuff, moved forward. Greene rode forward and warned the New Yorkers to slow down before they outran covering artillery. His orders from Lincoln and Army General-in-Chief Henry W. Halleck were somewhat vague: protect Washington and, if possible, destroy Lees army in the process. Starkes Louisiana men took up positions along a rail fence on the east side of the Hagerstown Turnpike. After chasing Confederate skirmishers off the Miller farm, Gibbons men headed for the northwest corner of the cornfield and began taking fire from Douglass troops and the Stonewall Brigade posted in the West Woods. Gen. George G. Meades 3rd Division led the way as flank protection, and one of its regiments, the 13th Pennsylvania, hearty deer hunters from the western woodlands known as the Bucktails, was hit particularly hard. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. The pockets and cartridge pouches of the dead and wounded were ransacked, and soldiers handed muskets to those with better shots at the enemy. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, Lees positions provided natural cover, with an undulating landscape and rocky limestone outcroppings, while west of the Hagerstown Turnpike the knoll known as Nicodemus Hill offered a commanding position for Confederate artillery. Meades 3rd Division followed in support. Swinging widely to the west, Jackson was to scoop up the enemy garrison at Martinsburg and move on to Harpers Ferry. The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single day in American history, and the partial victory by Union troops led Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. Brigadier General David Ricketts 2nd Division, led by Brig. Halt where you are. Prominent in Hoods defensive area was a plain, whitewashed church belonging to the German Baptist Brethren, a Christian sect that shunned anything ostentatious, including church steeples, and believed in baptism by full immersion. The gunners went into action amid Millers haystacks, ignoring Confederate fire that cut down men and horses. The ensuing delay was costly, and before the brigades could rally it was too late to help Duryea. From my earliest study of the war, I was fascinated by the idea that its events could transform otherwise mundane spots into unique and special places, with Antietam's Cornfield being one of the most singular. Despite having the advantage, he allowed Lee to retreat without resistance. Occasionally, a nervous picket fired into the darkness. For generations of Americans, the word Antietam - the name of a bucolic stream in western Maryland - held the same sense of horror and carnage that the date 9/11 does for Americans today. An original regiment in the storied Iron Brigade, the 19th Indiana is perhaps best known for its role during the opening hours of the Battle of Gettysburg, which has for too long overshadowed its actions in Antietams deadly Cornfield. Lincoln has been waiting for a military success to issue his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. Commented one civilian: They were the dirtiest men I ever saw. After more than an hour of fighting around the East Woods and the eastern half of the cornfield, the Federals had failed to press their slight advantage, feeding troops into the battle piecemeal as the Confederates had rushed reinforcements from the center to stem the Union tide. The divisions became separated, and Sedgwick pressed forward with 5,000 men through the northern edge of the West Woods, coming under heavy attack from elements of three Confederate divisions and Pelhams horse artillery on Nicodemus Hill. Dr. James Dunn, a surgeon at the Battle of Antietam lauded her efforts: The rattle of 150,000 muskets, and the fearful thunder of over 200 cannon, told us that the great battle of Antietam had commenced. The Cornfield 5. As the sun climbed into the sky on September 15, Lee surveyed a long, low ridgeline east of the town and asserted, We will make our stand on those hills. At noon he received confirmation from Jackson that Harpers Ferry had fallen and directed Stonewall to hurry to Sharpsburg, 12 miles to the north. It conjures up visions of harrowing bloodshed and the tragedy of fratricidal combat Yet, for over 150 years, the story of this struggle has been difficult to track the sway of battle back and forth over Continue reading Descending Into The Bloody Cornfield With Civil War Historian, David A. Welker: PreserveCast Episode No. Hays' Louisiana Brigade suffered over 60-percent casualties in 30 minutes. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. Subscribe to the American Battlefield Trust's quarterly email series of curated stories for the curious-minded sort! Lee accompanied Longstreets columns across Antietam Creek, a tributary of the Potomac, heading toward the village of Sharpsburg. The 1st Texas, under Colonel P.A. The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Lower Bridge (Burnside Bridge) 10. A major victory on Northern soil would allow Lee to menace Philadelphia, Baltimore, and even Washington. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at . Hoping to take advantage of the Unions low morale and seeming ineptitude, Lee chose to push his army north across the Potomac and into Maryland where they soon occupied the town of Frederick. Nine regimental color bearers were killed, and in less than half an hour the 1st Texas lost 186 dead and wounded, more than 82 percent of its strength, the highest casualty rate of any regiment on either side during the entire war. Gen. Truman Seymour, quickly reached the edge of the East Woods at the Smoketown Road. For those of us interested in understanding and preserving the events of the Civil War and Antietams Cornfield, heres our own such list the Cornfield casualty top ten. Nearing the end of 2018, well be bombarded by the annual parade of top ten lists counting down everything from the years news events to songs and online fads. While the Battle of Antietam is considered a tactical draw, President Lincoln claims a strategic victory. Antietam National Cemetery President Lincoln, however, wasnt pleased. Antietam's Cornfield - a blog dedicated to preserving and sharing stories of the events of 17 September 1862 -, This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 16:47. Men, I cannot say fell; they were knocked out of the ranks by dozens.. The rail fence provided little protection, and Starkes men fell in heaps. The smoke and fog lift; and almost at our feet, concealed in a hollow behind a demolished fence, lies a rebel brigade pouring into our ranks the most deadly fire of the war. Lee planned to retreat to Virginia, but changed his mind after hearing Confederate General Thomas Jonathan Jacksonbetter known as Stonewall Jacksonhad captured Harpers Ferry. The next day, as Lee began the painstaking job of moving his ravaged troops back to Virginia, McClellan, surprisingly, did nothing. Libby remembered a loud response from the Maine men to the contrary. Stuart had raided Popes very headquarters, carrying off the generals dress coat. Williams took command of XII Corps and the fight for the cornfield continued, with men from both sides tripping over the dead and falling bleeding among the severed cornstalks. (3) Gen. Lee ordered troops from Gen. D. H. Hills command at the Sunken Road to move north into the Cornfield. Certainly McClellans opportunity was great. Despite having no prior experience and receiving no payment for her services, she bravely drove her cart of medical supplies into the fray at many battles, including Antietam. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. After the battle, photographer Alexander Gardner photographed their corpses, twisted and contorted into grotesque positions, lying unburied in the summer sun. There are more than 22,000 casualties at the Battle of Antietam. more information on current conditions Visit our keyboard shortcuts docs for details. Antietam's opening fight turned a field of crops into a scene of slaughter. On September 14, at the base of South Mountain near Sharpsburg, Confederate Generals D.H. Hills and James Longstreets units encountered Union resistance and sustained heavy casualties. On the diplomatic front, the Confederate cause was ripe for recognition by European powers, particularly Great Britain and France. Jackson called them into battle and, In less than five minutes we were advancing toward the enemy. Gen. John Gibbon, commander of the 4th Brigade, I Corps. Unable to remain in command, he left the scene convinced that Union forces were poised to drive the Confederates into the Potomac. The Cornfield: Antietam's Bloody Turning Point tells the story of what happened in David Miller's once-peaceful farm field on 17 September 1862, which opened the Civil War Battle of Antietam - America's single bloodiest day. His opponent, Abraham Lincoln, was reelected for another term. Brig. They also ended any hope of France and Great Britain acknowledging the Confederacy and coming to their aid. What happened next was pivotal: On September 13, two Union soldiers, Private Barton W. Mitchell and Sergeant John M. Bloss, discovered a copy of Special Order 191 with detailed Confederate troop movements, allegedly wrapped around three cigars. Some of these regiments attacked all the way to the northern edge of the Cornfield, where they were crushed by the arrival of the Union Twelfth Corps. A brigade of Georgians under the command of Colonel Marcellus Douglass stood firm along the southern edge of the cornfield, reinforced by three regiments from Walkers brigade. The ordeal on the Confederate left was not yet over. Duryeas men fought valiantly, pressing the Georgians hard. It is remembered as the site of some of the most savage fighting of the Battle of Antietam, which itself was the bloodiest single-day action of the Civil War. Hoods Confederates had been marching and fighting continually for several days, and Jackson gave permission for Hood to withdraw his division to the vicinity of the Dunker Church to cook rations. The dejected Lee ordered Jackson to march to Shepherdstown to cover the withdrawal of Longstreets force. A steady drizzle pelted down during the night, soaking the men as they fitfully slept. When the Union men loosed a volley in reply, Mansfield, who had only taken command two days earlier, became confused, believing that large numbers of Federal troops were still to their front. The Most Terrible Clash of Arms On the other side, President Abraham Lincoln was counting on McClellan to bring him the victory he needed to keep Republican control of the Congress and issue a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. This battle flag of the 12 th Georgia includes the names of several color bearers who . The 19th Indiana and 7th Wisconsin crossed the turnpike to cover the Iron Brigades flank, and Gibbon brought up Battery B, 4th U.S. Badly needed supplies are brought in by nurse Clara Barton, known as the Angel of the Battlefield. During the night, both armies tend their wounded and consolidate their lines. The troops began calling themselves the Iron Brigade. The 12th Massachusetts had 224 of its 334 soldiers shot down, a casualty rate of 67 percent that was the highest of any Union regiment on the field. A total of 23,000 men were killed, wounded or captured; 3650 soldiers were killed - 2100 Unionists and 1550 Confederates. Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. This army will respect your choice whatever it may be., To Lees immediate disappointment, the citizens of Frederick generally kept their shops locked up tight. Fewer know about the films opening scenes, which take Captain Shaw and the 2nd Massachusetts into the horror of the Cornfield. This is that story . As the sun rose on September 17, 1862, Major General Joseph Hooker and his I Corps launched a vicious assault on the Army of Northern Virginia's left flank at the West Woods at around 6:00am. He needed a legitimatizing Union victory in the field before he could issue the proclamation. Although it offered some advantages, it was also precarious. Meanwhile, on September 2, McClellan retook command of the army to the cheers of his men. Union troops fired first at the Confederates left flank and the carnage began. As Longstreets men began trudging toward Sharpsburg, Lee reversed his earlier order. Hood said to one of Jacksons aides, Tell General Jackson unless I get reinforcements I must be forced back, but I am going on while I can.. Lost Order, Lost Cause. Commanders on both sides were trying to make order out of chaos, and even the most hardened veteran could scarcely comprehend the unimaginable holocaust that engulfed the cornfield, the woods, turnpike, and high ground around the Dunker Church, where more than 8,000 soldiers, Union and Confederate, lay dead or wounded. This article appears in: Early Fall 2014 By Michael E. Haskew The White House was a somber place in the summer of 1862. National Park Service.The Maryland Campaign of 1862. Upon learning of the valuable find, an ecstatic McClellan reportedly exclaimed, Here is a paper with which, if I cannot whip Bobby Lee, I will be willing to go home. He immediately moved his army in hopes of foiling Lees battle plans. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Confederate troops ferociously fought off offensive after offensive to prevent being overrun, turning the cornfield into a massive killing field. Armies tend their wounded and gen. 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