To save his army from impending destruction, Lee decided to terminate the siege of Harpers Ferry and prepare for a general retirement across the Potomac to the safety of Virginia. THE BATTLE OF Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862, remains America's bloodiest single day. Stuarts cavalry was to remain east of South Mountain, screening the movements from the enemy. Duryeas brigade followed Seymour out of the East Woods and into the cornfield, stepping over mangled Confederate corpses that canister shots had killed moments earlier. Mansfield was carried from the field and died within hours. What there are left of us open on them with a cheer; and the next day, the burial parties put up a board in front of the position held by the Twelfth with the following inscription: In this trench lie buried the colonel, the major, six line officers, and one hundred and forty men of the [13th] Georgia Regiment.. McClellan deployed Hookers I Corps astride the Hagerstown Turnpike to the north. Libby remembered a loud response from the Maine men to the contrary. 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 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. Military historians consider the Battle of Antietam a stalemate. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. The Unions claim of victory at Antietam and Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation are thought to be why Republicans held the House in the 1862 mid-term elections. As the Union troops came into view, more enemy guns under Colonel Stephen D. Lee, sited on the high ground opposite the Dunker Church, hit the attackers in their front. It was obvious to the Union veterans that the area had recently served as a Rebel bivouac. McClellan charged Hooker and Mansfield, supported by Sumner, with the main effort against the Confederate left, while Burnside crossed the lower bridge and fords at Antietam Creek to attack the ridgeline on the Confederate right. The Louisiana Tigers were reduced to fewer than 200 men after sending 500 into the battle. more information on current conditions Visit our keyboard shortcuts docs for details. 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. McRae remembered: The most unutterable stampede occurred. When Frenchs troops arrived, fighting ensued at close range. Lee had no illusions of holding the gaps for an extended period, but any delay in the Union advance might allow the Army of Northern Virginia to escape destruction. The delaying action at South Mountain, though costly, had given Jackson enough time to tighten his grip on the arsenal. Hoods men threw down half-eaten biscuits and stuffed bacon into their mouths as they rushed to fill the gap. As he read, McClellan waved his arms and shouted, Now I know what to do! Later that day, McClellan visited with his old friend, Brig. Although it offered some advantages, it was also precarious. Inconclusive. Click here to open PreserveCast Few names are as synonymous with Civil War battlefields as The Bloody Cornfield. 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. Lees back was to the Potomac, and only Botelers Ford at Shepherdstown offered a clear avenue of escape across the river if the Confederates were driven from the field. Hooker threw a blanket on the ground near the Poffenberger farmhouse and commented within earshot of George Smalley, a reporter for the New York Tribune, If they had let us start earlier, we might have finished tonight.. Hood, a Kentuckian, commanded a full division including his old brigade of the 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas, the 18th Georgia, Brig. Troops from both sides faced-off across a 30-acre cornfield owned by David Miller. The three-hour fight at Cramptons Gap left 500 Union and 750 Confederate dead and wounded. This 24-acre cornfield, owned by D.R. 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. President Abraham Lincoln, still mourning the death of his 11-year-old son, Willie, earlier that year, sought desperately to find a general who could reverse the growing belief that Confederate arms, under the able leadership of General Robert E. Lee, were invincible. 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. Every purchase supports the mission. While Douglass and Walker held on, Colonel Harry T. Hays hard-fighting Louisiana brigade, nicknamed the Louisiana Tigers, moved forward. Although Continue reading Cowards in the Cornfield? Join us online July 24-26! Alfred Colquitt and Robert Rodes fought desperately to hold the pass. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Gen. George A. Hartsuff, moved forward. On September 15, Lee positions his men behind the creek and waits for McClellan to arrive. (Today its called Burnside Bridge.) Lee wrote to McLaws: The day has gone against us and this army will go by Sharpsburg and cross the river. A military victory in the North, Lee reasoned, would all but assure recognition of the Confederate States of America as a sovereign nation. Originally designated the 2nd Continue reading The 90th Pennsylvania Infantry in the Cornfield: Solitary and alone, we gave and took ourmedicine, Barely two dozen yards ahead lay the northern end of the Cornfield. A total of 23,000 men were killed, wounded or captured; 3650 soldiers were killed - 2100 Unionists and 1550 Confederates. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Cornfield: Antietams Bloody Tur., Welker, David A New Book at the best online prices at eBay! Gen. George S. Greene, a descendant of Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene. Antietam, the deadliest one-day battle in American military history, showed that the Union could stand against the Confederate army in the Eastern theater. National Park Service pamphlet The Cornfield Trail - September Harvest of Death, pp. Greenes two brigades were within 200 yards of the Dunker Church, where they halted and watched the West Woods swarm with Confederates. Just eight hours in, there were over 15,000 casualties. Miller, saw some of U.S. history's most horrific fighting. Moving due east, Brig. Following the surrender of Harpers Ferry, the scattered Confederate forces would converge. Sunken Road (Bloody Lane) 9. 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. Still, it endorsed the idea that the war wasnt just about states rights but also stopping slavery. General Robert E. Lee committed his entire force to the battle, while Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan sent in less than three quarters of his. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. Harpers Ferry was still in Union hands, and McClellans advance toward South Mountain was disturbing. The Cornfield: Antietam's Bloody Turning Point By David A. Welker Casemate, 2020, $34.95. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Getty Images / HUM Images / Universal Images Group, The Significance of the Battle of Antietam, The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-antietam. Hill forced Cox back to Foxs Gap with a gritty, tooth-and-nail defense that included arming cooks, clerks, and teamsters. 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. Rifles are shot to pieces in the hands of the soldiers, canteens and haversacks are riddled by bullets, the dead and wounded go down in scores, he wrote. Lt. Col. Edward Bragg of the 6th Wisconsin was wounded as the regiment was hit in both flanks. Maj. Gen. Fitz-John Porters V Corps occupied the Union center along the hills east of Antietam Creek, while Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside positioned his IX Corps opposite the lower bridge and the bluffs that commanded the approaches. Buy new: $40.64. West Woods 6. Just twelve hours of intense and often close-range fighting with muskets and cannons had resulted in around 23,000 casualties, including an estimated 3,650 dead. A collapse of the Confederate left appeared imminent. When Lees order reached Jackson, he dutifully prepared another copy for Hill, his brother-in-law, unaware that Chilton had included Hill among those receiving the order directly from Lee. The first Confederate shell struck the ranks of the 6th Wisconsin, killing two soldiers and wounding 11. Gen. Jacob Coxs Kanawha Division were in control of Foxs Gap. This battle flag of the 12 th Georgia includes the names of several color bearers who . Within the hour Ezra would be troubled by a much greater lossand discover the ultimate irony of Antietam's bloody Cornfield. The Civil War was in the midst of its second costly year, and the Union armies had yet to win a significant victory in the eastern theater. 191 that Chilton had intended for Hill. 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. Had Franklin overwhelmed McLaws and marched hard for Harpers Ferry, he might have lifted the siege and checked any subsequent movement by Jackson. In 20 minutes of fighting, Duryea lost 300 men. McClellan had given him the option to push on to relieve the trapped garrison at the arsenal, but McLaws hastily put together a defensive line that gave Franklin pause. Late that evening and on September 19, after realizing that no further attacks are coming from McClellan, Lee withdraws from the battlefield and slips back across the Potomac into Virginia. By David A. Welker The 90th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment was recruited exclusively within the city of Philadelphia. By mid-summer 1862, President Abraham Lincoln had the Emancipation Proclamationa document declaring freedom for all slaves in the so-called rebellious statesready to go. It is for you to decide your destiny, freely and without constraint. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. As Union soldiers stepped out of the Cornfield at dawn, September 17, 1862, Confederate troops unleashed a horrific volley. Certainly McClellans opportunity was great. The Iron Brigade headed down the turnpike and into the northwest corner of the cornfield, while Duryea struck toward the East Woods and the cornfields southern edge. Captain Benjamin F. Cook of the 12th Massachusetts remembered the horrific fighting in the cornfield and its aftermath. As the reliable Battery B, 4th U.S. Mansfield spluttered, Yes, yes, you are right. Precisely at that moment a bullet hit the 58-year-old general squarely in the chest. [1]. There they ran headlong into one of Lawtons brigades under Colonel James A. Walker. Pvt. 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. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. Updated: November 28, 2022 | Original: October 27, 2009. 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. This is that story, Viewers of the 1989 film Glory know it tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts African American regiment and its commander, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, who share a fate at the 1863 assault on Fort Wagner. This further isolated the Confederacy and made it harder for them to re-supply their troops and citizens. The 7th Wisconsin and 19th Indiana, moving as flank protection, fired a devastating volley into the two brigades assailing the 6th Wisconsin. For the first time since hostilities opened, Virginia was largely free of Union troops. Lee accompanied Longstreets columns across Antietam Creek, a tributary of the Potomac, heading toward the village of Sharpsburg. Travel back in time to see Antietam's battlefield as it looked 134 years ago. 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. Lincoln has been waiting for a military success to issue his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. 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 Antietam's deadly Cornfield Featured The Cornfield Casualty Top Ten Featured / 5 Comments He surveyed the terrain and noticed a patch of high ground about a mile to his front near the junction of the Smoketown Road and the Hagerstown Turnpike. 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. The Cornfield Trail loops around and through the Bloody Cornfield where 8,000 men were killed, wounded or went missing is the ferocious battle for two hours on the morning of September 17. The first Confederate invasion of Union-held territory is not going as planned. He retrieved an envelope that contained three cigars wrapped around the copy of Special Orders No. Hoods division roared out of the West Woods, around the Dunker Church, and through a gap in the fence along the Hagerstown Turnpike, pitching furiously into the Iron Brigade. This assault on Robert E. Lee's forces began the Battle of Antietam, the single bloodiest day of the Civil War. Men, I cannot say fell; they were knocked out of the ranks by dozens.. Maryland was a border state and remained in the Union, but Lee believed that large numbers of Southern sympathizers would rally to his ranks once the Army of Northern Virginia entered the state. Dawes remembered: As we appeared at the edge of the cornfield, a long line of men in butternut and gray rose up from the ground. Spotting Mansfields tightly packed troops, Hoods men fired on the 10th Maine Regiment. Their company commander, Captain Kop, was killed. Unable to remain in command, he left the scene convinced that Union forces were poised to drive the Confederates into the Potomac. Gen. Jubal Earlys brigade left Pelhams horse artillery on Nicodemus Hill to join the fray. He believed McClellan spent too much of his command drilling troops and little of it pursuing Lee. I supposed that we had everything in our own hands, he thought. The Cornfield changed hands again and again as both sides attacked and counterattacked. Rifles are shot to pieces in the hands of soldiers, canteens and haversacks are riddled with bullets, the dead and wounded go down in scores. I lived there as a child and these were the fields we played in before they became National Park Service protectorates, the mid-1950s. For the next four hours the Cornfield was the center of a storm of lead, iron, and flame as Federal soldiers from the First and Twelfth Corps clashed with Lee's men. The Battle of Antietam began at dawn on September 17 as the fog lifted. War fever was high that nightthe day before Confederate forces had fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston harborand some 102 men volunteered their services to New York State for Continue reading Buffalo in the Cornfield: The 21st New York atAntietam, With his brigade locked in a nearly point-blank fight on the southern end of Antietams Cornfield, Colonel Douglass had already been wounded seven times but remained in command. 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