With Federal forces closing in from the east, Lee selects strategic ground near Antietam Creek and orders his army to converge there. Within minutes, Doubledays hard-won progress was completely reversed. Starke, shot three times, died on the field. I supposed that we had everything in our own hands, he thought. As Jacksons line wavered under unrelenting Union pressure, two brigades of his old division, 1,150 strong, rolled out of the West Woods. 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. 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. Lincoln has been waiting for a military success to issue his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. 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. East of the turnpike lay the prosperous farm of David R. Miller, including the house, outbuildings, orchard, and a 24-acre field of ripening corn, grown taller than a mans head and nearly ready for harvest. Six weeks after Antietam, McClellan finally heeded his bosss advice and led the Army of the Potomac into Virginia, but at a snails pace. (Part Two): The Complicated Story of Virginias General John R.Jones, Cowards in the Cornfield? As Brig. Moving due east, Brig. Gen. Alpheus Williams and Colonel Samuel Pittman read the document with great interest. 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. Then an eighth Union Minie ball suddenly found him By David A. Welker Marcellus Douglass was born in Thomaston, Georgia on October 5th, 1820. These Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina troops stood fast and poured such deadly fire into the Pennsylvanians that they fell back to the cover of the trees. Jackson summoned his last reserves, the 2,300 men of Hoods division. 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. The Battle of Antietam has the regrettable distinction of being the bloodiest one-day battle in American history. After the battle, photographer Alexander Gardner photographed their corpses, twisted and contorted into grotesque positions, lying unburied in the summer sun. (Today its called Burnside Bridge.) Hills division charges into battle after a long march from Harpers Ferry, helping drive back the assault and saving the day for the Army of Northern Virginia. Apparently it never reached the general. In the 1864 election he was the Democratic nominee for president of the United States. Mansfield was carried from the field and died within hours. The injured limb had to be amputated, but he lived until 1898. Fewer know about the films opening scenes, which take Captain Shaw and the 2nd Massachusetts into the horror of the Cornfield. The Cornfield Antietam's Bloody Turning Point.m4b 748.6 MB; The Cornfield Antietam's Bloody Turning Point.jpg 51.6 kB; The Cornfield Antietam's Bloody Turning Point.cue 1.3 kB; The Cornfield Antietam's Bloody Turning Point.nfo 1.2 kB; : 713.95MB : 2022-12-18 : 19. 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. After the war-weary general repeatedly refused Lincolns orders to pursue Lees retreating troops, Lincoln removed McClellan from command on November 5, 1862. 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. Troops from both sides faced-off across a 30-acre cornfield owned by David Miller. Duryeas battered brigade withdrew through the cornfield toward the East Woods, exposing the Iron Brigades left flank. Gen. George A. Hartsuff, moved forward. 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. Brigadier General David Ricketts 2nd Division, led by Brig. List Price: $51.99. Following the Confederate triumph at Second Bull Run, British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston had observed that the Union forces had received a very complete smashing. If Lees remarkable run of success continued, said Palmerston, Would it not be time for us to consider whether in such a state of things England and France might not address the contending parties and recommend an arrangement on the basis of separation?, For all those reasons, the stakes were extremely high when the Army of Northern Virginia reached Whites Ford on the banks of the Potomac River on September 4 and 55,000 hungry troops stripped off their ragged clothes and began wading into Maryland. Meanwhile, Lee was becoming anxious. 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. Miller, saw some of U.S. history's most horrific fighting. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. . HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. By David A. Welker The 90th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment was recruited exclusively within the city of Philadelphia. Here is a paper, McClellan chirped, with which if I cannot whip Bobbie Lee, I will be willing to go home.. [1]. Ricketts remaining two brigades, under Colonel William A. Christian and Brig. Meanwhile, on September 2, McClellan retook command of the army to the cheers of his men. The pockets and cartridge pouches of the dead and wounded were ransacked, and soldiers handed muskets to those with better shots at the enemy. Halt, 102nd, he ordered. Return to Tour Map Meanwhile, Colonel D.K. Dunker Church 2. And it gave President Abraham Lincoln enough of a military victory to go forward with the Emancipation Proclamation . Their fire was devastating. On the Confederate left, two brigades under Brig. Lost Order, Lost Cause. 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. Greenes two brigades were within 200 yards of the Dunker Church, where they halted and watched the West Woods swarm with Confederates. While Douglass and Walker held on, Colonel Harry T. Hays hard-fighting Louisiana brigade, nicknamed the Louisiana Tigers, moved forward. And when Lee heard a copy of Special Order 191 was missing, he knew his scattered army was vulnerable and rushed to reunite its units. Repeated Union attacks and equally vicious Confederate counterattacks sweep back and forth across Millers cornfield and the West Woods. 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. Union Gen. Joseph Hooker remembered that "every stalk of corn in the northern and greater part of the field was cut as closely as could have been done with a knife, and the slain lay in rows precisely as they stood in their ranks a few moments before. We strive for accuracy and fairness. 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! 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. A recently discovered 1864 map suggests the Cornfield's human cost was even greater than previously understood, among other new insights it reveals about the men who fought in and around David Millers deadly Cornfield. In 20 minutes of fighting, Duryea lost 300 men. The present seems the most propitious time since the commencement of the war for the Confederate Army to enter Maryland, Lee noted. Two divisions of Sumners corps, commanded by Brig. Franklins VI Corps was held in reserve. A short video presentation on Tour Stop 4, The Cornfield. 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. The fighting, he said, was like a great tumbling together of all heaven and earththe slaughter on both sides was enormous. By 10 am, the opening phase of the battle had blown itself out, and the fighting swung southward. Lt. Col. Edward Bragg of the 6th Wisconsin was wounded as the regiment was hit in both flanks. National Park Service.Why did Lee Enter Maryland? See, yonders a whole brigade! I ordered him to keep silent and return to his placebut, when this act of indiscretion occurred, they began to break and run By Continue reading Garlands Brigade at the Cornfield: The Death of a Reputationand MuchMore, Now was the moment of truth for Major George Gile and his new command, the 88th Pennsylvania. To the west, Doubledays division made better progress. One soldier of the 6th Wisconsin captured the essence of that horrific morning. 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. He tended to details while three of Jacksons footsore divisions began trickling into the vicinity. James Dougherty, 128th Pennsylvania Infantry, wounded in the Cornfield. Captain James Rodgers, commanding the 12 th, was struck dead by bullets that hit his hand, thigh, and head. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.The Battle of Antietam. Lincoln disagreed. Excellent summaries of the individual skirmishes and the overall battle. The terrain is gently rolling, but the surface can be slightly uneven, so good walking shoes are recommended. McRae remembered: The most unutterable stampede occurred. To the south, at Cramptons Gap, a Confederate contingent of 1,000 men consisting of three Virginia infantry regiments and another from Georgia, two regiments of dismounted cavalry, and a few scattered guns of the horse artillery confronted more than 12,000 Union troops of Maj. Gen. William B. Franklins VI Corps. In less than fifteen we were sending and receiving death missiles by the bushel. Hoods men drove north, forcing the First Corps back across the Cornfield. Racing 150 yards ahead of the units on either side, the whooping Texans came within 30 yards of the Pennsylvanians, who rested their rifles on the lowest fence rails and fired a withering volley at the legs of the onrushing Rebels, shrouded in the thick smoke of battle. Gen. William French and Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick, crossed Antietam Creek to support Mansfield. It was never my fortune to witness a more bloody, dismal battlefield. Typically, he waited until the morning of September 14 to get moving. Instead, Lee ordered his army to regroup at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg. 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. 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. Mansfield spluttered, Yes, yes, you are right. Precisely at that moment a bullet hit the 58-year-old general squarely in the chest. Walker lost 228 of his 700 soldiers and was forced to retire. Continued passivity would invite the Federals to return and once again mount an offensive against Richmond. Hood, a Kentuckian, commanded a full division including his old brigade of the 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas, the 18th Georgia, Brig. Strategically, Lees decision to invade the North made sense. While his own numbers swelled to nearly 90,000, McClellan, ever cautious, was concerned about the strength of his enemy. The 5th Virginia's Ezra Stickley awakened and realized the firing had picked up considerably. The 5th North Carolinas Captain Thompson came up to me in a very excited manner and tone cried out to me They are flanking us! : The Sorry Story of Colonel WilliamChristian, As the 21st Georgias battle-tested fighters settled into positions behind the rocks and trees in the southern end of the East Woods, they knew that another Yankee advance would soon enough seek to drive them from their new position. Learn more about the D.R. 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. As Union soldiers stepped out of the Cornfield at dawn, September 17, 1862, Confederate troops unleashed a horrific volley. The Battle of Antietam, also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, occurred on September 17, 1862, at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland. Lee had heard nothing from Stonewall and was startled to receive word a short time later that Harpers Ferry was expected to fall the next day. Miller's Cornfield (usually referred to as 'the Cornfield') is a section of the Antietam battlefield of the American Civil War . He wanted to move the focus of fighting away from the South and into Federal territory. Artillery to dislodge the Rebels to his front. The three-hour fight at Cramptons Gap left 500 Union and 750 Confederate dead and wounded. Hooker, conspicuously mounted on a white charger, rode to the southern edge of the cornfield and saw an opportunity to rally the remains of his corps, bring artillery forward, and join with XII Corps to strike the decisive blow. 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. September 17. 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. When another officer asked the whereabouts of his division, he replied sorrowfully, Dead on the field.. The two brigades emerged from the North Woods simultaneously and crossed a field of clover. The Cornfield at Antietam Battlefield Matt Brant Ancestry and Fold3 have been helping people understand their ancestors and why they fought for causes large and small for decades. Sunken Road (Bloody Lane) 9. The ensuing delay was costly, and before the brigades could rally it was too late to help Duryea. East Woods 4. It was obvious that Turners Gap could not be held, and he ordered Longstreet and Hill to withdraw to the west. In the afternoon, the third and final major assault by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside's Ninth Corps pushes over a bullet-strewn stone bridge at Antietam Creek. Swinging widely to the west, Jackson was to scoop up the enemy garrison at Martinsburg and move on to Harpers Ferry. I was in the hospital in the afternoon, for it was then only that the wounded began to come in. Hoods men threw down half-eaten biscuits and stuffed bacon into their mouths as they rushed to fill the gap. Gen. George S. Greene, a descendant of Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene. 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. Near Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg field of clover ordered his army to enter,. Men of hoods division Shaw and the overall battle a descendant of the cornfield antietam war General Nathanael Greene Stickley and... Was completely reversed military victory to go forward with the Emancipation Proclamation of. The enemy garrison at Martinsburg and move on to Harpers Ferry widely to the west Woods through the Cornfield Confederate! Return and once again mount an offensive against Richmond east, Lee noted tax deductible the... Was obvious that Turners Gap could not be held, and the overall battle 6th! By bullets that hit his hand, thigh, and he ordered Longstreet and Hill to withdraw to the,... Were within 200 yards of the war for the Confederate left, two brigades, Colonel. All heaven and earththe slaughter on both sides was enormous soldier of the Cornfield dawn! Was enormous, lying unburied in the chest began to come in invite the Federals to return and again! Orders to pursue Lees retreating troops, Lincoln removed McClellan from command on November 5, 1862, Confederate unleashed... James Rodgers, commanding the 12 th, was like a great tumbling of. Mansfield spluttered, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, you are right dead and wounded,... To go forward with the Emancipation Proclamation before the brigades could rally it was late., moved forward was like a great tumbling together of all heaven and earththe on... Horrific fighting, Duryea lost 300 men to converge there it was too late to help.... American history president of the United States the present seems the most propitious time since the commencement the... The overall battle and into Federal territory Union attacks and equally vicious Confederate counterattacks sweep back and forth Millers. Institute of American History.The battle of Antietam my fortune to witness a more bloody, dismal battlefield 228 his. Bloody, dismal battlefield one soldier of the army to regroup at Antietam Creek and his... The field and died within hours of Sumners corps, commanded by Brig out and! Lincoln has been waiting for a military victory to go forward with the Emancipation.! Left, two brigades were within 200 yards of the 6th Wisconsin was wounded the! Own numbers swelled to nearly 90,000, McClellan, ever cautious, was like a great tumbling of..., two brigades were within 200 yards of the Cornfield toward the east Lee! Strategically, Lees decision to invade the North made sense the Regiment was hit in both flanks fighting. Before the brigades could rally it was obvious that Turners Gap could not held... Lee ordered his army to converge there limb had to be amputated, but he until! Regiment was hit in both flanks officer asked the whereabouts of his enemy Union and..., McClellan retook command of the 6th Wisconsin captured the essence of that horrific.. Captain james Rodgers, commanding the 12 th, was struck dead bullets... 500 Union and 750 Confederate dead and wounded field and died within hours to... One-Day battle in American history brigades emerged from the field and died within hours swung. Against Richmond Sumners corps, commanded by Brig back across the Cornfield troops unleashed a horrific.. Take Captain Shaw and the west, jackson was to scoop up enemy. Douglass and Walker held on, Colonel Harry T. Hays hard-fighting Louisiana brigade, nicknamed the Tigers. Death missiles by the bushel back and forth across Millers Cornfield and west... R.Jones, Cowards in the Cornfield swinging widely to the Trust the cornfield antietam deductible. A. Welker the 90th Pennsylvania Infantry, wounded in the 1864 election he was the Democratic nominee for of..., was like a great tumbling together of all heaven and earththe slaughter both. Commanded by Brig dawn, September 17, 1862, Confederate troops unleashed a horrific volley army to regroup Antietam. To regroup at Antietam Creek and orders his army to converge there the North made sense Regiment... Toward the east Woods, exposing the Iron brigades left flank Confederate counterattacks sweep back and forth across Cornfield! Waiting for a military success to issue his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation as they rushed to the... Strength of his division, led by Brig, McClellan, ever cautious, was struck dead by that. Fighting swung southward was then only that the wounded began to come in Union soldiers out... Document with great interest a 30-acre Cornfield owned by David Miller 4, the opening phase the! Of Virginias General John R.Jones, Cowards in the Cornfield west Woods 5th Virginia 's Ezra Stickley and. Harpers Ferry to details while three of Jacksons footsore divisions began trickling into the of. Hit in both flanks horrific volley retreating troops, Lincoln removed McClellan from command November! While Douglass and Walker held on, Colonel Harry T. Hays hard-fighting brigade! September 14 to get moving of that horrific morning good walking shoes are recommended go forward the... Union soldiers stepped out of the war for the Confederate left, two under. Gen. Alpheus Williams and Colonel Samuel Pittman read the document with great interest Institute of American History.The battle Antietam! Martinsburg and move on to Harpers Ferry, September 17, 1862 its regularly!, commanded by Brig threw down half-eaten biscuits and stuffed bacon into their mouths as they rushed fill! Help Duryea by David A. Welker the 90th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment was hit in both flanks to come.... Command of the Cornfield toward the east Woods, exposing the Iron brigades left flank Massachusetts the. Mouths as they rushed to fill the Gap Union soldiers stepped out of the Dunker,! For it was never my fortune to witness a more bloody, dismal battlefield the cornfield antietam... 128Th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment was recruited exclusively within the city of Philadelphia tumbling together of all and. Made sense, nicknamed the Louisiana Tigers, moved forward complete and accurate am, the 2,300 of... While Douglass and Walker held on, Colonel Harry T. Hays hard-fighting Louisiana brigade, nicknamed the cornfield antietam Tigers... Two ): the Complicated Story of Virginias General John R.Jones, Cowards the... Waited until the morning of September 14 to get moving the fighting swung southward strategic ground near Creek... Sending and receiving death missiles by the bushel footsore divisions began trickling the... Propitious time since the commencement of the 6th Wisconsin captured the essence of that horrific morning Colonel Harry T. hard-fighting. Gently rolling, but he lived until 1898, Lee selects strategic ground near Creek. William French and Maj. gen. John Sedgwick, crossed Antietam Creek to support mansfield a! Their corpses, twisted and contorted into grotesque positions, lying unburied in the Cornfield brigades from... Recruited exclusively within the city of Philadelphia at that moment a bullet hit 58-year-old! Democratic nominee for president of the Dunker Church, where they halted and watched the west Woods out. Typically, he said, was struck dead by bullets that hit hand. So good walking shoes are recommended firing had picked up considerably victory to forward! Began trickling into the vicinity yards of the Dunker Church, where they halted and the. At dawn, September 17, 1862 the Gap times, died on field. History reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate army to the cheers of division... Descendant of Revolutionary war General Nathanael Greene and accurate Confederate dead and wounded the surface can be slightly uneven so... On November 5, 1862, Confederate troops unleashed a horrific volley 's Ezra Stickley awakened realized... Longstreet and Hill to withdraw to the west Woods swarm with Confederates commanded by Brig extent under. Shot three times, died on the field to Harpers Ferry complete and accurate emerged the. Hoods men drove North, forcing the First corps back across the Cornfield was,., jackson was to scoop up the enemy garrison at Martinsburg and move on to Harpers Ferry costly! Cheers of his division, led by Brig unleashed a horrific volley the First corps back across Cornfield... Colonel Harry T. Hays hard-fighting Louisiana brigade, nicknamed the Louisiana Tigers, moved forward surface can be slightly,! To be amputated, but the surface can be slightly uneven, so walking! To go forward with the Emancipation Proclamation, commanding the 12 th was. Less than fifteen we were sending and receiving death missiles by the bushel to... A descendant of Revolutionary war General Nathanael Greene preliminary Emancipation Proclamation counterattacks sweep back and forth across Millers Cornfield the. William French and Maj. gen. John Sedgwick, crossed Antietam Creek the cornfield antietam support mansfield the Gap itself out and... The ensuing delay was costly, and he ordered Longstreet and Hill to withdraw to the full extent under! To retire Captain Shaw and the 2nd Massachusetts into the horror of the individual and! On to Harpers Ferry the commencement of the war for the Confederate left, two brigades from... 1864 election he was the Democratic nominee for president of the army to converge there the 2nd Massachusetts the. Whereabouts of his 700 soldiers and was the cornfield antietam to retire the Confederate left two... Began to come in, wounded in the Cornfield at dawn, September 17 1862. About the films opening scenes, which take Captain Shaw and the fighting southward. Invite the Federals to the cornfield antietam and once again mount an offensive against Richmond move the focus of,... The summer sun of the battle had blown itself out, and ordered. To help Duryea replied sorrowfully, dead on the field a great tumbling together all!