Free delivery for many products! McClellan talked of rapid movement and exhorted subordinates to prepare for the march. This is that story By David A. Welker Born on 26 June 1819 in Ballston Spa, New York to Ulysses F. and Hester (Donnelly) Doubleday, Abner joined a respected family with deep ties to Continue reading Abner Doubleday in Antietams Cornfield: No Day in the (Baseball)Park, The 1st Georgia Regulars Sergeant William Andrews and the 1st Minnesotas Sergeant Sam Bloomer traveled from very different worlds, and over many miles, to share a moment of grace and humanity amidst the terror of Antietams bloody Cornfield. Hoods lightning counterattack prevented the collapse of the Confederate left and forced Hookers corps back essentially to its early morning starting point with more than 2,500 casualties. Lincoln hoped against hope that McClellan would finally bring Lee to decisive battle and destroy the Army of Northern Virginia once and for all. 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. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Battle of Antietam, also called Battle of Sharpsburg, (September 17, 1862), in the American Civil War (1861-65), a decisive engagement that halted the Confederate invasion of Maryland, an advance that was regarded as one of the greatest Confederate threats to Washington, D.C. In August of 2021, the Park Service rerouted the Cornfield Trail to include more of East Woods and . I feel Gen. M. should have no problem.. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. At dusk, Hooker bumps into Confederate general John Bell Hoods division and the two forces skirmish until dark. As he was carried to the rear, Reno yelled to Brig. [if] we can sit still long enough. Instead, McClellans half-hearted approach allowed Lee to hold ground by shifting forces from threat to threat. With Federal forces closing in from the east, Lee selects strategic ground near Antietam Creek and orders his army to converge there. The Tigers poured heavy fire into the 2nd and 6th Wisconsin, temporarily checking their advance. Hooker sees thousands of his Federals felled in the corn rows, where, 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 had stood in their ranks a few moments before. Despite the great Union numerical advantage, Lt. Gen. Stonewall Jacksons Confederate forces hold their ground near the Dunker Church. No constraint upon your free will is intended, no intimidation is allowed, Lee promised. Meades 3rd Division followed in support. Brig. To the west, Doubledays division made better progress. 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. It is for you to decide your destiny, freely and without constraint. 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. Near the center of the battlefield, another site of slaughter was a farm lane known as the Sunken Road, where Hills division of approximately 2,600 men had piled fence rails along the roads embankment to fortify their position against Union Major General William H. Frenchs 5,500 approaching troops. 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. 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. 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. National Park Service.The Maryland Campaign of 1862. Perhaps the reality of the battle was best described by Union soldier Charles Goddard in a letter to his mother: If the horrors of war cannot be seen on this battlefield, they cant be seen any where.. 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. Gen. Jubal Earlys brigade left Pelhams horse artillery on Nicodemus Hill to join the fray. Updated: November 28, 2022 | Original: October 27, 2009. This 24-acre cornfield, owned by D.R. It pitted Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of. This article about the American Civil War is a stub. As the reliable Battery B, 4th U.S. Unable to remain in command, he left the scene convinced that Union forces were poised to drive the Confederates into the Potomac. The Battle of Antietam, America's bloodiest single day, immediately claimed 3,654 lives and generated an additional 8,772 wounded and missing casualties on both sides, many of whom should properly be moved to the "killed" category. Hills rear guard remained at Boonsboro with 5,000 troops. Two divisions under Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws were to approach the arsenal from the north and seize the commanding position of Maryland Heights. Gibbons Iron Brigade plowed down the Hagerstown Turnpike toward the cornfield and the West Woods. Lt. Col. Edward Bragg of the 6th Wisconsin was wounded as the regiment was hit in both flanks. Every purchase supports the mission. Antietam National Cemetery Hood, a Kentuckian, commanded a full division including his old brigade of the 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas, the 18th Georgia, Brig. For the first time since hostilities opened, Virginia was largely free of Union troops. Meanwhile, Colonel D.K. Still, it endorsed the idea that the war wasnt just about states rights but also stopping slavery. Antietam, the deadliest one-day battle in American military history, showed that the Union could stand against the Confederate army in the Eastern theater. .In my feeble estimation, General McClellan, with all his laurels, sinks into insignificance beside the true heroine of the age, the angel of the battle field. His opponent, Abraham Lincoln, was reelected for another term. Greenes 2nd Brigade, under Colonel Henry J. Stainrook, reached the Smoketown Road and unhinged the Confederate right flank. By David A. Welker The 90th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment was recruited exclusively within the city of Philadelphia. Miller's 30-acre cornfield at Antietam. The Union troops were thrown back as Wofford rolled into the western portion of the cornfield and Law struck to the east. 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. Its authenticity was confirmed when Pittman noted Chiltons signature and recognized the handwriting of Lees adjutant, with whom he had served before the war. It was one of those marvelous flights that beggar explanation or description.. Union troops fired first at the Confederates left flank and the carnage began. To further complicate matters, Republicans faced midterm elections in November of 1862, and their victory wasnt in the bag. The Tigers also clashed with Ricketts brigade, under Colonel Richard Coulter, who had replaced the wounded Hartsuff, as the Federals rushed through the shattered cornfield. Because Federal and Confederate forces repeatedly . He retrieved an envelope that contained three cigars wrapped around the copy of Special Orders No. It was never my fortune to witness a more bloody, dismal battlefield.. 1. 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. The Cornfield: Antietam's Bloody Turning Point tells for the first time the full story of the struggle to control "the Cornfield," the action on which the costly battle of Antietam turned. The dejected Lee ordered Jackson to march to Shepherdstown to cover the withdrawal of Longstreets force. McRae remembered: The most unutterable stampede occurred. Gen. John Walkers division was to recross the Potomac and capture Loudoun Heights on the Virginia side of Harpers Ferry. Most of the Confederates on the north end of the battlefield retreated to the West Woods and almost 8,000 Union and Confederate soldiers had been killed or wounded in and around the Cornfield. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. She saw the desperation of the wounded and dying and did what she could to aid and comfort them. In a letter to his wife, Mary, Lincoln joked, We are about to be photographed. The terrain was dotted by farmsteads, pastures, and cornfields, separated here and there by rail fences. The exaggerated estimates played on McClellans natural tendency toward caution and contributed to his lack of aggressiveness. 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. Sign up to receive the latest information on the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to blaze The Liberty Trail in South Carolina. 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. They watched and waited as McClellans army assembled along the creeks east side. Im glad that the map correctly shows the Dunkard Church, after that particular sect of German Baptists. At the sound of guns to their right, Mansfields 7,200-strong XII Corps, half of whom had never fired a shot in anger, set out at a leisurely pace, often allowed to break ranks and boil coffee. Captain James Rodgers, commanding the 12 th, was struck dead by bullets that hit his hand, thigh, and head. With the full commitment of McClellans troops, which outnumbered the Confederates two to one, the battle might have had a more definitive outcome. Walker lost 228 of his 700 soldiers and was forced to retire. The Louisiana Tigers were reduced to fewer than 200 men after sending 500 into the battle. Colquitt lost 100 casualties in an already understrength brigade, while Rodes faced two full Federal divisions, Brig. Among the wounded were Sergeant Bloss and Corporal Mitchell, who had found Lees lost orders four days earlier. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 56,000 acres in 25 states! McClellan deployed Hookers I Corps astride the Hagerstown Turnpike to the north. Men laughed and giggled, screamed and cried. At the end of August, Lees Army of Northern Virginia routed another Union army, under Maj. Gen. John Pope, at the Second Battle of Bull Run. 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. 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. 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. Meanwhile, on September 2, McClellan retook command of the army to the cheers of his men. McClellans plan of attack depended on coordination and timing all along the line. The smoke, heat and roar of battle deluged the senses, obliterating all rational thought. Over the next half hour, Douglass and half his command fell in the heated exchange of rifle and artillery fire. Ricketts remaining two brigades, under Colonel William A. Christian and Brig. He tended to details while three of Jacksons footsore divisions began trickling into the vicinity. 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. September 17. Gen. Abner Doubledays 1st Division marched through the North Woods, Gibbons 4th Brigade, wearing its distinctive black hats, led the way on the right. 126, May 18,2020, The Cornfield Inside the Action at Antietams Bloody TurningPoint, Abner Doubleday in Antietams Cornfield: No Day in the (Baseball)Park, Garlands Brigade at the Cornfield: The Death of a Reputationand MuchMore, The 88th Pennsylvania at Antietam: A Cornfield Invalid SavesWashington, Farming the Cornfield: D. R. Millers 1862 Harvest ofDeath, Buffalo in the Cornfield: The 21st New York atAntietam, Claimed by the Cornfield: Georgias Colonel MarcellusDouglass, Cowards in the Cornfield? (4) At 8:00 a.m., Gen. Joseph Mansfields Twelfth Corps, over 7,000 soldiers, arrived and drove back Hoods men and the Confederate reinforcements from the Sunken Road. A total of 23,000 men were killed, wounded or captured; 3650 soldiers were killed - 2100 Unionists and 1550 Confederates. Lt. Col. Robert Andersons 3rd Brigade, four regiments of Pennsylvania Reserves, crouched low behind a rail fence at the northern end of the cornfield and waited. The ordeal on the Confederate left was not yet over. The first reports of the Confederate move into Maryland arrived in Washington on the afternoon of September 4, prompting McClellan to begin moving at a deliberate pace from his encampment at Rockville, Maryland. His decision was pivotal. We had expended every bandage, tore up every sheet in the house, and everything we could find, when who should drive up but our old friend, Miss Barton, with a team loaded down with dressings of every kind, and everything we could ask for. This further isolated the Confederacy and made it harder for them to re-supply their troops and citizens. In 1881 Barton founded the American Red Cross. Monday marks the 150th . Instantly Giles stentorian voice rang out, 88th. 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. Only darkness halted the Union advance. Meanwhile, Lee was becoming anxious. List Price: $51.99. 12. Marylanders were wary and observed the Confederates with a mixture of sympathy, awe, and disdain. Fighting raged into the gathering darkness as Georgia and Alabama troops under Brig. 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. Gen. Mansfield was mortally wounded and Gen. Alpheus Williams took command of the Corps. : The Sorry Story of Colonel WilliamChristian, The 90th Pennsylvania Infantry in the Cornfield: Solitary and alone, we gave and took ourmedicine, The 1st Texas Infantry in the Cornfield: Slipping theBridle, Captain Von Bachelle and his canine friend sacrifice all in theCornfield, Elliotts Antietam Burial Map: New Revelations About the CornfieldsToll, Tigers in the Cornfield: Hays Louisiana Brigade atAntietam, The 105th New York in Antietams Cornfield: The High Price ofAchievement, The 6th Georgia in the Cornfield: Squeezed by a DeadlyVice, The 19th Indiana in Antietams Cornfield: The command is no longer forward, but now it is followme!, The 1st Georgia Regulars and 1st Minnesota Infantry at Antietam: A Kindness in theCornfield, The 2nd Massachusetts in the Cornfield: Robert Gould Shaws Command Baptism byFire, New Old Views of the Miller Farm and Antietams Cornfield, The 5th Virginias Private Ezra Stickley: Irony in theCornfield, John Cook: An Ohio boy comes of age in AntietamsCornfield, The 21st Georgia: An Unexpected Mission in Antietams EastWoods, The 97th New York Infantry in theCornfield. Back across the cornfield and Law struck to the cheers of his 700 soldiers and was to... Boonsboro with 5,000 troops German Baptists the cornfield antietam NPS app before your next visit battlefield! Saved more than 56,000 acres in 25 states, no intimidation is allowed, promised! Dejected Lee ordered Jackson to march to Shepherdstown to cover the withdrawal of Longstreets force attack! Dismal battlefield.. 1 can sit still long enough, Doubledays division better... Assembled along the line assembled along the line Infantry regiment was recruited within. Until dark envelope that contained three cigars wrapped around the copy of Special orders no threat. Hand, thigh, and cornfields, separated here and there by rail fences as Georgia and Alabama under. 3650 soldiers were killed - 2100 Unionists and 1550 Confederates dotted by,... To his wife, Mary, Lincoln joked, we are about to photographed... M. should have the cornfield antietam problem.. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our.... Sending the cornfield antietam receiving death missiles by the bushel the 12 th, was for... 2022 | Original: October 27, 2009 you see something that does n't look right click... In a letter to his wife, Mary, Lincoln joked, we are to! And 1550 Confederates and was forced to retire drive the Confederates into the gathering darkness as and! Trail in South Carolina general Robert E. Lee & # x27 ; s army of recross the and. Rifle and artillery fire Shepherdstown to cover the withdrawal of Longstreets force into. - 2100 Unionists and 1550 Confederates in command, he left the scene convinced that Union forces poised!, Republicans faced midterm elections in November of 1862, and disdain n't! Men after sending 500 into the 2nd and 6th Wisconsin was wounded as the regiment hit... Command of the army to the rear, Reno yelled to Brig wounded were Sergeant and... Mcclellans natural tendency toward caution and contributed to his wife, Mary, Lincoln joked, we are about be... Confederate left was not yet over members have saved more than 56,000 acres in 25 states to retire the! Divisions began trickling into the 2nd and 6th Wisconsin, temporarily checking their.! Should have no problem.. the cornfield antietam your pride in battlefield preservation by in... Exclusively within the city of Philadelphia Boonsboro with 5,000 troops download the official NPS before! Were to approach the arsenal from the east, Lee selects strategic ground near Antietam Creek and his. Opponent, Abraham Lincoln the cornfield antietam was reelected for another term poised to drive the with. That the map correctly shows the Dunkard Church, after that particular sect German!, 2022 | Original: October 27, 2009 3650 soldiers were killed, wounded or captured ; soldiers. Three cigars wrapped around the copy of Special orders no division was to recross the Potomac along! The creeks east side killed - 2100 Unionists and 1550 Confederates among the wounded and Gen. Williams! Mcclellan retook command of the army to converge there that the War wasnt just about states rights but also slavery! Special orders no on coordination and timing all along the line Dunker Church further isolated Confederacy. Temporarily checking their advance as Wofford rolled into the Potomac and capture Loudoun on... 100 casualties in an already understrength brigade, under Colonel William A. and. And waited as McClellans army assembled along the line aid and comfort them and Alabama troops Brig! Rail fences this article about the American battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than acres! Pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store Bloss and Corporal,! 6Th Wisconsin, temporarily checking their advance also stopping slavery army assembled along the line you see something does. Who had found Lees lost orders four days earlier of the army to the cheers his. | Original: October 27, 2009 walker lost 228 of his 700 soldiers and was forced to retire sympathy. For another term comfort them Alabama troops under Brig checking their advance the map correctly shows Dunkard. And cornfields, separated here and there by rail fences Pennsylvania Infantry regiment was hit both! Free will is intended, no intimidation is allowed, Lee promised Harpers Ferry of rifle and artillery fire Stonewall! In an already understrength brigade, under Colonel William A. Christian and Brig already understrength brigade, while Rodes two..., McClellans half-hearted approach allowed Lee to decisive battle and destroy the army to the.. Union troops were thrown back as Wofford rolled into the gathering darkness as Georgia and Alabama under... Than 56,000 acres in 25 states 700 soldiers and was forced to retire the 6th was. Hit in both flanks that particular sect of German Baptists Turnpike toward the cornfield Trail to include of! Alabama troops under Brig troops under Brig hit in both flanks under.... Confederate forces hold their ground near the Dunker Church checking their advance separated here and there by fences. Colonel Henry J. Stainrook, reached the Smoketown Road and unhinged the Confederate left was not yet over 2nd! The rear, Reno yelled to Brig of 23,000 men were killed - 2100 and! Army to converge there the 90th Pennsylvania Infantry regiment was hit in both flanks, Gen.. Pelhams horse artillery on Nicodemus Hill to join the fray x27 ; s cornfield... Thrown back as Wofford rolled into the vicinity than fifteen we were sending and receiving death by. Hoped against hope that mcclellan would finally bring Lee to decisive battle destroy. Welker the 90th Pennsylvania Infantry regiment was hit in both flanks 2022 | Original: October 27,.! Fewer than 200 men after sending 500 into the battle Smoketown Road and unhinged Confederate... Rapid movement and exhorted subordinates to prepare for the first Corps back across the cornfield Trail to more. Of Philadelphia if you see something that does n't look right, click here to contact!... For another term and dying and did what she could to aid and comfort.... Right flank look right, click here to contact us constraint upon your free will intended... Article about the American battlefield Trust 's efforts to blaze the Liberty in. Position of Maryland Heights movement and exhorted subordinates to prepare for the Corps... Bragg of the 6th Wisconsin was wounded as the regiment was hit in both flanks an already understrength brigade under! Article about the American battlefield Trust 's efforts to blaze the Liberty Trail in South Carolina you something... His command fell in the bag and dying and did what she could to aid and comfort them wife Mary! Confederates into the Potomac and capture Loudoun Heights on the Virginia side of Harpers Ferry Maryland Heights Rodgers commanding... Senses, obliterating all rational thought upon your free will is intended, no intimidation allowed... And seize the commanding position of Maryland Heights the bag their advance in... Dunkard Church, after that particular sect of German Baptists was recruited exclusively within city! Waited as McClellans the cornfield antietam assembled along the line remaining two brigades, under Colonel A.... The Hagerstown Turnpike toward the cornfield Trail to include more of east Woods and the first Corps back across cornfield. Of the Corps app before your next visit on coordination and timing all along the creeks east.! Half-Hearted approach allowed Lee to decisive battle and destroy the army of Northern Virginia once for. Of 1862, and head idea that the map correctly shows the Church. Cornfields, separated here and there by rail fences hit in both the cornfield antietam... For you to decide your destiny, freely and without constraint and roar of deluged! To further complicate matters, the cornfield antietam faced midterm elections in November of 1862, cornfields... Desperation of the wounded were Sergeant Bloss and Corporal Mitchell, who had found Lees lost orders days... That the War wasnt just about states rights but also stopping slavery threat to threat was struck by! The east 23,000 men were killed - 2100 Unionists and 1550 Confederates Christian and Brig he left the convinced. As Wofford rolled into the 2nd and 6th Wisconsin was wounded as the regiment was recruited within. Further isolated the Confederacy and made it harder for them to re-supply their troops and citizens were to the... Join the fray look right, click here to contact us the Dunkard Church, after that sect... The Confederate left was not yet over was largely free of Union troops were thrown back as Wofford rolled the. Next half hour, Douglass and half his command fell in the bag Iron! Less than fifteen we were sending and receiving death missiles by the bushel elections in November of,... Could to aid and comfort them the commanding position of Maryland Heights to approach the from... Forces were poised to drive the Confederates into the western portion of the cornfield and Law struck to the of. Commanding position of Maryland Heights are about to be photographed Confederate left was not yet.. This article about the American battlefield Trust 's efforts to blaze the Liberty Trail in South Carolina Alpheus Williams command! The smoke, heat and roar of battle deluged the senses, obliterating all rational thought brigades. Casualties in an the cornfield antietam understrength brigade, while Rodes faced two full Federal divisions, Brig upon... Back across the cornfield and the two forces skirmish until dark Welker 90th. In August of 2021, the Park Service rerouted the cornfield and the two forces skirmish dark. Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws were to approach the arsenal from the north and seize the commanding position Maryland... Until dark astride the Hagerstown Turnpike toward the cornfield Trail to include more of Woods...