battle of gettysburg. The Battle of Antietam has been called the bloodiest single day in American History. 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. as they marched, but by the fall of 1862 pro-Union sentiment was winning out, especially in the western parts of the state. Jackson defended the left (northern) flank, anchored on the Potomac, Longstreet the right (southern) flank, anchored on the Antietam, a line that was about 4 miles (6km) long. Though the Union and Confederate artilleries each had advantages and disadvantages in the Battle of Antietam in September of 1862, the artillery with the most initiative and superior fire support coordination prevailed. fredericksburg. Conservation work undertaken by Antietam National Battlefield and private groups, has earned Antietam a reputation as one of the nation's best preserved Civil War battlefields. And on September 15, the force under Lee's immediate command consisted of no more than 18,000 men, only a third the size of the Federal army. However, Burnside was instructed to wait for explicit orders before launching his attack, and those orders did not reach him until 10a.m.[65] Burnside was strangely passive during preparations for the battle. be keith snyder. French's division suffered 1,750 casualties (of his 5,700 men) in under an hour.[55]. There was panic in the streets of Sharpsburg, clogged with retreating Confederates. The divisions under McLaws and Richard H. Anderson arrived following a night march from Harpers Ferry. Command of his I Corps fell to General Meade, since Hooker's senior subordinate, James B. Ricketts, had also been wounded. We were shooting them like sheep in a pen. Gen. Jacob D. Cox exercised operational command during the battle), consisted of the divisions of: The XII Corps, under Maj. Gen. Joseph K. Mansfield, consisted of the divisions of: The Cavalry Division of Brig. Maj. Gen. James Longstreet's Right Wing or Command consisted of the following divisions: Maj. Gen. Thomas J. [33], As the first Union men emerged from the North Woods and into the Cornfield, an artillery duel erupted. "[44] Hooker called for support from the 7,200 men of Mansfield's XII Corps. A counterattack with 200 men led by D.H. Hill got around the Federal left flank near the sunken road, and although they were driven back by a fierce charge of the 5th New Hampshire, this stemmed the collapse of the center. Facing him was a force that had been greatly depleted by Lee's movement of units to bolster the Confederate left flank. Branch and William E. Starke on the Confederate side. After an improvised truce for both sides to recover and exchange their wounded, Lee's forces began withdrawing across the Potomac that evening to return to Virginia. When the men were rallied and advanced into the Cornfield, they met the same artillery and infantry fire as their predecessors. Gen. John Gibbon's 4th Brigade of Doubleday's division (recently named the Iron Brigade) began advancing down and astride the turnpike, into the cornfield, and in the West Woods, pushing aside Jackson's men. American Battlefield Trust Topic (s): In4Minutes Arms Acquire 20 Sacred Acres at Antietam Hooker's objective was the plateau on which sat the Dunker Church, a modest whitewashed building belonging to a local sect of German Baptists. In October 1862 Brady displayed the photos by Gardner in an exhibition entitled "The Dead of Antietam" at Brady's New York gallery. 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. With the full commitment of McClellans troops, which outnumbered the Confederates two to one, the battle might have had a more definitive outcome. Although an immediate Union attack on the morning of September 16 would have had an overwhelming advantage in numbers, McClellan's trademark caution and his belief that Lee had as many as 100,000 men at Sharpsburg caused him to delay his attack for a day. But at the same time, the 4,000 men of Maj. Gen. Israel B. Richardson's division arrived on French's left. These also were pivotal moments. [citation needed], Richardson's men were in hot pursuit when massed artillery hastily assembled by Gen. Longstreet drove them back. After that, Lee moves northward. Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment. These losses contributed directly to the confusion of the following events. Share to Google Classroom Added by 43 Educators Robert E. Lee issued Special Order 191 during the Maryland campaign, before the Battle of Antietam. The Battle of Antietam / ntitm / also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the South, fought on Wednesday, September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Union soil. abraham lincoln. But the plan went awry. Emboldened by success, the Confederate leadership intended to take the war into enemy territory. He had defeated the Union Army on the Virginia peninsula in May, and again at the second battle of Bull Run in August. History Engine 3.0 + Leaflet The Battle of Antietam The Civil War was not just one battle that cut the connecting fibers between the North and the South, but a collection of micro battles, that, as a whole made up the Civil War. The Battle of Antietam begins at dawn when Hookers Union corps mounts a powerful assault on Lees left flank. In the afternoon, Union Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside's corps entered the action, capturing a stone bridge over Antietam Creek and advancing against the Confederate right. But they would never have happened if the triple Confederate offensives in Mississippi, Kentucky, and most of all Maryland had not been defeated in the fall of 1862. They saw little fighting, but were tasked with the difficult task. Emory Upton, then a captain Hooker's men had also paid heavily but without achieving their objectives. Lee withdrew from the battlefield first, the technical definition of the tactical loser in a Civil War battle. Franklin was ready to exploit this breakthrough, but Sumner, the senior corps commander, ordered him not to advance. The bridge was dominated by a 100-foot (30 m) high wooded bluff on the west bank, strewn with boulders from an old quarry, making infantry and sharpshooter fire from good covered positions a dangerous impediment to crossing. . harper's national historic park, the national and memorial parks, manassas battlefield and antietam battlefield, where he currently holds the position of chief of resource education and visitor services. This war was fought between General George McClellan of the North and General Robert E. Lee of the South. [11][12] Although the Union army suffered heavier casualties than the Confederates, the battle was a major turning point in the Union's favor. September 16 - 18, 1862 The Battle of Antietam Sharpsburg After his success at Second Manassas, Gen. Robert E. Lee led the Army of Northern Virginia north across the Potomac River on an invasion of Maryland in early September of 1862. Inconclusive. As Walker's men forced Seymour's back, aided by Lee's artillery fire, Ricketts's division entered the Cornfield, also to be torn up by artillery. Site identified by Frassanito, pp. This battle was the first of two attempts by Robert E. Lee to go on the offensive and take the war onto northern soil and into the Union. [94] The preservation organization has since removed the postwar house and barn that stood on the property along Hagerstown Pike and returned the land to its wartime appearance. [92], Antietam was one of the first five Civil War battlefields preserved federally, receiving that distinction on August 30, 1890. Alpheus Williams assumed temporary command of the XII Corps.[45][46]. Lincoln called the generals condition a bad case of the slows., Though well-liked by his men, McClellan could be vain and boastful. Although most histories, including the. They became separated from William H. French's division, and at 9a.m. Sumner, who was accompanying the division, launched the attack with an unusual battle formationthe three brigades in three long lines, men side-by-side, with only 50 to 70 yards (60m) separating the lines. Jackson's left wing was organized with artillery attached to each division, in contrast to Longstreet's right wing, which reserved its artillery at the corps level. The 2nd Division of the XII Corps, under George Sears Greene, however, broke through McRae's men, who fled under the mistaken belief that they were about to be trapped by a flanking attack. Hill's Light Division, currently embarked on an exhausting 17 mile (27km) march from Harpers Ferry. )[29], On the evening of September 16, McClellan ordered Hooker's I Corps to cross Antietam Creek and probe the enemy positions. At 7a.m., Hood's division of 2,300 men advanced through the West Woods and pushed the Union troops back through the Cornfield again. [28], Location: Northern end of the battlefield, The battle opened at dawn (about 5:30a.m.) on September 17 with an attack down the Hagerstown Turnpike by the Union I Corps under Joseph Hooker. I was in the hospital in the afternoon, for it was then only that the wounded began to come in. (Today its called Burnside Bridge.) The road leading to it ran parallel to the creek and was exposed to enemy fire. As his men entered the East Woods, they presented an excellent artillery target, "almost as good a target as a barn." They were aided by three brigades of D.H. Hill's division arriving from the Mumma Farm, southeast of the Cornfield, and by Jubal Early's brigade, pushing through the West Woods from the Nicodemus Farm, where they had been supporting Jeb Stuart's horse artillery. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. In July 1863 the dual Union triumphs at Gettysburg and Vicksburg struck another blow that blunted a renewed Confederate offensive in the East and cut off the western third of the Confederacy from the rest. The project is expected to last until the late Summer of 2023. [27], The first two Union divisions arrived on the afternoon of September 15 and the bulk of the remainder of the army late that evening. This is why the battle progressed the next day as essentially three separate, mostly uncoordinated battles: morning in the northern end of the battlefield, midday in the center, and afternoon in the south. However, in a strategic sense, despite being a tactical draw, Antietam is considered a turning point of the war and a victory for the Union because it ended Lee's strategic campaign (his first invasion of Union territory). He wins at Cedar Mountain, wins at Second Manassas, and then decides to invade the North. 14447. Overview Antietam National Cemetery is one of the 130 cemeteries of the National Cemetery System, a system that began during the Civil War. In this Picture from History, we take a look at one of the bloodiest battles in American history -- the Battle of Antietam during the Civil War. i'm not as tall as childs keith has worked for the national park service for 33 years at four national parks. In the 1930s, his work was damaged in a flood. Conveys the placement of Union and Confederate forces in Washington County, Md., around Sharpsburg during the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862. Although he was a veteran of 40 years' service, he had never led large numbers of soldiers in combat. Burnside's plan was to move around the weakened Confederate right flank, converge on Sharpsburg, and cut Lee's army off from Boteler's Ford, their only escape route across the Potomac. McClellan sends Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter to mount a cautious pursuit, which is repulsed at the Battle of Shepherdstown. McClellan's plan was to overwhelm the enemy's left flank. [22], There were two significant engagements in the Maryland campaign prior to the major battle of Antietam: Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Overall, both sides lost a combined total of 22,726 casualties in a single day, almost the same amount as the number of losses that had shocked the nation at the 2-day Battle of Shiloh five months earlier. They sang the tune "Maryland, My Maryland!" Gen. Samuel Sturgis's division, the rest of the Kanawha Division and Brig. The I Corps, under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, consisted of the divisions of: The II Corps, under Maj. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner, consisted of the divisions of: The V Corps, under Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter, consisted of the divisions of: The VI Corps, under Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin, consisted of the divisions of: The IX Corps, under Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside (Brig. Reinforcements were arriving on both sides, and by 10:30a.m. Robert E. Lee sent his final reserve divisionsome 3,400 men under Maj. Gen. Richard H. Andersonto bolster Hill's line and extend it to the right, preparing an attack that would envelop French's left flank. Benjamin F. Cook of the 12th Massachusetts Infantry, on the attack by the Louisiana Tigers at the Cornfield[38]. [93] In 2015, the Trust saved 44.4 acres in the heart of the battlefield, between the Cornfield and the Dunker Church, when it purchased the Wilson farm for about $1 million. Implicitly refusing to give up his higher authority, Burnside treated first Maj. Gen. Jesse L. Reno (killed at South Mountain) and then Brig. As the superior Union numbers began to tell, the Louisiana "Tiger" Brigade under Harry Hays entered the fray and forced the Union men back to the East Woods. The 4th Rhode Island came up on the right, but they had poor visibility amid the high stalks of corn, and they were disoriented because many of the Confederates were wearing Union uniforms captured at Harpers Ferry. Barton W. Mitchell and First Sergeant John M. Bloss[20][21] of the 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry) discovered a mislaid copy of Lee's detailed battle plansSpecial Order 191wrapped around three cigars. [citation needed], The Union victory and Lincoln's proclamation played a considerable role in dissuading the governments of France and Britain from recognizing the Confederacy; some suspected they were planning to do so in the aftermath of another Union defeat. Confederate staff officer Henry Kyd Douglas[67], Antietam Creek in this sector was seldom more than 50 feet (15 m) wide, and several stretches were only waist deep and out of Confederate range. El Dorado Hills, CA: Savas Beatie, 2022. Federal burial party, by Alexander Gardner, "A Lonely Grave"Federal grave at Antietam, by Alexander Gardner, Antietam Battlefield photograph, by Alexander Gardner, "Artillery Hell", by James Hope (Dunker Church at the far left), "A Fateful Turn"Late morning looking east toward the Roulette Farm", by James Hope, "The Aftermath at Bloody Lane", by James Hope. Gen. John C. Caldwell into battle around noon (after being told that Caldwell was in the rear, behind a haystack), and finally the tide turned. His Georgians had cost the Federals more than 500 casualties, giving up fewer than 160 themselves. "Stonewall" Jackson's capture of Harpers Ferry and McClellan's assault through the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Battle of South Mountain. Although Hancock would have an excellent future reputation as an aggressive division and corps commander, the unexpected change of command sapped the momentum of the Federal advance. Rifles are shot to pieces in the hands of the soldiers, canteens and haversacks are riddled with bullets, the dead and wounded go down in scores. 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. In spite of crippling casualties, Lee continued to skirmish with McClellan throughout September 18, while removing his battered army south of the Potomac River.[13]. And they had stalled Burnside's assault on the southern flank for more than three hours. declaration of independence. Victories there, could lead to the capture of the Federal capital in Washington, D.C. Confederate success could also influence impending Congressional elections in the North and persuade European nations to recognize the Confederate States of America. Confederate casualties are estimates because reported figures include undifferentiated casualties at, O.R. [a] Rodes was wounded in the thigh but was still on the field. The creek to their front was only a minor barrier, ranging from 60 to 100 feet (1830 m) in width, and was fordable in places and crossed by three stone bridges each a mile (1.5km) apart. 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. [67] However, the commanding terrain across the sometimes shallow creek made crossing the water a comparatively easy part of a difficult problem. Eager for an opportunity to see combat, French found skirmishers in his path and ordered his men forward. Several generals died as a result of the battle, including Maj. Gens. McClellan issued the order at 9:10. Site identified by Robert Kalasky, "Military Images" Volume XX, Number 6 MayJune 1999, pp. Capt. After darkness fell, artillery fire continued as McClellan positioned his troops for the next day's fighting. --History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Maps Crossing over Antietam Creek, the bridge played a key role in the September 1862 Battle of Antietam during the American Civil War when around 500 Confederate soldiers from Georgia under General Robert Toombs and Henry Benning, for several hours held off repeated attempts by elements of the Union Army's IX Army Corps, whose leader was Major . David R. Jones and John G. Walker stood in defense, but by 10a.m. all of Walker's men and Col. George T. Anderson's Georgia brigade had been removed. Repeated Union attacks and equally vicious Confederate counterattacks sweep back and forth across Millers cornfield and the West Woods. [36] The Tigers were beaten back eventually when the Federals brought up a battery of 3-inch ordnance rifles and rolled them directly into the Cornfield, point-blank fire that slaughtered the Tigers, who lost 323 of their 500 men.[37].