Reinforcements from Longstreet tried to stem the tide but were driven back. The Confederates lost one of their most promising brigade commanders, Brig. The dejected Lee ordered Jackson to march to Shepherdstown to cover the withdrawal of Longstreets force. Brigadier General David Ricketts 2nd Division, led by Brig. Meanwhile, on September 2, McClellan retook command of the army to the cheers of his men. 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. 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. Union gunfire wounded Private William Calton Odum of the 6th Georgia Infantry in the right arm during the morning fight in 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. 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. 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. The Battle of Antietam began at dawn on September 17 as the fog lifted. Free delivery for many products! Their fire was devastating. . We strive for accuracy and fairness. 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. Works, was hot on the heels of the fleeing Federals and outran the rest of Woffords brigade. Ironically, Lincolns proclamation didnt free slaves in Marylandone of a handful of slave states that had remained in the Unionsince it only applied to slaves in rebel states. Hills rear guard remained at Boonsboro with 5,000 troops. 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.. Among the wounded were Sergeant Bloss and Corporal Mitchell, who had found Lees lost orders four days earlier. Two divisions of Sumners corps, commanded by Brig. Firing canister at point-blank range, Union artillery raked the attackers. The Pennsylvanians fired a tremendous volley into the flank of Colquitts brigade, already locked in heavy combat with Union troops in the clover pasture beyond the northern fringe of the cornfield. The North Woods stretched across the farmland of Joseph Poffenberger. To further complicate matters, Republicans faced midterm elections in November of 1862, and their victory wasnt in the bag. McClellan deployed Hookers I Corps astride the Hagerstown Turnpike to the north. . Gen. Abner Doubledays 1st Division marched through the North Woods, Gibbons 4th Brigade, wearing its distinctive black hats, led the way on the right. Im glad that the map correctly shows the Dunkard Church, after that particular sect of German Baptists. Military historians consider the Battle of Antietam a stalemate. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. The avalanche of Union troops pushed Rodes steadily back and cost him more than one-third of his command. 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. By David A. Welker John Continue reading Cowards in the Cornfield? 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. Continued passivity would invite the Federals to return and once again mount an offensive against Richmond. The Cornfield Trail at Antietam National Battlefield. McRae remembered: The most unutterable stampede occurred. It explains what happened in Antietam's Cornfield and why. 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. How it ended Inconclusive. 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. Jackson included the caveat that Hood be ready to move at a moments notice if called upon. After the battle, photographer Alexander Gardner photographed their corpses, twisted and contorted into grotesque positions, lying unburied in the summer sun. Updated: November 28, 2022 | Original: October 27, 2009. 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. National Park Service.Why did Lee Enter Maryland? All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Colonel Robert H. Chilton, his adjutant, copied the orders for subordinate generals. As the sun was setting, the entire Union I Corps under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker advanced toward Turners Gap. Central Intelligence Agency.The Battle of Antietam: A Turning Point in the Civil War. 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. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. 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. 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.. Confederate troops ferociously fought off offensive after offensive to prevent being overrun, turning the cornfield into a massive killing field. One soldier of the 6th Wisconsin captured the essence of that horrific morning. If the Army of the Potomac moved rapidly through the passes in South Mountain, which an overconfident Lee had failed to defend, McClellan might interpose superior forces between Longstreet to the north and Jackson, McLaws, and Walker to the south, take on the Rebel commands separately, and defeat them one at a time. After the Confederates abandoned their campsite around Frederick, McClellans army moved in. 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. By the evening of the 13th, it appeared to Lee that his risky plan was coming apart. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! His decision was pivotal. Antietam National Cemetery You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. After McClellan fails to pursue Lee on his retreat south, Lincoln loses faith in his general. Final Attack 11. Civil War Trust.The Peninsula Campaign. This further isolated the Confederacy and made it harder for them to re-supply their troops and citizens. 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. I feel Gen. M. should have no problem.. Lee was left with few cards to play. Gen. Jacob Coxs Kanawha Division were in control of Foxs Gap. The first Union infantry formations did not arrive until the afternoon of September 15. Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood wrote: "It was here that I witnessed the most terrible clash of arms, by far, that has occurred during the war." The Cornfield: Antietam's Bloody Turning Point Kindle Edition by David A. Welker (Author) Format: Kindle Edition 139 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle $2.99 Read with Our Free App Audiobook $0.00 Free with your Audible trial The Civil War battle in western Maryland that killed 22,000 menand served no military purpose. Because Federal and Confederate forces . He recorded the hand-hewn grave markers and headstones bearing names of a few of the fallen, created in Antietam's immediate aftermath by friends and brothers. Gen. John Hatchs 1st Division, I Corps, on his right, and the Pennsylvania Reserve Division under Brig. Lower Bridge (Burnside Bridge) 10. The remainder of the Army of Northern Virginia, divided into three separate commands, would converge on Harpers Ferry and compel the garrison to surrender. Greene rode forward and warned the New Yorkers to slow down before they outran covering artillery. 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. 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. Hood was aghast at the losses. Marylanders were wary and observed the Confederates with a mixture of sympathy, awe, and disdain. Nine Union batteries on the ridge behind the Poffenberger farm replied. Western Maryland did not rally to the Stars and Bars. 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. Buy new: $40.64. Travel back in time to see Antietam's battlefield as it looked 134 years ago. 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. The Tigers poured heavy fire into the 2nd and 6th Wisconsin, temporarily checking their advance. Go to the next tour stop - the West Woods If either effort made good progress, McClellan was prepared to pitch every available soldier against the center of Lees line. The number increased, and larger and larger grew the field of the blue until it seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see, and from the tops of the mountains down to the edges of the stream gathered the great army of . Same location Antietam National Battlefield--Cornfield Trail, Washington County, Maryland, US Same area and date Another location near Antietam National Battlefield--Cornfield Trail, Washington County, Maryland, US on Sat Apr 15, 2023 Miller, saw some of U.S. history's most horrific fighting. Within minutes, Doubledays hard-won progress was completely reversed. Antietam | Cornfield | Sep 17, 1862 | 8:00 - 8:30 am (November 2021) [PDF] 580.63 KB Preserve 128 sacred acres at Antietam and Shepherdstown We can add 6 additional acres to the 130-year-old Antietam Battlefield site and preserve 122 acres of nearly-pristine land at Shepherdstown all part. Among the wounded during two hours of savage fighting was Lt. Col. Rutherford B. Hayes, commander of the 23rd Ohio Regiment and a future president of the United States. Miller's Cornfield (usually referred to as 'the Cornfield') is a section of the Antietam battlefield of the American Civil War. Three hours later, Union troops had pushed the Confederates back and over 5,000 men were either dead or injured. 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. The next day, as Lee began the painstaking job of moving his ravaged troops back to Virginia, McClellan, surprisingly, did nothing. Encyclopedia Virginia.The Significance of the Battle of Antietam. McRaes North Carolina troops advanced into the East Woods. He takes his opportunity on September 22. Forward, guide centre, halt. Meanwhile, Jackson got the remainder of his command on the road toward Sharpsburg. Over Longstreets objections, Lee deployed 18,000 men, 14 infantry and three cavalry brigades in a four-mile line across the woods and fields at the northern end of the ridge, down to the bluffs of Antietam Creek, where the southernmost of three stone bridges spanned its waters. His division had suffered 1,380 dead and wounded, about 60 percent of its strength, and was forced to withdraw to the West Woods. Lincolns cabinet feared releasing the Emancipation Proclamation at that time would seem desperate and be difficult to enforce, so Lincoln decided to wait until another decisive Union victory. Locally, the members of the congregation were known as Dunkers. The president relieved McClellan of his duties on November 7 and appointed Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside to be his replacement. Fewer know about the films opening scenes, which take Captain Shaw and the 2nd Massachusetts into the horror of the Cornfield. More Union troops joined in from across the turnpike, and the Texans were caught in a murderous crossfire. It was one of those marvelous flights that beggar explanation or description.. Every purchase supports the mission. While his own numbers swelled to nearly 90,000, McClellan, ever cautious, was concerned about the strength of his enemy. The White House was a somber place in the summer of 1862. The first Confederate shell struck the ranks of the 6th Wisconsin, killing two soldiers and wounding 11. Fearful that his untried troops would break and run, Mansfield countermanded an order to deploy from columns into line of battle, and the massed ranks became a prime target for Confederate artillery. Mansfield spluttered, Yes, yes, you are right. Precisely at that moment a bullet hit the 58-year-old general squarely in the chest. September 17. Gen. Abram Duryeas 1st Brigade, stepped off to Gibbons left. 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. The Union formation that panicked the Confederates in the East Woods was Mansfields 2nd Division under 61-year-old Brig. Gen. William French and Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick, crossed Antietam Creek to support Mansfield. (Part Two): The Complicated Story of Virginias General John R.Jones, Amidst a firestorm of Confederate shells, just as his brigade was heading into the hell of Antietams Cornfield, Colonel William Christian suddenly muttered Ive always had a great fear of shelling. And with that, he simply vanished By David A. Welker William Henry Christian was born on April 9th 1825 in Utica, New York. It was never my fortune to witness a more bloody, dismal battlefield. Mansfield was carried from the field and died within hours. (Part Two): The Complicated Story of Virginias General John R.Jones, Cowards in the Cornfield? Captain Benjamin F. Cook of the 12th Massachusetts remembered the horrific fighting in the cornfield and its aftermath. 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. 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. On the political front, Lincoln felt that the war-weary North needed to be energized. Meades 3rd Division followed in support. Travel back in time to see Antietam's battlefield as it looked 134 years ago. As Jacksons line wavered under unrelenting Union pressure, two brigades of his old division, 1,150 strong, rolled out of the West Woods. The carnage was terrific; only two dozen of the original 250 men of the 6th Georgia survived the maelstrom without being killed or wounded. 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. 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. Why did Lincoln lose faith in George McClellans command after Antietam? 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. If successful in Maryland, the army might venture into Pennsylvania, destroy the vital Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge across the Susquehanna River, and threaten the state capital of Harrisburg. Clarissa Clara Harlowe Barton was a former teacher and patent clerk who became a nurse on the front lines during the Civil War. From his headquarters at Chantilly, Virginia, Lee wrote to Confederate President Jefferson Davis of his intent to carry the war to Northern soil. Please stay on the trail and remember you are in an agricultural area. Miller's 30-acre cornfield at Antietam. 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. He was convinced that the bulk of Jacksons command, marching hard from Harpers Ferry, would reach the battlefield and swell his ranks to 50,000 men to confront McClellans force of 80,000. 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