Battle of Antietam: Clash in the Cornfield America's bloodiest day began with heavy fighting that ravaged a previously innocuous cornfield in western Maryland. There they ran headlong into one of Lawtons brigades under Colonel James A. Walker. Sign up to receive the latest information on the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to blaze The Liberty Trail in South Carolina. How it ended Inconclusive. 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. All Rights Reserved. It explains what happened in Antietam's Cornfield and why. On the same ground where Garland had been killed earlier in the day, Maj. Gen. Jesse Reno, commander of the Union IX Corps, was shot. The Cornfield changed hands again and again as both sides attacked and counterattacked. Why is nurse Clara Barton considered a hero of Antietam? As the sun was setting, the entire Union I Corps under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker advanced toward Turners Gap. For the first time since hostilities opened, Virginia was largely free of Union troops. It is necessary for you to abandon your position tonight. The Cornfield: Antietam's Bloody Turning Point By David A. Welker Casemate, 2020, $34.95. They also ended any hope of France and Great Britain acknowledging the Confederacy and coming to their aid. Why did Lincoln lose faith in George McClellans command after Antietam? 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. Corps and divisions moved as languidly to the places assigned them as if they were getting ready for a grand review instead of a decisive battle.. In August of 2021, the Park Service rerouted the Cornfield Trail to include more of East Woods and . Meanwhile, towards the center of the battlefield, Union assaults against the Sunken Road pierce the Confederate center after a terrible struggle for this key defensive position. Doctors at the scene are overwhelmed. An up-close look at the people, places and turning points of the American Civil War. The first Confederate invasion of Union-held territory is not going as planned. The 1st Texas, under Colonel P.A. But do you know their experiences in the month and hours before marching together into the Cornfield? After McClellan fails to pursue Lee on his retreat south, Lincoln loses faith in his general. John Cook swung his bugle over his shoulder and wrested from the dead man his leather pouch, bearing the undelivered shell without which the cannon was useless. 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. (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. 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. Gen. Mansfield was mortally wounded and Gen. Alpheus Williams took command of the Corps. 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. The three-hour fight at Cramptons Gap left 500 Union and 750 Confederate dead and wounded. Commented one civilian: They were the dirtiest men I ever saw. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. 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. A military victory in the North, Lee reasoned, would all but assure recognition of the Confederate States of America as a sovereign nation. He needed a legitimatizing Union victory in the field before he could issue the proclamation. 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. 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. Had Franklin overwhelmed McLaws and marched hard for Harpers Ferry, he might have lifted the siege and checked any subsequent movement by Jackson. (Today its called Burnside Bridge.) It pitted Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of. When another officer asked the whereabouts of his division, he replied sorrowfully, Dead on the field.. Miller Farm, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Ricketts remaining two brigades, under Colonel William A. Christian and Brig. 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. . Inconclusive. The remainder of the Army of Northern Virginia, divided into three separate commands, would converge on Harpers Ferry and compel the garrison to surrender. His opponent, Abraham Lincoln, was reelected for another term. Occasionally, a nervous picket fired into the darkness. Following the debacle at Second Bull Run, Lincoln turned again to McClellan, whose extreme timidity in the field was contrasted with his superb organizational skills and the enduring confidence of his men. The Battle of Antietam, also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, occurred on September 17, 1862, at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland. The battles outcome would be vital to shaping Americas future, and it remains the deadliest one-day battle in all of American military history. 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. 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.. 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. XII Corps had lost a quarter of its men during the rush across the cornfield toward the Dunker Church. Weeks later, he names Burnside commander of the Army of the Potomac. Our first stop is D. R. Miller's farm, around which swirled fighting in the bloody Cornfield By David A. Welker One of the most enjoyable moments when researching history comes in finding something new, even when that thing is quite old. The following morning, McClellan attacks. Free delivery for many products! 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. Strategically, Lees decision to invade the North made sense. McClellans plan of attack depended on coordination and timing all along the line. Within the hour Ezra would be troubled by a much greater lossand discover the ultimate irony of Antietam's bloody Cornfield. Antietam on the Web.Special Orders No. Because Federal and Confederate forces repeatedly traded control of the spot, the fight for the Cornfield is a story of human struggle against fearful . Lincoln called the generals condition a bad case of the slows., Though well-liked by his men, McClellan could be vain and boastful. 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. On first division, deploy column, march. The decimated survivors retreated in disorder, leaving behind 2,200 killed and wounded. Widely considered to be one of the most beautiful, pristine and well-preserved Civil War battlefields, Antietam is a must-see for any Civil War Our FREE Virtual Teacher Institute is the can't miss online educator event of the summer. Apparently it never reached the general. 191. Encyclopedia Virginia.The Significance of the Battle of Antietam. Just as Burnside's forces begin to collapse the Confederate right, Maj. Gen. A.P. A collapse of the Confederate left appeared imminent. The Army of the Potomac began to concentrate that night, but during the following day McClellan declined to make a decisive move. 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. Lee knew that the capacity of the Union to wage war was virtually limitless. 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. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. 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. Little is known Continue reading Claimed by the Cornfield: Georgias Colonel MarcellusDouglass, When General J. R. Jones quickly relinquished command at the prospect of marching his division into Antietams Cornfield, his fellow Southern officers began whispering the word coward behind his back. Certainly McClellans opportunity was great. 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. The next day, as Lee began the painstaking job of moving his ravaged troops back to Virginia, McClellan, surprisingly, did nothing. Im glad that the map correctly shows the Dunkard Church, after that particular sect of German Baptists. Artillery blasted Hoods Texans with double loads of canister, Gibbon moved in to personally direct the fire. North Woods 3. Unable to remain in command, he left the scene convinced that Union forces were poised to drive the Confederates into the Potomac. 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.. Then an eighth Union Minie ball suddenly found him By David A. Welker Marcellus Douglass was born in Thomaston, Georgia on October 5th, 1820. 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. Lincoln and McClellan had a tortured relationship. Union Advance 8. The troops began calling themselves the Iron Brigade. Gen. Samuel Garland, mortally wounded just as he completed an assessment of the situation. It was never my fortune to witness a more bloody, dismal battlefield. The dejected Lee ordered Jackson to march to Shepherdstown to cover the withdrawal of Longstreets force. 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. 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. The Battle of Antietam began at dawn on September 17 as the fog lifted. Jones covered the ground to the south and occupied the bluffs above the lower bridge across the Antietam with six brigades. It was obvious to the Union veterans that the area had recently served as a Rebel bivouac. The distance closed to 30 yards, and the two sides blazed away at one another. 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. Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. The fight began to peter out with the gathering darkness. The cannon fire literally blew men apart. One of his junior officers observed a large Union formation moving to the right. The Battle of Antietam in September 1862 turned back the first major Confederate invasion of the North in the Civil War. Among the wounded were Sergeant Bloss and Corporal Mitchell, who had found Lees lost orders four days earlier. Hesitant to support a pro-slavery regime, England and France decline to form an alliance with the Confederate States of America. Works, was hot on the heels of the fleeing Federals and outran the rest of Woffords brigade. Gen. George A. Hartsuff, moved forward. Kop sent the order farther up the chain to Colonel Silas Colgrove, the commander of the 27th Indiana, who went directly to XII Corps headquarters, where Brig. To take it, Hookers divisions would advance along the turnpike between the East and West Woods, through the pastures of the Miller farm, and across the cornfield at the turnpikes eastern edge. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. She saw the desperation of the wounded and dying and did what she could to aid and comfort them. Lee planned to retreat to Virginia, but changed his mind after hearing Confederate General Thomas Jonathan Jacksonbetter known as Stonewall Jacksonhad captured Harpers Ferry. Late on the afternoon of the 16th, Hooker crossed Antietam Creek intending to position more than 8,000 Union troops to launch the attack the following morning. Lower Bridge (Burnside Bridge) 10. 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. Instantly Giles stentorian voice rang out, 88th. Part of Trimble's Brigade, the 12 th Georgia held part of Jackson's line in front of the Dunker Church during the morning Union attacks at Antietam. The first Union infantry formations did not arrive until the afternoon of September 15. .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. All of Lees troops were worn-out and hungry, and many were sick. Duryeas men fought valiantly, pressing the Georgians hard. Captain James Rodgers, commanding the 12 th, was struck dead by bullets that hit his hand, thigh, and head. He wanted to move the focus of fighting away from the South and into Federal territory. There was a lot at stake for the Battle of Antietam. 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. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The present seems the most propitious time since the commencement of the war for the Confederate Army to enter Maryland, Lee noted. Alfred Colquitt and Robert Rodes fought desperately to hold the pass. As he was carried to the rear, Reno yelled to Brig. I was in the hospital in the afternoon, for it was then only that the wounded began to come in. As the reliable Battery B, 4th U.S. McRaes North Carolina troops advanced into the East Woods. This 24-acre cornfield, owned by D.R. The terrain is gently rolling, but the surface can be slightly uneven, so good walking shoes are recommended. It pitted Confederate General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia against Union General George McClellans Army of the Potomac and was the culmination of Lees attempt to invade the north. Mitchell took the document to Sergeant John M. Bloss, and the two took it to Captain Peter Kop, their company commander. I lived there as a child and these were the fields we played in before they became National Park Service protectorates, the mid-1950s. I supposed that we had everything in our own hands, he thought. What they didnt understand was just how important holding this place was for a Confederate victory at Antietam, For Gods sake, come and help us out! begged the new head of Hartsuffs Brigade and without a pause, Colonel Lyle had the 90th Pennsylvania marching forward into the swirling inferno of Antietams Cornfield. The president relieved McClellan of his duties on November 7 and appointed Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside to be his replacement. As Union soldiers stepped out of the Cornfield at dawn, September 17, 1862, Confederate troops unleashed a horrific volley. 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. Gen. D.R. A most ragged lean and hungry set of wolves.. In a letter to his wife, Mary, Lincoln joked, We are about to be photographed. Gen. Samuel Sturgis, one of his division commanders, Hallo, Sam, I am dead! Within minutes, Reno proved as good as his word. McRae remembered: The most unutterable stampede occurred. Return to Tour Map Lt. Col. Edward Bragg of the 6th Wisconsin was wounded as the regiment was hit in both flanks. 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.. Some of these regiments attacked all the way to the northern edge of the Cornfield, where they were crushed by the arrival of the Union Twelfth Corps. Continued passivity would invite the Federals to return and once again mount an offensive against Richmond. The terrain was dotted by farmsteads, pastures, and cornfields, separated here and there by rail fences. Reaching the fence, the 6th Georgia had restored the Souths hold on the vital Cornfield only to find itself in a dire position. Tyndales men charged into the cornfield, and several minutes of hand-to-hand fighting ensued before the Confederates began withdrawing toward the West Woods. Gen. Truman Seymour, quickly reached the edge of the East Woods at the Smoketown Road. Despite having the advantage, he allowed Lee to retreat without resistance. Franklins VI Corps was held in reserve. 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. Union gunfire wounded Private William Calton Odum of the 6th Georgia Infantry in the right arm during the morning fight in the Cornfield. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at . Brig. Confederate troops ferociously fought off offensive after offensive to prevent being overrun, turning the cornfield into a massive killing field. Travel back in time to see Antietam's battlefield as it looked 134 years ago. Learn more about the D.R. After Lee thwarted the plan of General George B. McClellan to lay siege to Richmondthe capital of the Confederate States of Americain the Peninsula Campaign in the spring and summer of 1862, McClellan retreated. Williams took command of XII Corps and the fight for the cornfield continued, with men from both sides tripping over the dead and falling bleeding among the severed cornstalks. One soldier remembered: "The air seems full of leaden missiles. 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. I will have a battery here to help you.. The Cornfield Trail starts at Auto Tour Stop 4. The trail turns east and through the middle of the Miller Meadow, Continue east along the line toward the Smoketown Road, Walk north on the trail through the East Woods, Continue across Cornfield Avenue and through the East Woods, Explore the Confederate defense and counterattack in the Corn, Walk south through the historic Cornfield. It also gave President Abraham Lincoln the confidence to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation at a moment of strength rather than desperation. Gens. While the Battle of Antietam is considered a tactical draw, President Lincoln claims a strategic victory. By 5:30 am, the morning fog had burned off enough for the Confederate horse artillery under Major John Pelham to fire at the Union vanguard from Nicodemus Hill. By David A. Welker The 90th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment was recruited exclusively within the city of Philadelphia. 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. The Louisiana Tigers were reduced to fewer than 200 men after sending 500 into the battle. The North Woods stretched across the farmland of Joseph Poffenberger. It was one of those marvelous flights that beggar explanation or description.. The Battle of Antietam, also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, occurred on September 17, 1862, at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland. 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. 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. Jackson called them into battle and, In less than five minutes we were advancing toward the enemy. This 24-acre cornfield, owned by D.R. Six generals were killed or mortally wounded, three from the Union army and three Confederates. Not only did the Battle of Antietam change the course of the Civil War, it also brought to light the horror of war in a way never seen before, thanks to photographer Alexander Gardners dramatic battlefield photographs. Lincoln has been waiting for a military success to issue his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. With the full commitment of McClellans troops, which outnumbered the Confederates two to one, the battle might have had a more definitive outcome. Lee wrote to McLaws: The day has gone against us and this army will go by Sharpsburg and cross the river. By the 7th, the army was completely across the Potomac and camped in the vicinity of Frederick. 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. Monday marks the 150th . The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Battle of South Mountain began early on September 14, and by 11 am Union troops of Brig. 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. 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! Because Federal and Confederate forces . And keeping Confederates in their southern box enabled President Lincoln to finally release his Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. National Park Service.The Maryland Campaign of 1862. He also counted on McClellan to move slowly, which he did. 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. Colonel Robert H. Chilton, his adjutant, copied the orders for subordinate generals. S bloody turning Point by David A. Welker Casemate, 2020, $ 34.95 ricketts remaining two,... Made sense and cross the river the hospital in the Civil War hold on vital... 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