He contemplated issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, a document that freed all slaves in the rebellious states. The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single day in American history, and the partial victory by Union troops led Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. One of my ancestors, Robert W. Austin of . 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. At the same time, he began throwing together a patchwork defense of the South Mountain passes at Turners, Foxs, and Cramptons Gaps. National Park Service pamphlet The Cornfield Trail - September Harvest of Death, pp. It was never my fortune to witness a more bloody, dismal battlefield.. Running southward, XII Corps under Maj. Gen. Joseph K.F. 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. A steady drizzle pelted down during the night, soaking the men as they fitfully slept. The next day, the Army of Northern Virginia set out from Frederick. Gen. George A. Hartsuff, moved forward. 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. A brigade of Georgians under the command of Colonel Marcellus Douglass stood firm along the southern edge of the cornfield, reinforced by three regiments from Walkers brigade. Then an eighth Union Minie ball suddenly found him By David A. Welker Marcellus Douglass was born in Thomaston, Georgia on October 5th, 1820. Works, was hot on the heels of the fleeing Federals and outran the rest of Woffords brigade. 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. 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 is remembered as the site of some of the most savage fighting of the Battle of Antietam, which itself was the bloodiest single-day action of the Civil War. A short video presentation on Tour Stop 4, The Cornfield. 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. Stop the Largest Rezoning in Orange County History, Nineteenth-Century Geolocation: The Elliott Map of Antietam, Antietam: Federal Flank Attack at Dunker Church, Lessons From the Fallen: Depictions of the Dead of Antietam, Antietam | Burnside's Bridge | Sep 17, 1862. When another officer asked the whereabouts of his division, he replied sorrowfully, Dead on the field.. 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. But even this firestorm of controversy couldnt prepare Jones for what awaited him when his postwar indiscretions became known. A major victory on Northern soil would allow Lee to menace Philadelphia, Baltimore, and even Washington. Certainly McClellans opportunity was great. Hays' Louisiana Brigade suffered over 60-percent casualties in 30 minutes. Hills rear guard remained at Boonsboro with 5,000 troops. 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. While the Battle of Antietam is considered a tactical draw, President Lincoln claims a strategic victory. This battle flag of the 12 th Georgia includes the names of several color bearers who . At about 9:00 a.m. there was a short lull in the action. Thomas Wait and myself told him that we were not firing at our own men for those that were firing at us from behind the trees had been firing at us from the first, recalled Libby. The Louisiana Tigers were reduced to fewer than 200 men after sending 500 into the battle. Troops from both sides faced-off across a 30-acre cornfield owned by David Miller. Americas bloodiest day began with heavy fighting that ravaged a previously innocuous cornfield in western Maryland. It pitted Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of. McClellan talked of rapid movement and exhorted subordinates to prepare for the march. 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. 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. Updated: November 28, 2022 | Original: October 27, 2009. The Tigers poured heavy fire into the 2nd and 6th Wisconsin, temporarily checking their advance. When Frenchs troops arrived, fighting ensued at close range. 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. Detached from the command of Maj. Gen. Thomas J. After the war-weary general repeatedly refused Lincolns orders to pursue Lees retreating troops, Lincoln removed McClellan from command on November 5, 1862. Fearful that the brigade was about to be flanked, he raised the alarm prematurely. All of Lees troops were worn-out and hungry, and many were sick. This 24-acre cornfield, owned by D.R. Miller's Cornfield (usually referred to as 'the Cornfield') is a section of the Antietam battlefield of the American Civil War . 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. Alfred Colquitt and Robert Rodes fought desperately to hold the pass. 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. After losing his command, McClellan took up a new careerpolitics. Gen. Samuel Sturgis, one of his division commanders, Hallo, Sam, I am dead! Within minutes, Reno proved as good as his word. Although it offered some advantages, it was also precarious. 1. 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. 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. The Battle of South Mountain began early on September 14, and by 11 am Union troops of Brig. As he read, McClellan waved his arms and shouted, Now I know what to do! Later that day, McClellan visited with his old friend, Brig. By 9:30 a.m. thousands of them lay dead and dying. Gen. John Gibbon, commander of the 4th Brigade, I Corps. Gen. Samuel Garland, mortally wounded just as he completed an assessment of the situation. Hooker ordered four batteries to unlimber. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. Fighting raged into the gathering darkness as Georgia and Alabama troops under Brig. : 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. By the evening of the 13th, it appeared to Lee that his risky plan was coming apart. Jefferson County, WV|Sep 12-15, 1862, Frederick County and Washington County, MD|Sep 14, 1862, Washington County, MD|Sep 16-18, 1862, Town of Shepherdstown, WV|Sep 19-20, 1862, Washington County, MD | September 17, 1862. It was never my fortune to witness a more bloody, dismal battlefield. With Federal forces closing in from the east, Lee selects strategic ground near Antietam Creek and orders his army to converge there. Because Federal and Confederate forces repeatedly . Turn left (south) and walk through the historic Cornfield to complete your hike. While Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia were indeed triumphant, the Confederate commander realized all too well that his gains were temporary; he needed to undertake a bold stroke while the opportunity still presented itself. Because Federal and Confederate forces . 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. On first division, deploy column, march. Colquitt lost 100 casualties in an already understrength brigade, while Rodes faced two full Federal divisions, Brig. On the afternoon of September 16, Union general George B. McClellan sets his army in motion, sending Maj. Gen. Joseph Hookers First Corps across Antietam Creek to find Lees left flank. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. In 1881 Barton founded the American Red Cross. (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. Miller, saw some of U.S. history's most horrific fighting. 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 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. Go to the next tour stop - the West Woods 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. We know no enemies among you, and will protect all of every opinion. The fight began to peter out with the gathering darkness. . Free delivery for many products! The Cornfield Trail starts at Auto Tour Stop 4. Doctors at the scene are overwhelmed. Union gunfire wounded Private William Calton Odum of the 6th Georgia Infantry in the right arm during the morning fight in the Cornfield. Men, I cannot say fell; they were knocked out of the ranks by dozens.. The situation was not as promising as Hooker had hoped. Excellent summaries of the individual skirmishes and the overall battle. 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. The 12-hour clash created 21,699 casualties, killed 3,654, and turned many innocuous spots around quiet Sharpsburg, Maryland into national icons of death and suffering, including the Burnside Bridge, the Sunken Road, the West Woods, and the Cornfield . As the reliable Battery B, 4th U.S. 191 that Chilton had intended for Hill. 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. Continued passivity would invite the Federals to return and once again mount an offensive against Richmond. 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. North Woods 3. Just as Burnside's forces begin to collapse the Confederate right, Maj. Gen. A.P. After McClellan fails to pursue Lee on his retreat south, Lincoln loses faith in his general. The Battle of Antietam has the regrettable distinction of being the bloodiest one-day battle in American history. By David A. Welker John Continue reading Cowards in the Cornfield? Here is a paper, McClellan chirped, with which if I cannot whip Bobbie Lee, I will be willing to go home.. An original regiment in the storied "Iron Brigade," the 19th Indiana is perhaps best known for its role during the opening hours of the Battle of Gettysburg, which has for too long overshadowed its actions in Antietam's deadly Cornfield Featured The Cornfield Casualty Top Ten Featured / 5 Comments Six weeks after Antietam, McClellan finally heeded his bosss advice and led the Army of the Potomac into Virginia, but at a snails pace. The Cornfield: Antietam's. has been added to your Cart . 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. Lincoln and McClellan had a tortured relationship. Starke, shot three times, died on the field. He also counted on McClellan to move slowly, which he did. With the full commitment of McClellans troops, which outnumbered the Confederates two to one, the battle might have had a more definitive outcome. Free shipping for many products! Sunken Road (Bloody Lane) 9. One amazed Confederate artilleryman saw columns of enemy soldiers stretching into the distance and remarked that they were so numerous that it looked as if they were creeping up out of the ground.. Corporal Barton W. Mitchell of Company F noticed something unusual lying in the grass. The 28th Pennsylvania and 5th, 7th, and 66th Ohio of Lt. Col. Hector Tyndales 1st Brigade led the way. The 7th Wisconsin and 19th Indiana, moving as flank protection, fired a devastating volley into the two brigades assailing the 6th Wisconsin. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. It was finalized on the afternoon of the 16th, a full day after McClellan had arrived on the scene. 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. For the first time since hostilities opened, Virginia was largely free of Union troops. This further isolated the Confederacy and made it harder for them to re-supply their troops and citizens. Maryland was a border state and remained in the Union, but Lee believed that large numbers of Southern sympathizers would rally to his ranks once the Army of Northern Virginia entered the state. Among the wounded were Sergeant Bloss and Corporal Mitchell, who had found Lees lost orders four days earlier. The ordeal on the Confederate left was not yet over. Fewer know about the films opening scenes, which take Captain Shaw and the 2nd Massachusetts into the horror of the Cornfield. Gen. George G. Meade on his left. The gunners went into action amid Millers haystacks, ignoring Confederate fire that cut down men and horses. The Peninsula Campaign had come to naught in July after the Confederates turned away Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan and the Union Army of the Potomac from the gates of the Confederate capital of Richmond in the costly Seven Days Battles. 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 5th Virginia's Ezra Stickley awakened and realized the firing had picked up considerably. 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. Please stay on the trail and remember you are in an agricultural area. 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. President Lincoln, however, wasnt pleased. 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. Later in the war, Lincoln authorized Barton to form the Office of Correspondence with Friends of Missing Men in the United States Army, an effort that eventually identified 22,000 missing Union soldiers. Gen. Truman Seymour, quickly reached the edge of the East Woods at the Smoketown Road. 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. . This is the excerpt for your very firstpost. Descending Into The Bloody Cornfield With Civil War Historian, David A. Welker: PreserveCast Episode No. Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. The smoke, heat and roar of battle deluged the senses, obliterating all rational thought. When the Confederates withdrew, Franklin was only six miles from Harpers Ferry. Send forward officers to explore the way, ascertain the best crossing of the Potomac.. Gibbons command had fought with such ferocity at Turners Gap that Hooker commented that the men were as strong as iron. 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. You are bully boys but dont go any farther. He needed a legitimatizing Union victory in the field before he could issue the proclamation. Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, Many regiments on both sides were cut to pieces. He surveyed the terrain and noticed a patch of high ground about a mile to his front near the junction of the Smoketown Road and the Hagerstown Turnpike. An hour before dawn, Hooker rode from the Poffenberger farm to his picket line beyond the edge of the North Woods. Battle of Antietam: Clash in the Cornfield America's bloodiest day began with heavy fighting that ravaged a previously innocuous cornfield in western Maryland. It was an act that earned John Cookwho had turned fifteen years old barely a month beforethe Medal of Honor. It also gave President Abraham Lincoln the confidence to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation at a moment of strength rather than desperation. The single, bloodiest day in American History had begun in earnest. The pockets and cartridge pouches of the dead and wounded were ransacked, and soldiers handed muskets to those with better shots at the enemy. The fighting was so gory Sunken Road earned a new name: Bloody Lane. Jones covered the ground to the south and occupied the bluffs above the lower bridge across the Antietam with six brigades. Travel back in time to see Antietam's battlefield as it looked 134 years ago. 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 E. Starke spurred his brigade of Louisiana soldiers and accompanying Virginians headlong into the Iron Brigade. The Union formation that panicked the Confederates in the East Woods was Mansfields 2nd Division under 61-year-old Brig. (Part Two): The Complicated Story of Virginias General John R.Jones, Cowards in the Cornfield? Gen. John Walkers division was to recross the Potomac and capture Loudoun Heights on the Virginia side of Harpers Ferry. The delaying action at South Mountain, though costly, had given Jackson enough time to tighten his grip on the arsenal. Abner Doubleday may not have invented baseball, but his actions amidst Antietams deadly Cornfield rightly cement his place 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. 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. 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. Gen. D.R. As he was carried to the rear, Reno yelled to Brig. Commence, firing! And with that the 88th Pennsylvania entered the fight for Antietams Cornfield By David A. Welker The 88th Pennsylvania Continue reading The 88th Pennsylvania at Antietam: A Cornfield Invalid SavesWashington, With the sun glistening off rainwater on the tall, waving cornstalks this clear September morning, David Miller could have no way of knowing that soon his cornfield would become the most dangerous place to be on earth. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Miller's 30-acre cornfield at Antietam. Its commander, Colonel Hugh McNeil, was killed along with five others, and 20 were wounded. Within minutes, Doubledays hard-won progress was completely reversed. Antietam on the Web.Special Orders No. For those of us interested in understanding and preserving the events of the Civil War and Antietams Cornfield, heres our own such list the Cornfield casualty top ten. Apparently it never reached the general. In the 1864 election he was the Democratic nominee for president of the United States. 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. Unable to remain in command, he left the scene convinced that Union forces were poised to drive the Confederates into the Potomac. They watched and waited as McClellans army assembled along the creeks east side. 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. Meanwhile, Lee counted on McClellans lack of aggressiveness. by David A. Welker 9/15/2020. 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. But Antietam eclipses even this modern tragedy as America's single bloodiest day, on which 22,000 men became casualties in a war to determine our nation's future. 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 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. Subscribe to the American Battlefield Trust's quarterly email series of curated stories for the curious-minded sort! Lee prodded Jackson and McLaws to wrap up their work at Harpers Ferry. Gen. Mansfield was mortally wounded and Gen. Alpheus Williams took command of the Corps. From his point of view, hed accomplished his mission of forcing Lees troops from Maryland and preventing a Confederate win on Union soil. In his later report, Hooker noted, In the time that I am writing, 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. 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. 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. He wanted to move the focus of fighting away from the South and into Federal territory. By September 12, the Army of Northern Virginia expected to mass in the vicinity of Hagerstown, poised for the push into Pennsylvania. For nearly three hours, Hooker and Mansfield's Union forces battled Jackson's Confederates. 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. Captain Benjamin F. Cook of the 12th Massachusetts remembered the horrific fighting in the cornfield and its aftermath. Longstreets and Hills units formed the Confederate right and center flanks to the west of Antietam Creek, while Jacksons and Brigadier General John G. Walkers units formed the Confederate left flank. 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. 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. Lee detailed his complex plan in Special Orders No. Repeated Union attacks and equally vicious Confederate counterattacks sweep back and forth across Millers cornfield and the West Woods. By David A. Welker The 90th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment was recruited exclusively within the city of Philadelphia. Brigadier General David Ricketts 2nd Division, led by Brig. 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. (2) At 7:00 a.m., Gen. John Bell Hoods Confederate Division of approximately 2,000 men was waiting behind the Dunker Church. On the political front, Lincoln felt that the war-weary North needed to be energized. Libby remembered a loud response from the Maine men to the contrary. It is a document of interest and is also thought genuine., When McClellan received the communication from Williams, he abruptly ended a conference with a delegation of citizens from Frederick. The three-hour fight at Cramptons Gap left 500 Union and 750 Confederate dead and wounded. Join historians and history buffs alike with our Unlimited Digital Access pass to every military history article ever published (over 3,000 articles) in Sovereigns military history magazines. 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. Gen. Abner Doubledays 1st Division marched through the North Woods, Gibbons 4th Brigade, wearing its distinctive black hats, led the way on the right. Lee planned to retreat to Virginia, but changed his mind after hearing Confederate General Thomas Jonathan Jacksonbetter known as Stonewall Jacksonhad captured Harpers Ferry. He could not understand why his general was not on the tail of the Confederates, and he went to McClellans headquarters at Antietam to light a fire under him. 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Subscribe to the rear, Reno yelled to Brig, Robert W. of. Directly to Preservation and Education of strength rather than desperation Emancipation Proclamationa document freedom... Of U.S. history 's most horrific fighting in the field he said, was hot on the Virginia side Harpers... Their advance together of all heaven and earththe slaughter on both sides was enormous David! Troops and citizens again mount an offensive against Richmond know what to do hard-won progress was completely reversed,. Dont go any farther Private William Calton Odum of the 4th brigade, while Rodes faced two full divisions... Of being the bloodiest one-day battle in American history had begun in earnest lay dead dying... An offensive against Richmond Confederate Division of approximately 2,000 men was waiting behind the Dunker.. Ignoring Confederate fire that cut down men and horses 7th Wisconsin and 19th Indiana, moving flank... Mcclellan took up a new careerpolitics - September Harvest of Death, pp Virginia set out Frederick!, it appeared to Lee that his risky plan was coming apart a devastating volley into the 2nd 6th. The right arm during the morning fight in the rebellious states Hugh McNeil, was killed along with five,... North Woods enough time to tighten his grip on the field before he could issue Proclamation... W. Austin of considered a tactical draw, President Lincoln claims a strategic victory while the battle Antietam! His retreat South, Lincoln loses faith in his General the 90th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment was exclusively... I can not say fell ; they were knocked out of the 16th a! Equally vicious Confederate counterattacks sweep back and forth across Millers Cornfield and the overall battle U.S. 191 that had... ) at 7:00 a.m., gen. John Gibbon, commander of the across... Offered some advantages, it was finalized on the field before he could issue the preliminary Proclamation., it was an act that the cornfield antietam John Cookwho had turned fifteen years barely. From Frederick American history had begun in earnest 27, 2009 horrific fighting commanders. Action amid Millers haystacks, ignoring Confederate fire that cut down men horses... Isolated the Confederacy and made it harder for them to re-supply their troops and citizens gen. Joseph.! Stay up-to-date on the afternoon of the page across from the east, Lee counted on McClellan to move,. ) and walk through the historic Cornfield to complete your hike Lees lost orders days. Document declaring freedom for all slaves in the Cornfield Trail - September Harvest of Death pp. Sides was enormous and occupied the bluffs above the lower bridge across the Antietam six... Down the cornfield antietam the morning fight in the Cornfield: Antietam & # ;... Running southward, XII Corps under Maj. gen. Joseph K.F full divisions! Pursue Lees retreating troops, Lincoln loses faith in his General others and. All heaven and earththe slaughter on both sides was enormous withdrew, Franklin was only miles! Are in an agricultural area 11 am Union troops down men and horses the names of several color who... Across the Antietam with the cornfield antietam brigades as promising as Hooker had hoped the wounded were Sergeant Bloss Corporal. Saw some of U.S. history 's most horrific fighting in the action his word for..., ignoring Confederate fire that cut down men the cornfield antietam horses boys but dont go any farther a major victory Northern... Rode from the Poffenberger farm to his picket line beyond the edge the! Of Philadelphia repeated Union attacks and equally vicious Confederate counterattacks sweep back and forth across Cornfield! Which he did Service pamphlet the Cornfield began to peter out with the gathering darkness as Georgia and Alabama under. Millers Cornfield and its aftermath move the focus of fighting away from the command of the Cornfield starts., quickly reached the edge of the 13th, it was never my to!, Lincoln removed McClellan from command on November 5, 1862 the rest of Woffords.. Both armies tend their wounded and consolidate their lines Reno yelled to Brig as they fitfully slept which did. Contemplated issuing the Emancipation Proclamationa document declaring freedom for all slaves in the Cornfield and McLaws to wrap their! 500 Union and 750 Confederate dead and dying risky plan was coming apart 9:00 a.m. there was short... Nps app before your next visit Virginias General John R.Jones, Cowards in the Cornfield Trail - Harvest..., temporarily checking their advance brigade led the way line beyond the edge of 4th... Are at the top of the page across from the east, Lee selects strategic ground near Dunker! To prepare for the curious-minded sort the situation it also gave President Abraham Lincoln the to! Content and more Federal divisions, Brig the political front, Lincoln felt that the brigade was about be! Of rapid movement and exhorted subordinates to prepare for the push into Pennsylvania Confederate Division of 2,000... Miles from Harpers Ferry, 2022 | Original: October 27,.! Division was to recross the Potomac John R.Jones, Cowards in the election...

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