Greenes two brigades were within 200 yards of the Dunker Church, where they halted and watched the West Woods swarm with Confederates. [1]. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! It explains what happened in Antietam's Cornfield and why. Lee wrote to McLaws: The day has gone against us and this army will go by Sharpsburg and cross the river. Two divisions under Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws were to approach the arsenal from the north and seize the commanding position of Maryland Heights. Within the hour Ezra would be troubled by a much greater lossand discover the ultimate irony of Antietam's bloody Cornfield. The Cornfield Trail at Antietam National Battlefield. Most of the time its misspelled. McClellan talked of rapid movement and exhorted subordinates to prepare for the march. 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. Swinging widely to the west, Jackson was to scoop up the enemy garrison at Martinsburg and move on to Harpers Ferry. We strive for accuracy and fairness. From his headquarters at Chantilly, Virginia, Lee wrote to Confederate President Jefferson Davis of his intent to carry the war to Northern soil. 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. Among the wounded were Sergeant Bloss and Corporal Mitchell, who had found Lees lost orders four days earlier. When the Union men loosed a volley in reply, Mansfield, who had only taken command two days earlier, became confused, believing that large numbers of Federal troops were still to their front. The 28th Pennsylvania and 5th, 7th, and 66th Ohio of Lt. Col. Hector Tyndales 1st Brigade led the way. 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. Forward, guide centre, halt. The division commander, John R. Jones, had been wounded by shrapnel earlier, and Brig. 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. 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. 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. 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. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. 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. General Robert E. Lee also recognized dissent among Lincolns ranks and hoped a battle victory on Union land might topple Lincolns congressional support and help secure the Confederacy once and for all. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. One soldier of the 6th Wisconsin captured the essence of that horrific morning. Although it offered some advantages, it was also precarious. 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. How it ended Inconclusive. From his point of view, hed accomplished his mission of forcing Lees troops from Maryland and preventing a Confederate win on Union soil. 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. Monday marks the 150th . Occasionally, a nervous picket fired into the darkness. Gen. Jacob Coxs Kanawha Division were in control of Foxs Gap. (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. There was a lot at stake for the Battle of Antietam. Even before the nine-day trek, Lincoln had all but given up on the man who had once been christened Young Napoleon for his military promise. Meanwhile, Jackson got the remainder of his command on the road toward Sharpsburg. I was in the hospital in the afternoon, for it was then only that the wounded began to come in. Descending Into The Bloody Cornfield With Civil War Historian, David A. Welker: PreserveCast Episode No. Men laughed and giggled, screamed and cried. Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen. Lee prodded Jackson and McLaws to wrap up their work at Harpers Ferry. National Park Service.The Maryland Campaign of 1862. The dejected Lee ordered Jackson to march to Shepherdstown to cover the withdrawal of Longstreets force. Meanwhile, on September 2, McClellan retook command of the army to the cheers of his men. Commanders on both sides were trying to make order out of chaos, and even the most hardened veteran could scarcely comprehend the unimaginable holocaust that engulfed the cornfield, the woods, turnpike, and high ground around the Dunker Church, where more than 8,000 soldiers, Union and Confederate, lay dead or wounded. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, 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. It was never my fortune to witness a more bloody, dismal battlefield. Send forward officers to explore the way, ascertain the best crossing of the Potomac.. At that moment it must have entered the minds of the men of the 1st Texas that it might just be possible to break the Yankees hold on this spot, if only they could reach it in time By David A. Welker The Continue reading The 1st Texas Infantry in the Cornfield: Slipping theBridle, You may have heard the story of Werner Von Bachelle and his beloved dog, who shared their lives and met their respective fates in Antietams Cornfield. 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. Many regiments on both sides were cut to pieces. In 20 minutes of fighting, Duryea lost 300 men. His division had suffered 1,380 dead and wounded, about 60 percent of its strength, and was forced to withdraw to the West Woods. Lt. Col. Robert Andersons 3rd Brigade, four regiments of Pennsylvania Reserves, crouched low behind a rail fence at the northern end of the cornfield and waited. The president relieved McClellan of his duties on November 7 and appointed Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside to be his replacement. Gen. Jubal Earlys brigade left Pelhams horse artillery on Nicodemus Hill to join the fray. Hartsuff was wounded and Christian suffered an emotional breakdown and fled the field. Because Federal and Confederate forces repeatedly . 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. Instantly Giles stentorian voice rang out, 88th. Gen. John Bell Hood went into line on the fringe of the West Woods, a stretch of trees 300 yards wide to the west of the Hagerstown Turnpike, the major thoroughfare that led into Sharpsburg. Antietam on the Web.Special Orders No. Its commander, Colonel Hugh McNeil, was killed along with five others, and 20 were wounded. This 24-acre cornfield, owned by D.R. 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. His orders from Lincoln and Army General-in-Chief Henry W. Halleck were somewhat vague: protect Washington and, if possible, destroy Lees army in the process. Fewer know about the films opening scenes, which take Captain Shaw and the 2nd Massachusetts into the horror of the Cornfield. 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. It was obvious to the Union veterans that the area had recently served as a Rebel bivouac. Abner Doubleday may not have invented baseball, but his actions amidst Antietams deadly Cornfield rightly cement his place in American history. Facing threats in front and right, as the enemy advanced the Georgians suddenly realized they were in a tremendous Union vise that was about to literally squeeze the regiment to death. Following the Confederate triumph at Second Bull Run, British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston had observed that the Union forces had received a very complete smashing. If Lees remarkable run of success continued, said Palmerston, Would it not be time for us to consider whether in such a state of things England and France might not address the contending parties and recommend an arrangement on the basis of separation?, For all those reasons, the stakes were extremely high when the Army of Northern Virginia reached Whites Ford on the banks of the Potomac River on September 4 and 55,000 hungry troops stripped off their ragged clothes and began wading into Maryland. 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. Gen. Abram Duryeas 1st Brigade, stepped off to Gibbons left. Detached from the command of Maj. Gen. Thomas J. The proclamation, Lincoln hoped, would add a moral dimension to the war besides the preservation of the Union. This assault on Robert E. Lee's forces began the Battle of Antietam, the single bloodiest day of the Civil War. Frustrated with Lincolns policies and the course of the war, Democrats launched an anti-war campaign, hoping to take over the U.S. House of Representatives. Lee directed Lt. Gen. James Longstreets three divisions to cross South Mountain, a ridgeline running north to south along the eastern edge of the Cumberland Valley, and proceed to Boonsboro, about halfway to Hagerstown. Their fire was devastating. Captain Benjamin F. Cook of the 12th Massachusetts remembered the horrific fighting in the cornfield and its aftermath. McClellan deployed Hookers I Corps astride the Hagerstown Turnpike to the north. The avalanche of Union troops pushed Rodes steadily back and cost him more than one-third of his command. The 7th Wisconsin and 19th Indiana, moving as flank protection, fired a devastating volley into the two brigades assailing the 6th Wisconsin. 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. Walker lost 228 of his 700 soldiers and was forced to retire. Firing canister at point-blank range, Union artillery raked the attackers. Americas bloodiest day began with heavy fighting that ravaged a previously innocuous cornfield in western Maryland. : 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. 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. Rifles are shot to pieces in the hands of the soldiers, canteens and haversacks are riddled by bullets, the dead and wounded go down in scores, he wrote. By September 12, the Army of Northern Virginia expected to mass in the vicinity of Hagerstown, poised for the push into Pennsylvania. A mile east of the town of Sharpsburg, the creek meanders through the hilly but open countryside, good for long-range artillery and moving infantry. Ricketts remaining two brigades, under Colonel William A. Christian and Brig. As Brig. "Battle of Antietam: Carnage in a Cornfield", "cwla - Antietam Modern Image Gallery 11 Frame", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Miller%27s_Cornfield&oldid=1139340604, Battlefields of the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. The exaggerated estimates played on McClellans natural tendency toward caution and contributed to his lack of aggressiveness. Meanwhile, Lee counted on McClellans lack of aggressiveness. Libby remembered a loud response from the Maine men to the contrary. On September 9, Lee issued Special Order 191 defining his Maryland Campaign. His plan to enter northern territory divided his army, sending each unit to march on a specific town: Boonsboro and Hagerstown in Maryland, and Harpers Ferry and Martinsburg in West Virginia. 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. All Rights Reserved. Late in the afternoon, reinforcements from Longstreet began to arrive. The textile mills of Europe were dependent on Southern cotton for continuing operations, and the British government keenly felt the urgency to recognize the Confederacy. 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. 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. After the war-weary general repeatedly refused Lincolns orders to pursue Lees retreating troops, Lincoln removed McClellan from command on November 5, 1862. 126, May 18,2020, The Cornfield Inside the Action at Antietams Bloody TurningPoint, Abner Doubleday in Antietams Cornfield: No Day in the (Baseball)Park, Garlands Brigade at the Cornfield: The Death of a Reputationand MuchMore, The 88th Pennsylvania at Antietam: A Cornfield Invalid SavesWashington, Farming the Cornfield: D. R. Millers 1862 Harvest ofDeath, Buffalo in the Cornfield: The 21st New York atAntietam, Claimed by the Cornfield: Georgias Colonel MarcellusDouglass, Cowards in the Cornfield? In the 1864 election he was the Democratic nominee for president of the United States. The Cornfield: Antietam's Bloody Turning Point tells for the first time the full story of the struggle to control "the Cornfield," the action on which the costly battle of Antietam turned. The 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. The ensuing delay was costly, and before the brigades could rally it was too late to help Duryea. Battle of Antietam: Clash in the Cornfield America's bloodiest day began with heavy fighting that ravaged a previously innocuous cornfield in western Maryland. I feel Gen. M. should have no problem.. The Battle of Antietam in September 1862 turned back the first major Confederate invasion of the North in the Civil War. Go to the next tour stop - the West Woods The Cornfield Antietam's Bloody Turning Point.m4b 748.6 MB; The Cornfield Antietam's Bloody Turning Point.jpg 51.6 kB; The Cornfield Antietam's Bloody Turning Point.cue 1.3 kB; The Cornfield Antietam's Bloody Turning Point.nfo 1.2 kB; : 713.95MB : 2022-12-18 : 19. It was one of those marvelous flights that beggar explanation or description.. After he failed to attack Lees depleted troops as they fled Sharpsburg on September 18, he wrote to his wife, Ellen, that, ''those in whose judgment I rely tell me that I fought the battle splendidly & that it was a masterpiece of art.'' 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. 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. After chasing Confederate skirmishers off the Miller farm, Gibbons men headed for the northwest corner of the cornfield and began taking fire from Douglass troops and the Stonewall Brigade posted in the West Woods. Hood said to one of Jacksons aides, Tell General Jackson unless I get reinforcements I must be forced back, but I am going on while I can.. Upon learning of the valuable find, an ecstatic McClellan reportedly exclaimed, Here is a paper with which, if I cannot whip Bobby Lee, I will be willing to go home. He immediately moved his army in hopes of foiling Lees battle plans. The Iron Brigade battled several Confederate units during the bloody fighting in D.R. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. Starke, shot three times, died on the field. The 19th Indiana and 7th Wisconsin crossed the turnpike to cover the Iron Brigades flank, and Gibbon brought up Battery B, 4th U.S. Fearful that the brigade was about to be flanked, he raised the alarm prematurely. He wanted to move the focus of fighting away from the South and into Federal territory. The Tigers poured heavy fire into the 2nd and 6th Wisconsin, temporarily checking their advance. Mansfield was carried from the field and died within hours. The Battle of Antietam, America's bloodiest single day, immediately claimed 3,654 lives and generated an additional 8,772 wounded and missing casualties on both sides, many of whom should properly be moved to the "killed" category. This article about the American Civil War is a stub. Works, was hot on the heels of the fleeing Federals and outran the rest of Woffords brigade. Brigadier General David Ricketts 2nd Division, led by Brig. The carnage was terrific; only two dozen of the original 250 men of the 6th Georgia survived the maelstrom without being killed or wounded. Turn left (south) and walk through the historic Cornfield to complete your hike. National Park Service.Why did Lee Enter Maryland? 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. William E. Starke spurred his brigade of Louisiana soldiers and accompanying Virginians headlong into the Iron Brigade. 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. (Today its called Burnside Bridge.) Miller, saw some of U.S. history's most horrific fighting. Lt. Col. Edward Bragg of the 6th Wisconsin was wounded as the regiment was hit in both flanks. Tyndales men charged into the cornfield, and several minutes of hand-to-hand fighting ensued before the Confederates began withdrawing toward the West Woods. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for NAMING THE EASTERN SIERRA By Marguerite Sowaal Dirty Sock to Bloody Canyon 1985 at the best online prices at eBay! 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. It explains what happened in Antietam's Cornfield and why. 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. Most of the Confederates on the north end of the battlefield retreated to the West Woods and almost 8,000 Union and Confederate soldiers had been killed or wounded in and around the Cornfield. 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. The Most Terrible Clash of Arms As night fell, thousands of bodies littered the sprawling Antietam battlefield and both sides regrouped and claimed their dead and wounded. Travel back in time to see Antietam's battlefield as it looked 134 years ago. There are more than 22,000 casualties at the Battle of Antietam. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. 191. Colonel Thomas Munford led a brigade of cavalry, bloodied from the fighting at South Mountain, to cover the fords south of the lower bridge. Take a virtual tour of Antietam Battlefield by clicking on the links for the battlefield tour stops below. 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. Lincoln has been waiting for a military success to issue his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. As the sun was setting, the entire Union I Corps under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker advanced toward Turners Gap. Sergeant E.J. For the first time since hostilities opened, Virginia was largely free of Union troops. Gen. George A. Hartsuff, moved forward. 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. 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.. The Proclamation, which vows to free the slaves of all states still in rebellion as of January 1, 1863, will forever change the course of the war and the nation by marrying the Union cause with an attack on the institution of slavery. Casualties were fearful. 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. One soldier remembered: "The air seems full of leaden missiles. This is that story . Hills rear guard remained at Boonsboro with 5,000 troops. While Douglass and Walker held on, Colonel Harry T. Hays hard-fighting Louisiana brigade, nicknamed the Louisiana Tigers, moved forward. Just eight hours in, there were over 15,000 casualties. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. By David A. Welker John Continue reading Cowards in the Cornfield? At about 9:00 a.m. there was a short lull in the action. The 12th Massachusetts had 224 of its 334 soldiers shot down, a casualty rate of 67 percent that was the highest of any Union regiment on the field. To the south, at Cramptons Gap, a Confederate contingent of 1,000 men consisting of three Virginia infantry regiments and another from Georgia, two regiments of dismounted cavalry, and a few scattered guns of the horse artillery confronted more than 12,000 Union troops of Maj. Gen. William B. Franklins VI Corps. 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. When Frenchs troops arrived, fighting ensued at close range. 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 . Clarissa Clara Harlowe Barton was a former teacher and patent clerk who became a nurse on the front lines during the Civil War. 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Burnside to be his replacement within 200 yards of the 12th Massachusetts remembered the horrific in... By a much greater lossand discover the ultimate irony of Antietam several minutes of hand-to-hand fighting at. Look right, click here to contact us November 7 and appointed Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside to be flanked he!