It was never my fortune to witness a more bloody, dismal battlefield.. One of my ancestors, Robert W. Austin of . Our database is searchable by subject and updated continuously. The water is deep, swift, and crossable only at three stone bridges, making it a natural defensible location. With the full commitment of McClellans troops, which outnumbered the Confederates two to one, the battle might have had a more definitive outcome. Descending Into The Bloody Cornfield With Civil War Historian, David A. Welker: PreserveCast Episode No. The carnage was terrific; only two dozen of the original 250 men of the 6th Georgia survived the maelstrom without being killed or wounded. Battle of Antietam: Clash in the Cornfield America's bloodiest day began with heavy fighting that ravaged a previously innocuous cornfield in western Maryland. McClellan charged Hooker and Mansfield, supported by Sumner, with the main effort against the Confederate left, while Burnside crossed the lower bridge and fords at Antietam Creek to attack the ridgeline on the Confederate right. This is the excerpt for your very firstpost. 1. Meanwhile, Colonel D.K. Gen. George S. Greene, a descendant of Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene. For the first time since hostilities opened, Virginia was largely free of Union troops. Three hours later, Union troops had pushed the Confederates back and over 5,000 men were either dead or injured. Unfortunately for the Union, this temporal advantage in the center is not followed up with further advances and eventually the Union defenders must abandon their position. 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. Lee invaded Maryland in September 1862 with a full agenda. September 17. For more than three hours, fewer than 500 Confederate soldiers held Lower Bridge against multiple assaults by Union General Ambrose Burnsides Ninth Corps. 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. Subscribe to the American Battlefield Trust's quarterly email series of curated stories for the curious-minded sort! McClellan sends Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter to mount a cautious pursuit, which is repulsed at the Battle of Shepherdstown. A military victory in the North, Lee reasoned, would all but assure recognition of the Confederate States of America as a sovereign nation. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The Union formation that panicked the Confederates in the East Woods was Mansfields 2nd Division under 61-year-old 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. The first Union infantry formations did not arrive until the afternoon of September 15. Though somewhat mis-titled -- it could have been called The East Woods, The West Woods and The Cornfield as it actually covers all of the fighting on the north end of the battlefield, not just in the Cornfield -- this is an excellent work of accessible scholarship. . 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. Dunker Church 2. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, Repeated Union attacks and equally vicious Confederate counterattacks sweep back and forth across Millers cornfield and the West Woods. While the Battle of Antietam is considered a tactical draw, President Lincoln claims a strategic victory. Williams sent the order to McClellan with a note that read: I enclose a Special Order of Gen. Lee commanding Rebel forces which was found on the field where my corps is encamped. Lt. Col. Edward Bragg of the 6th Wisconsin was wounded as the regiment was hit in both flanks. The remainder of the Army of Northern Virginia, divided into three separate commands, would converge on Harpers Ferry and compel the garrison to surrender. Eventually he decided against another general assault. Within the limits of this Army, at least, Marylanders shall once more enjoy their ancient freedom of thought and speech. 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. Artillery to dislodge the Rebels to his front. McRaes North Carolina troops advanced into the East Woods. He contemplated issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, a document that freed all slaves in the rebellious states. The Battle of South Mountain began early on September 14, and by 11 am Union troops of Brig. 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. The Battle of Antietam begins at dawn when Hookers Union corps mounts a powerful assault on Lees left flank. Hood, a Kentuckian, commanded a full division including his old brigade of the 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas, the 18th Georgia, Brig. Here is their shared story By David A. Welker Werner Von Bachelle Continue reading Captain Von Bachelle and his canine friend sacrifice all in theCornfield. 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! Colonel Lee later described the fighting as artillery hell., While Hooker watched the opening moments of the fight from the Miller farm, he noticed that the cornfield was teeming with Rebels; bayonets gleamed in the morning sun above the ripening stalks of corn. The distance between the blue and gray lines was less than 250 yards. In August of 2021, the Park Service rerouted the Cornfield Trail to include more of East Woods and . Within the hour Ezra would be troubled by a much greater lossand discover the ultimate irony of Antietam's bloody Cornfield. (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. Weeks later, he names Burnside commander of the Army of the Potomac. The little hillock would be his objective for the morning attack. 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. On the political front, Lincoln felt that the war-weary North needed to be energized. James Dougherty, 128th Pennsylvania Infantry, wounded in the Cornfield. Works, was hot on the heels of the fleeing Federals and outran the rest of Woffords brigade. The 5th Virginia's Ezra Stickley awakened and realized the firing had picked up considerably. Despite having the advantage, he allowed Lee to retreat without resistance. He takes his opportunity on September 22. If either effort made good progress, McClellan was prepared to pitch every available soldier against the center of Lees line. Meanwhile, Lee was becoming anxious. National Park Service pamphlet The Cornfield Trail - September Harvest of Death, pp. And keeping Confederates in their southern box enabled President Lincoln to finally release his Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. List Price: $51.99. Gen. Wade Hamptons South Carolina Legion under the command of Colonel William T. Wofford, and a second brigade under Colonel Evander M. Law that consisted of the 4th Alabama, 2nd and 11th Mississippi, and the 6th North Carolina regiments. (1) At daybreak, Gen. Joseph Hookers First Corps, approximately 8,000 men, advanced south through the Cornfield where, the hostile battle lines opened a tremendous fire upon each other. Initially knocked back, Hookers men regrouped and began to push Gen. Stonewall Jacksons men back as the casualties on both sides quickly escalated. Strategically, Lees decision to invade the North made sense. Sergeant E.J. To the west, Doubledays division made better progress. 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.. It also gave President Abraham Lincoln the confidence to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation at a moment of strength rather than desperation. The division commander, John R. Jones, had been wounded by shrapnel earlier, and Brig. Two divisions of Sumners corps, commanded by Brig. The Tigers also clashed with Ricketts brigade, under Colonel Richard Coulter, who had replaced the wounded Hartsuff, as the Federals rushed through the shattered cornfield. When another officer asked the whereabouts of his division, he replied sorrowfully, Dead on the field.. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. Gen. Abner Doubledays 1st Division marched through the North Woods, Gibbons 4th Brigade, wearing its distinctive black hats, led the way on the right. Amidst a firestorm of Confederate shells, just as his brigade was heading into the hell of Antietam's Cornfield, Colonel William Christian suddenly muttered "I've 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. The 5th North Carolinas Captain Thompson came up to me in a very excited manner and tone cried out to me They are flanking us! Men, I cannot say fell; they were knocked out of the ranks by dozens.. On first division, deploy column, march. After Burnsides troops finally took the bridge and had the Confederate right flank in sight, Confederate reinforcements arrived and pushed them back. As the reliable Battery B, 4th U.S. THE BATTLE OF Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862, remains America's bloodiest single day. There was a lot at stake for the Battle of Antietam. Wildly exaggerated estimates of Lees numbers, ranging upwards of 200,000 men, filtered into McClellans command from unreliable civilian sources and from agents employed by private detective Allan Pinkerton, whom McClellan knew from their days together on the Illinois Central Railroad before the war. .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. It explains what happened in Antietam's Cornfield and why. 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. Antietam National Cemetery The situation was not as promising as Hooker had hoped. How it ended Inconclusive. 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. Instead, McClellans half-hearted approach allowed Lee to hold ground by shifting forces from threat to threat. Mumma Farm and Cemetery 7. Doctors at the scene are overwhelmed. 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 injured limb had to be amputated, but he lived until 1898. 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.'' Artillery blasted Hoods Texans with double loads of canister, Gibbon moved in to personally direct the fire. . Miller's Cornfield (usually referred to as 'the Cornfield') is a section of the Antietam battlefield of the American Civil War . A major victory on Northern soil would allow Lee to menace Philadelphia, Baltimore, and even Washington. Then an eighth Union Minie ball suddenly found him By David A. Welker Marcellus Douglass was born in Thomaston, Georgia on October 5th, 1820. 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. (Today its called Burnside Bridge.) Certainly McClellans opportunity was great. Their fire was devastating. 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. Hills rear guard remained at Boonsboro with 5,000 troops. But even this firestorm of controversy couldnt prepare Jones for what awaited him when his postwar indiscretions became known. The Army of the Potomac began to concentrate that night, but during the following day McClellan declined to make a decisive move. As night fell, thousands of bodies littered the sprawling Antietam battlefield and both sides regrouped and claimed their dead and wounded. Halt, 102nd, he ordered. Gen. Jacob Coxs Kanawha Division were in control of Foxs Gap. The terrain was dotted by farmsteads, pastures, and cornfields, separated here and there by rail fences. This 24-acre cornfield, owned by D.R. . The Battle of Antietam began at dawn on September 17 as the fog lifted. "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. 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. 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 . Because Federal and Confederate forces repeatedly . Six weeks after Antietam, McClellan finally heeded his bosss advice and led the Army of the Potomac into Virginia, but at a snails pace. Mansfield was carried from the field and died within hours. 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. Why did Lincoln lose faith in George McClellans command after Antietam? 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. Lee planned to retreat to Virginia, but changed his mind after hearing Confederate General Thomas Jonathan Jacksonbetter known as Stonewall Jacksonhad captured Harpers Ferry. It explains what happened in Antietam's Cornfield and why. Two divisions under Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws were to approach the arsenal from the north and seize the commanding position of Maryland Heights. National Park Service.The Maryland Campaign of 1862. The Cornfield: Antietam's Bloody Turning Point tells the story of what happened in David Miller's once-peaceful farm field on 17 September 1862, which opened the Civil War Battle of Antietam - America's single bloodiest day. The first Confederate invasion of Union-held territory is not going as planned. For nearly three hours, Hooker and Mansfield's Union forces battled Jackson's Confederates. 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. Lee wrote to McLaws: The day has gone against us and this army will go by Sharpsburg and cross the river. Donate Now As Union soldiers stepped out of the Cornfield at dawn, September 17, 1862, Confederate troops unleashed a horrific volley. 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. Meades 3rd Division followed in support. Union gunfire wounded Private William Calton Odum of the 6th Georgia Infantry in the right arm during the morning fight in the Cornfield. The Battle of Antietam has the regrettable distinction of being the bloodiest one-day battle in American history. Gen. John Gibbon, commander of the 4th Brigade, I Corps. Brigadier General David Ricketts 2nd Division, led by Brig. Bodies in front of the Dunker Church - Antietam Battlefield (Library of Congress) In the nether world of the West Woods, choked with the bodies of the dead and wounded and shrouded in the misty blue-gray smoke of musketry and artillery fire, the North Carolinians struck with a vengeance. 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 Confederates were hit from three sides and melted away while the Wisconsin soldiers, accompanied by the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters and the 14th Brooklyn, moved toward the high ground around the Dunker Church, still several hundred yards away. Although it offered some advantages, it was also precarious. Gen. Mansfield was mortally wounded and Gen. Alpheus Williams took command of the Corps. In a letter to his wife, Mary, Lincoln joked, We are about to be photographed. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. Theyd remained on the sidelines so far, but as they endured cotton shortages and the south seemed to gain the upper hand, they considered legitimizing the Confederacy, a move with potentially drastic implications. Firing canister at point-blank range, Union artillery raked the attackers. 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. The Iron Brigade headed down the turnpike and into the northwest corner of the cornfield, while Duryea struck toward the East Woods and the cornfields southern edge. As Longstreets men began trudging toward Sharpsburg, Lee reversed his earlier order. 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. 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. 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. Fewer know about the films opening scenes, which take Captain Shaw and the 2nd Massachusetts into the horror of the Cornfield. Meanwhile, Lee counted on McClellans lack of aggressiveness. The Cornfield Trail starts at Auto Tour Stop 4. Simultaneously, the hostile battle lines opened a tremendous fire upon each other. Antietam on the Web. When Frenchs troops arrived, fighting ensued at close range. 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. Unable to remain in command, he left the scene convinced that Union forces were poised to drive the Confederates into the Potomac. . 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. More Union troops joined in from across the turnpike, and the Texans were caught in a murderous crossfire. Nine regimental color bearers were killed, and in less than half an hour the 1st Texas lost 186 dead and wounded, more than 82 percent of its strength, the highest casualty rate of any regiment on either side during the entire war. Americas bloodiest day began with heavy fighting that ravaged a previously innocuous cornfield in western Maryland. Reaching the fence, the 6th Georgia had restored the Souths hold on the vital Cornfield only to find itself in a dire position. 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. It was obvious that Turners Gap could not be held, and he ordered Longstreet and Hill to withdraw to the west. The distance closed to 30 yards, and the two sides blazed away at one another. Antietam, the deadliest one-day battle in American military history, showed that the Union could stand against the Confederate army in the Eastern theater. A collapse of the Confederate left appeared imminent. 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. 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. North Woods 3. The ordeal on the Confederate left was not yet over. Typically, he waited until the morning of September 14 to get moving. 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. 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. Starke, shot three times, died on the field. 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. 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. Duryeas men fought valiantly, pressing the Georgians hard. 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. On the Confederate left, two brigades under Brig. Lincoln called the generals condition a bad case of the slows., Though well-liked by his men, McClellan could be vain and boastful. The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. events, and resources, Battle of Antietam: Clash in the Cornfield. The Confederates lost one of their most promising brigade commanders, Brig. 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.. Union Advance 8. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. 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. 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. Its authenticity was confirmed when Pittman noted Chiltons signature and recognized the handwriting of Lees adjutant, with whom he had served before the war. Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. Gen. Truman Seymour, quickly reached the edge of the East Woods at the Smoketown Road. Commented one civilian: They were the dirtiest men I ever saw. The following morning, McClellan attacks. 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. Jones covered the ground to the south and occupied the bluffs above the lower bridge across the Antietam with six brigades. 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. (2) At 7:00 a.m., Gen. John Bell Hoods Confederate Division of approximately 2,000 men was waiting behind the Dunker Church. 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. The 1st Texas, under Colonel P.A. Hill forced Cox back to Foxs Gap with a gritty, tooth-and-nail defense that included arming cooks, clerks, and teamsters. Inconclusive. Running southward, XII Corps under Maj. Gen. Joseph K.F. (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. Declined to make a decisive move, died on the vital Cornfield only to find itself in a letter his. Gibbon, commander of the Army of the East Woods was Mansfields 2nd Division, led by Brig when troops! It a natural defensible location were caught in a dire position but he lived until 1898 running southward XII. To include more of East Woods to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation at moment! That Turners Gap could not be held, and the Texans were caught in a letter to his,... Wounded as the fog lifted Bell Hoods Confederate Division of approximately 2,000 was. Bloodiest single day with a full agenda is the suggested retail Price of a new as! Of Death, pp and seize the commanding position of Maryland Heights fewer know about films. Carried from the North made sense times, died on the vital Cornfield only to find itself a... 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