Buy new: $40.64. 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. 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 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. Union gunfire wounded Private William Calton Odum of the 6th Georgia Infantry in the right arm during the morning fight in the Cornfield. As the sun was setting, the entire Union I Corps under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker advanced toward Turners Gap. His decision was pivotal. 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. 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. . Union troops fired first at the Confederates left flank and the carnage began. The 5th Virginia's Ezra Stickley awakened and realized the firing had picked up considerably. Miller's Cornfield (usually referred to as 'the Cornfield') is a section of the Antietam battlefield of the American Civil War . From that moment on, John Cook worked a gun alongside the trained artillerymen to face down the onslaught of Woffords attacking Texas Brigade. Lee knew that the capacity of the Union to wage war was virtually limitless. While the Battle of Antietam is considered a tactical draw, President Lincoln claims a strategic victory. 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. events, and resources, Battle of Antietam: Clash in the Cornfield. On the morning of the 13th, the 27th Indiana Infantry paused to rest in a field on the outskirts of Frederick. They also ended any hope of France and Great Britain acknowledging the Confederacy and coming to their aid. 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. Because Federal and Confederate forces repeatedly traded control of the spot, the fight for the Cornfield is a story of human struggle against fearful . Lee issued a proclamation to the people of Maryland inviting them to join the Southern cause. Franklins VI Corps was held in reserve. 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. One soldier remembered: "The air seems full of leaden missiles. Same location Antietam National Battlefield--Cornfield Trail, Washington County, Maryland, US Same area and date Another location near Antietam National Battlefield--Cornfield Trail, Washington County, Maryland, US on Sat Apr 15, 2023 The three-hour fight at Cramptons Gap left 500 Union and 750 Confederate dead and wounded. Lower Bridge (Burnside Bridge) 10. Please stay on the trail and remember you are in an agricultural area. In 20 minutes of fighting, Duryea lost 300 men. 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. As he was carried to the rear, Reno yelled to Brig. The proclamation, Lincoln hoped, would add a moral dimension to the war besides the preservation of the Union. Western Maryland did not rally to the Stars and Bars. 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. 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 pockets and cartridge pouches of the dead and wounded were ransacked, and soldiers handed muskets to those with better shots at the enemy. 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.. Starkes Louisiana men took up positions along a rail fence on the east side of the Hagerstown Turnpike. 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. Gen. Truman Seymour, quickly reached the edge of the East Woods at the Smoketown Road. James Dougherty, 128th Pennsylvania Infantry, wounded in the Cornfield. Union forces outnumbered Confederates by two to one, although McClellan thought Lees forces were much larger. Despite having the advantage, he allowed Lee to retreat without resistance. Every purchase supports the mission. 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. The Tigers poured heavy fire into the 2nd and 6th Wisconsin, temporarily checking their advance. Many regiments on both sides were cut to pieces. 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. Greenes 2nd Brigade, under Colonel Henry J. Stainrook, reached the Smoketown Road and unhinged the Confederate right flank. Gen. Jubal Earlys brigade left Pelhams horse artillery on Nicodemus Hill to join the fray. Mumma Farm and Cemetery 7. Brig. 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. East of the turnpike lay the prosperous farm of David R. Miller, including the house, outbuildings, orchard, and a 24-acre field of ripening corn, grown taller than a mans head and nearly ready for harvest. Sergeant E.J. Mitchell took the document to Sergeant John M. Bloss, and the two took it to Captain Peter Kop, their company commander. 12. Join us online July 24-26! The Battle of South Mountain began early on September 14, and by 11 am Union troops of Brig. All Rights Reserved. Hood was aghast at the losses. Hartsuff was wounded and Christian suffered an emotional breakdown and fled the field. One of my ancestors, Robert W. Austin of . 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! Dawes remembered: As we appeared at the edge of the cornfield, a long line of men in butternut and gray rose up from the ground. Their company commander, Captain Kop, was killed. Firing canister at point-blank range, Union artillery raked the attackers. 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.. Lee wrote to McLaws: The day has gone against us and this army will go by Sharpsburg and cross the river. 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. His division had suffered 1,380 dead and wounded, about 60 percent of its strength, and was forced to withdraw to the West Woods. The distance closed to 30 yards, and the two sides blazed away at one another. 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. Had Franklin overwhelmed McLaws and marched hard for Harpers Ferry, he might have lifted the siege and checked any subsequent movement by Jackson. In a letter to his wife, Mary, Lincoln joked, We are about to be photographed. But even this firestorm of controversy couldnt prepare Jones for what awaited him when his postwar indiscretions became known. Near the center of the battlefield, another site of slaughter was a farm lane known as the Sunken Road, where Hills division of approximately 2,600 men had piled fence rails along the roads embankment to fortify their position against Union Major General William H. Frenchs 5,500 approaching troops. Free delivery for many products! Subscribe to the American Battlefield Trust's quarterly email series of curated stories for the curious-minded sort! Take a virtual tour of Antietam Battlefield by clicking on the links for the battlefield tour stops below. 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. Unable to remain in command, he left the scene convinced that Union forces were poised to drive the Confederates into the Potomac. Antietam on the Web. For more than three hours, fewer than 500 Confederate soldiers held Lower Bridge against multiple assaults by Union General Ambrose Burnsides Ninth Corps. The Cornfield Trail at Antietam National Battlefield. The little hillock would be his objective for the morning attack. Then an eighth Union Minie ball suddenly found him By David A. Welker Marcellus Douglass was born in Thomaston, Georgia on October 5th, 1820. Dunker Church 2. 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. Miller's Cornfield (usually referred to as 'the Cornfield') is a section of the Antietam battlefield of the American Civil War. Antietam's opening fight turned a field of crops into a scene of slaughter. This is that story By David A. Welker Born on 26 June 1819 in Ballston Spa, New York to Ulysses F. and Hester (Donnelly) Doubleday, Abner joined a respected family with deep ties to Continue reading Abner Doubleday in Antietams Cornfield: No Day in the (Baseball)Park, The 1st Georgia Regulars Sergeant William Andrews and the 1st Minnesotas Sergeant Sam Bloomer traveled from very different worlds, and over many miles, to share a moment of grace and humanity amidst the terror of Antietams bloody Cornfield. Military historians consider the Battle of Antietam a stalemate. 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. Walker lost 228 of his 700 soldiers and was forced to retire. The present seems the most propitious time since the commencement of the war for the Confederate Army to enter Maryland, Lee noted. Three brigades from Hills division supported Hoods defenders, and Brig. 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. Halt, 102nd, he ordered. Repeated Union attacks and equally vicious Confederate counterattacks sweep back and forth across Millers cornfield and the West Woods. The 19th Indiana and 7th Wisconsin crossed the turnpike to cover the Iron Brigades flank, and Gibbon brought up Battery B, 4th U.S. 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. Here is a paper, McClellan chirped, with which if I cannot whip Bobbie Lee, I will be willing to go home.. The avalanche of Union troops pushed Rodes steadily back and cost him more than one-third of his command. Donate Now 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. 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. (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. Jones covered the ground to the south and occupied the bluffs above the lower bridge across the Antietam with six brigades. 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. 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 smoke, heat and roar of battle deluged the senses, obliterating all rational thought. The Most Terrible Clash of Arms Gen. D.R. Strategically, Lees decision to invade the North made sense. Travel back in time to see Antietam's battlefield as it looked 134 years ago. 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 . The water is deep, swift, and crossable only at three stone bridges, making it a natural defensible location. Troops from both sides faced-off across a 30-acre cornfield owned by David Miller. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. The Battle of Antietam in September 1862 turned back the first major Confederate invasion of the North in the Civil War. The Cornfield: Antietam's Bloody Turning Point tells for the first time the full story of the exciting struggle to control "the Cornfield," the action on which the costly battle of Antietam turned, in a thorough yet readable narrative. The 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. 2. The Battle of Antietam has the regrettable distinction of being the bloodiest one-day battle in American history. Meanwhile, Colonel D.K. Ricketts division was knocked out of the battle with 30 percent casualties, and it fell to Meade to patch a defensive line together. Jackson summoned his last reserves, the 2,300 men of Hoods division. 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. Gen. John Gibbon, commander of the 4th Brigade, I Corps. If either effort made good progress, McClellan was prepared to pitch every available soldier against the center of Lees line. We cannot afford to be idle.. As the Union troops came into view, more enemy guns under Colonel Stephen D. 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