Antietam

Antietam Antietam National Battlefield Maryland National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Antietam: the bloodiest one-day battle of the American Civil War CIVIL WAR—EASTERN THEATER HIGHLIGHTS Secession from the Union begins December 1860 MARYLAND CAMPAIGN Lincoln inaugurated; Confederates attack Fort Sumter First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) March-April 1861 July 1861 August 1862 Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) Battle of Fredericksburg Emancipation Proclamation Battle of Chancellorsville Battle of Gettysburg September 1862 December 1862 January 1863 May 1863 July 1863 Battles of Wilderness & Spotsylvania Court House Siege of Petersburg June 1864-April 1865 Lee surrenders; Lincoln assassinated April 1865 May 1864 A year and a half into the Civil War, Union vic- moving north into Pennsylvania, but his line of Md., just as the last Confederate soldiers were Lee considered returning t o Virginia, but on Sep- tory was far from assured. Confederate forces supply and communication into Virginia was departing. Over the next f e w days a chain of tember 15, after learning that Harpers Ferry had were fighting successfully in the Eastern Theater threatened by the 12,500-man Union garrison at events would draw all of these men together for fallen, he reevaluated his plans. He w o u l d make (comprising operations mainly in Virginia). After Harpers Ferry, Va. (now West Virginia). Lee there- the bloodiest one-day battle of the Civil War. a stand at Sharpsburg, Md., a quiet, 100-year-old his victory at the Second Battle of Manassas (Bull fore divided his army to neutralize this threat. Run), Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee decided Part of Gen. James Longstreet's command went On September 13 a Union soldier found a copy to move his army out of war-torn Virginia. On t o Hagerstown, Md., close to Pennsylvania. Three of Lee's Special Order 191, his plan of operations September 4, 1862, he led his over 40,000 Con- columns led by Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jack- for the campaign. This "Lost Order," as it has federates across the Potomac River and through son surrounded Harpers Ferry and held Crampton become known, was taken to McClellan, w h o the lush Maryland countryside to Frederick. Lee's Maryland Campaign—his first foray onto farming community of some 1,200 residents. Gap on South Mountain (see map at right). A realized that this was the time t o strike Lee's third force. Gen. D.H. Hill's command, guarded divided forces. On the morning of September the South Mountain gaps near Boonsboro, Md. 14, Union soldiers engaged Confederates guarding the gaps on South Mountain. The day-long Union soil—was the most significant in a series of loosely coordinated Confederate incursions On September 12, Union Gen. George B. McClel- battle ended w i t h the Confederates being forced along a 1,000-mile front. Lee intended to keep lan led the Army of the Potomac into Frederick, from the gaps. That night we lay in line of battle behind a small brick church called the Dunkers Church, situated on the Hagerstown Turnpike, with arms, and ready to move at any moment —William Snakenberg Private, 14th Louisiana MARYLAND CAMPAIGN \ Aftermath and Significance For the people of Sharpsburg, the battle and presence of thousands of soldiers caused sickness and death from disease, and great property damage. Antietam made feasible the Emancipation Proclamation and reshaped the logistics of field medicine, ft also influenced how the nation would memorialize battlefields in the future. Comrades with wounds of all conceivable shapes were brought in and placed side by side as thick as they could lay, and the bloody work of Seeing the bandages, lanterns, and amputation commenced." food Clara Barton (above) brought —Union Soldier George Allen to his Antietam hospital, Surgeon Charles Dunn christened her "The Angel of the Battlefield." In 1881 Barton founded the American Red Cross. She not only provided neutral assistance to soldiers in war but conceived and put into practice the provision of aid to civilians after natural disasters. Immediately after the battle over 3,500 dead were buried in farm fields surrounding Sharpsburg (backgroundphoto at right). Eventually Confederate soldiers were moved to three local cemeteries. Union men were re-interred in Antietam National Cemetery, their names (if known) recorded in the book at right. The Emancipation Proclamation (right), released January 1,1863, reshaped the war, freeing slaves in states in rebellion and giving the Union war effort, two goals: preserve the Union and end slavery. Slaves could flee to Union camps and freedom or even join U.S. fighting forces. Lee's repulse at Antietam enabled the proclamation, and the two events kept Great Britain from intervening for the Confederacy. Field surgeon's bone saw Hospitals were set up in barns, churches, homes, and make-shift tents (below) to care for over 17,000 wounded soldiers. The Hagerstown newspaper called the area "one vast hospital." The battle created a legion of amputees (above). The shovel (far right) buried many dead, who often awaited burial for days, laid out (right) as though they died in their battle ranks. A revolution in combat medical care was put in place just weeks before this battle. Dr. Jonathan Letterman, chief medical officer, Union Army of the Potomac, established an ambulance corps to evacuate the wounded. He also adopted triage—a system of prioritizing casualties by the severity of their wounds. " . . . when bullets are cracking skulls like eggshells, the consuming passion The Battle of Antietam On September 15,1862, Confederate Gen. Robert E. hoped to strike Lee's center. His plan was good but From 6 am until 10 am savage combat raged across the creek. Over the next t w o hours Burnside moved Lee positioned his army along a ridge west of Antie- his instructions to commanders ambiguous. the Cornfield, East Woods, and West Woods. By late his men across the bridge and deployed them. When tam Creek. Confederate Gen. James Longstreet com- morning fighting shifted toward the Confederate he again advanced on the Confederate right. Gen. A.P. manded the line's center and right, and Gen. Thomas The 12-hour battle began at dawn, September 17. center (Sunken Road) in a three-hour stalemate that Hill's reinforcements, arriving in late afternoon from J. "Stonewall" Jackson held its left. Behind them a Po- Three morning Union attacks struck the Confederate left the road forever known as "Bloody Lane." Most Harpers Ferry, stopped him. The battle ended about 6 tomac River ford allowed retreat to Virginia. On Sep- left, north to south. Gen. Joseph Hooker's First Corps contested of the three bridges Union forces used to pm. The lines of battle had not shifted significantly tember 15 and 16 Union Gen. George B. McClellan de- made the initial assault, followed by Gen. Joseph cross Antietam Creek was the lower. At 10 am Union from that morning. Of nearly 100,000 soldiers en- ployed his forces east of the creek. His plan: attack Mansfield's Twelfth Corps. Part of Gen. Edwin Sum- Gen. Ambrose Burnside's Ninth Corps began its as- gaged in battle, about 23,000 were killed, wounded, Lee's left and when "matters looked favorably" at- ner's Second Corps made the final attack. McClellan's saults on the Lower Bridge. By 1 pm Federals had or missing. Late on September 18, Lee forded the Po- tack the Confederate right. Succeeding in either he battle plan broke down in uncoordinated advances. driven the Confederates from the bluff overlooking tomac to Virginia. The Union Army held the field. I CONFEDERATE LEADERSHIP Robert E. Lee . . . is to get out of the way." - union Pvt. David L. Thompson UNION LEADERSHIP Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson James Longstreet Daniel H. Hill Ambrose P. Hi George B. McClellan Joseph Hooker Joseph K.F. Mansfield Edwin V. Sumner Ambrose E. Burnside TOURING ANTIETAM BATTLEFIELD Cornfield and West Woods Sunken Road (Bloody Lane) Lower Bridge (Burnside Bridge) O Dunker Church Built in 1852, this modest house of worship for pacifist German Baptist Brethren became a focal point for Union attacks the morning of the battle. © Union Advance During mid-morning nearly 10,000 Union soldiers moved across the Mumma and Roulette farms toward the Confederate center at Sunken Road. Two Union soldiers were awarded Medals of Honor for bravery in these attacks. 0 Lower Bridge (Burnside Bridge) About 500 Confederate soldiers held the area overlooking the Lower Bridge for three hours. Burnside's command finally captured the bridge and crossed Antietam Creek, which forced the Confederates back toward Sharpsburg. © North Woods Union Gen. Joseph Hooker's men spent the night before the battle on the Poffenberger farm. At first light the Union attack advanced south from here toward Jackson's lines. "The stars were still shining when [Hooker's] skirmishers became engaged," a soldier would later recall. © East Woods A small engagement took place in this area the night before the battle. The fighting also opened here early on September 17 as Union and Confederate soldiers exchanged deadly musket volleys, vying to control these woods. © Cornfield This 24-acre cornfield saw some of U.S. history's most horrific fighting. For nearly three hours Hooker and Mansfield's Union forces battled Jackson's Confederates. Many regiments on both sides were cut to pieces. Hays' Louisiana Brigade suffered over 60-percent casualties in 30 minutes. 0 West Woods Around 9:30 am Gen. Edwin Sumner's Union soldiers advanced into the West Woods. The combined firepower of Confederate artillery and attacking infantry drove them back. In 20 minutes over 2,200 Union soldiers were killed or wounded. 0 Mumma Farm and Cemetery The only deliberate destruction of property during the battle was the burning of this farm. Confederate soldiers were ordered to burn these structures to prevent their use by Union sharpshooters. Fortunately, Samuel Mumma and his family had fled to safety before the battle. The Mumma family rebuilt the home in 1863. © Sunken Road (Bloody Lane) This farm lane served as a breastwork for the Confederate center. For about three hours 2,200 Confederates, later reinforced by additional troops, held off the attacks of a combined Union force numbering nearly 10,000. Finally, just after noon, this thin gray line collapsed and fell back several hundred yards to the Piper Farm. The Union attackers had suffered too many casualties to pursue their advantage. Seeing the dead in the road an observer wrote, "They were lying in rows like the ties of a railroad, in heaps like cordwood mingled with the splintered and shattered fence rails. Words are inadequate to portray the scene." © Final Attack After taking the Lower Bridge, Burnside moved across these fields from east to west, pushing back the Confederate right flank. Just as it appeared that Lee's line was breaking, Confederate Gen. A.P. Hill's Light Division arrived from Harpers Ferry to drive Burnside back to Antietam Creek. 0 Antietam National Cemetery This hill was occupied by Confederate artillery— neither this nor the town cemetery across the road were here in 1862. At first the dead were buried where they fell on the battlefield. Later they were reinterred here, along with Union soldiers who died in combat or in hospitals throughout the region. A total of 4,776 Union soldiers rest here along with dead from four other wars. Separate even in death, Confederate soldiers were buried in Hagerstown and Frederick, Md. and Shepherdstown, Va., now West Virginia. Visiting Antietam Battlefield Antietam Battlefield lies north and east of Sharpsburg, Md., along Md. 34 and 65. The visitor center, north of Sharpsburg on Md. 65, is open daily except Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. Before starting your tour, stop at the visitor center to see the exhibits and AV programs that introduce the battle and the Maryland Campaign. Visitor center facilities and most tour route exhibits are wheelchair-accessible. The park closes 20 minutes after sunset. There are interpretive markers at Turners, Fox, and Crampton gaps on South Mountain and at the ford near Shepherdstown, W. Va., where much of Lee's army recrossed the Potomac River. Safety and Regulations While touring the park stay alert to traffic. Bicyclists should use caution descending hills. Please use trails to minimize contact with stinging nettles, ticks, and snakes. Do not climb on cannon, monuments, fences, or trees. Relic hunting is prohibited. More information Antietam National Battlefield P.O. Box 158, Sharpsburg, MD 21782 301-432-5124 www.nps.gov/anti Antietam National Battlefield is one of over 390 parks in the National Park System. To learn more about parks and National Park Service programs in America's communities, visit www.nps.gov. CtGPO:2009—349-224/80312 Reprint 2009 Printed on recycled paper.