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Special Feature: Scene of the battle which brought to an end Lee's first invasion of the North in 1862.

Burnside Bridge, Antietam National Battlefield Site.

THE Battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862, marks the close of the first of two unsuccessful attempts on the part of the Confederacy to carry the war into Northern territory. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under Lee had defeated two Federal armies within a period of less than 2 months on widely separated battlefields. In the Peninsular campaign, McClellan, commanding the Federal Army of the Potomac, had arrived within 5 miles of the Confederate capital when Lee assumed command of the Richmond defenses and in the Seven Days' Battle, ending July 1,1862, forced McClellan back until the campaign was finally abandoned. Lee promptly moved his troops northward, where he hoped to defeat Pope's Army of Virginia, which had been organized for the dual purpose of protecting Washington and operating against the Confederate lines of communication. Lee decisively defeated Pope at the Second Battle of Manassas on August 30, the Federals retreating behind the defenses of Washington.

The victorious Southern commander thereupon decided to invade the North before his adversaries could recover from this disastrous defeat. He hoped to take advantage of the rich supplies which Maryland would make available for his army and believed that the State would rally to the Confederate cause, helping to fill his depleted ranks. McClellan, again in command of the Federal forces, followed Lee into Maryland. Pennsylvania became alarmed for its safety and there was general consternation in the North. On September 14 McClellan, having learned of Lee's plans to capture the Federal garrison at Harper's Ferry, moved to its relief. By nightfall the Federals had forced the two passages of South Mountain, but Lee had succeeded in delaying his opponent long enough to prevent assistance being sent to Harper's Ferry. The garrison there surrendered at 8 a. m., September 15. Early on the 15th McClellan started in pursuit of the Confederates, reaching the vicinity of Antietam Creek about noon.

Longstreet's corps and D. H. Hill's division were in line of battle west of the creek. All of the Confederate troops were in position there on the 16th, except McLaw's, Anderson's, and Walker's divisions, which reached the field early on the 17th, and A. P. Hill's division, which arrived early in the afternoon of that day in time to turn the tide of the battle. Jackson formed the left of the Confederate line, Stuart's cavalry division covering his left and supporting the artillery. Longstreet's corps held the right.

On the 15th McClellan had practically his entire command east of the creek facing not more than half of the Confederate forces, but he took no action until about 4 p. m. on the 16th, when Hooker's I Corps crossed at the Upper Bridge. Mansfield's XII Corps followed Hooker. There was some slight interchange of infantry and artillery fire until about 9 p. m. on the 16th, between Meade's division of Hooker's corps and Hood's division of Longstreet's.

The opposing armies clashed at dawn on the 17th when Hooker's artillery opened fire on Jackson's troops posted in a cornfield in Hooker's immediate front. Hooker reported: "In the time 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." Hooker's troops advanced, driving the Confederates before them, Jackson reporting that his men "became exposed for near an hour to a terrific storm of shell, canister, and musketry."

At about 6 a. m., Hood's division, with two brigades of D. H. Hill's division, came to Jackson's support and succeeded in driving the Federals back. At about 7 a. m., Mansfield's Federal XII Corps came to Hooker's support. General Mansfield was killed while deploying his troops and General Williams assumed command of the corps. Williams regained some of the lost ground and at about 9 a. m. he held the woods in the vicinity of the Dunkard Church. Sumner's Federal II Corps soon arrived on the field to find Hooker wounded and his corps routed, while Williams with the XII Corps was halted. Sedgwick's Division of Sumner's Corps marched into an ambush of some 10 Confederate brigades and lost about 2,000 men in a few minutes. French's Division of Sumner's Corps, marching to the left, came upon D. H. Hill's Division in an old sunken road now known as Bloody Lane. Hill, later reinforced by Anderson's Division, waged a bloody conflict with French's troops until early in the afternoon when the operations on the Federal right and Confederate left practically ceased, owing to the sheer exhaustion of the men on both sides.

On the left of the Federal line Burnside's IX Corps had been ordered to carry the lower bridge over the Antietam, now known as Burnside's Bridge, which was defended by General Toombs with two Georgia regiments, assisted by artillery in position on the heights which commanded the bridge. At about 3 p. m., Burnside moved forward to the attack. Toombs had meanwhile been reinforced by two regiments and a part of a third. The Confederate right flank had been driven back into Sharpsburg when A. P. Hill's Division of Jackson's Corps arrived on the field from Harper's Ferry just in time to turn Burnside's victory into a repulse. Burnside fell back to the heights west of the creek and the Battle of Antietam was over.

More men were killed and wounded at Antietam on September 17 than on any other single day of battle in the war, and when the conflict was over neither side had gained a decisive victory. The next day there was no fighting, and after dark Lee withdrew his army to the Potomac and then crossed into Virginia. Although not defeated in battle, he had been turned back in his first attempt to invade the North.

The Federal losses on September 16 and 17 were reported as 12,469. It is estimated that the Confederate losses were about the same. McClellan's army numbered 87,000, all of whom were not engaged. Lee's forces have been variously estimated at from 35,000 to 50,000.

The battlefield of Antietam, located in the southern part of Washington County, Md., near Sharpsburg, derives its name from Antietam Creek which meanders slowly through broad, cultivated fields and meets the Potomac about 3 miles south of the town. The terrain is rolling and slopes gradually from the eminence of South Mountain on the east to the banks of the Potomac on the west.

Located on an elevation just east of Sharpsburg is the Antietam National Cemetery, which was established by the State of Maryland and dedicated September 17, 1867, with imposing ceremonies. The cemetery was transferred to the United States in 1877.

NEXT> Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park

Last Modified: Thurs, Nov 23 2000 10:00:00 pm PDT
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