The West Woods

Philadelphia Brigade Monument located just outside of the West Woods.

NPS Antietam / BBaracz

Quick Facts

Location:

Sharpsburg, MD

Amenities

2 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Trailhead

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.

 

"The Onward Rush To Victory Or Defeat "
Sgt. William Andrews, 1st Georgia Regiment

As the battle escalated, Union Gen. Edwin Sumner moved the Second Corps across Antietam Creek and into the battle. The swift waters of the Antietam and the difficult terrain separated the three divisions in Sumner's Corps. One division advanced toward the West Woods, while the remaining two fell behind and later assaulted the Sunken Road.

At approximately 9:30 a.m. Sumner led Gen. John Sedgwick's Division, numbering more than 5,000 men, into the battle. The plan was to drive into the woods and then sweep south, delivering the crushing blow to Lee's left flank. As the Union lines moved through the West Woods, Confederate artillery posted on Hauser Ridge opened fire. Within minutes, bullets flew from three different directions and cut the Federals ranks into pieces.

Gen. Oliver Howard remembered: "We had the enemy's artillery and infantry both pursuing and flanking our broken brigades by rapid and deadly volleys." Confederate re-enforcements from the divisions of Gen. Lafeyette McLaws and Gen. John Walker slammed into the unsuspecting Union flank. Suffering over 2,200 casualties in about twenty minutes, the Federals quickly withdrew from the West Woods.

"Back Boys, For God's Sake Move Back; You Are In A Bad Fix"
Gen. Edwin Vose Sumner, Union Second Corps Commander

Open Transcript 

Transcript

Hello, I'm park Ranger. Olivia black. I'm standing at tour. Stop 5 the West woods. The sighting that tore through this area on September 17th from about 9:00 to 9:30 was brief, but costly. Overall, about 50% of the Union forces that were engaged became casualties in what's now often known as the disaster in the Westwood.

The battle had been raging in the cornfield for hours on September 17th, but eventually both sides fought to a relative standstill and there was a momentary pause in the action. During this lull, the first elements of the Union's second core were drawn close to the edge of the eastwards. Edwin Sumner's second floor had crossed the Antietam Creek to the east. On the morning of September 17th, mostly using the pry Ford. The core arrived on the field, one division at a time, with John Sedgwick's division in the lead.

Though historians are divided as to why Sumner made the decision to advance east to West, he and Sedgwick led the division into the West. Woods arranged in three long lines with little space between them under 100 yards. Initially, this Union division faced the remnants of Thomas Stonewall Jackson's Confederate wing. These sparse Confederate troops were barely able to hold back the Union onslaught and Confederate artillery on Hauser's Ridge was crucial. Sam Buck, a Confederate gunner on Hawsers Ridge Rd. I saw more men torn to pieces during that battle than any other during the war. However, Robert E Lee, the commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, had been moving various Confederate commands from South to north, and those reinforcements.

Lafayette, Mclaws and John Walkers divisions arrived with perfect timing and placement to crash into the left flank of all three union lines. Additionally, with the lines arranged so close together, soldiers in the rear had trouble firing on the Confederates and their front without risking wounding or killing their own men. As an anonymous soldier in Danae's brigade row, it was awful to lay there with no chance to reply. The first brigade was almost annihilated.

One single shot of an in field or Springfield could hit a man in the front rank of the first brigade and go through to the rear rank of the last brigade. Soon the frontline began to fall back. The natural geography also provided cover for these Confederate troops among the limestone outcroppings and natural swales that dotted the landscape. Ultimately, Union troops broke and retreated into the north and east woods, but the continued presence of infantry and especially artillery there discouraged the Confederates from making any other major attacks in this sector.

Much of the combat occurred on the Alfred Poffenberger farm, which he and his wife leased from Marygrove Locker. Hannah, Alfred and their children had fled prior to the battle, and their home was ravaged by hungry soldiers looking for food and forage for their animals.

In addition, many of the soldiers who had died of their wounds were buried on the Puffinberger farm. The Poffenberger is moved into a tenant house on his uncle Joseph's farm. Now tourist stop 2 before leaving Sharpsburg altogether in 1870 and moving to Iowa. By about 9:30 AM, the next division of the Union second core had arrived at the edge of the East woods. Their next move would take them S towards the sunken farm lane, but first they would have to cross the Samuel and Elizabeth Mumma Farm, the site of the only deliberate destruction of property during the Battle of Antietam.

To learn more about the Mumma Farm, click on the next tour stop.

Duration:

4 minutes, 21 seconds

A video overview of Tour Stop 5, The West Woods.