After the surrender of
Harper's Ferry, Sept. 15, 1862.
Lee felt himself in a perilous position, for
General Franklin had entered
Pleasant Valley that very morning and threatened the severance of his army.
Lee at once took measures to concentrate his forces.
He withdrew his troops from
South Mountain and took position in the
Antietam valley, near
Sharpsburg, Md. Jackson, by
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swift marches, had recrossed the
Potomac and joined
Lee on
Antietam Greek.
When the
Confederates left
South Mountain,
McClellan's troops followed them.
Lee's plans were thwarted, and he found himself compelled to fight.
McClellan was very cautious, for he believed the
Confederates were on his front in overwhelming numbers.
It was ascertained that
Lee's army did not number more than 60,000,
McClellan's effective force was 87,000.
McClellan's army was well in hand (Sept. 16), and
Lee's was well posted on the heights near
Sharpsburg, on the western side of
Antietam Creek, a sluggish stream with few fords, spanned by four stone bridges.
On the right of the
National line were the corps of
Hooker and
Sumner.
In the advance, and near the
Antietam,
General Richardson's division of
Sumner's corps was posted.
On a line with this was
Sykes's (regular) division of
Porter's corps.
Farther down the stream was
Burnside's corps.
In front of
Sumner and
Hooker were batteries of 24-pounder Parrott guns.
Franklin's corps and
Couch's division were farther down the valley, and the divisions of
Morrell and
Humphrey, of
Porter's corps, were approaching from
Frederick.
A detachment of the signal corps, under
Major Myer, was on a spur of
South Mountain.
As
McClellan prudently hesitated to attack, the
Confederates put him on the defensive by opening an artillery fire upon the Nationals at dawn （Sept. 16, 1862). He was ready for response in the course of the afternoon, when
Hooker crossed the
Antietam with a part of his corps, commanded by
Generals Ricketts,
Meade, and
Doubleday. Hooker at once attacked the
Confederate left, commanded by “
Stonewall Jackson,” who was soon reinforced by
General Hood.
Sumner was directed to send over
Mansfield's corps during the night, and to hold his own in readiness to pass over the next morning.
Hooker's first movement was successful.
He drove black the
Confederates, and his army rested on their arms that night on the ground they had won.
Mansfield's corps crossed in the evening, and at dawn (Sept. 17) the contest was renewed by
Hooker.
It was obstinate and severe.
The
National batteries on the east side of the creek greatly assisted in driving the
Confederates away, with heavy loss,, beyond a line of woods.
It was at this time, when
Hooker advanced, that
Jackson was reinforced.
The Confederates swarmed out of the works and fell heavily upon
Meade, when
Hooker called upon
Doubleday for help.
A brigade under
General Hartsuff pressed forward against a heavy storm of missiles, and its leader was severely wounded.
Meanwhile
Mansfield's corps had been ordered up, and before it became engaged the veteran leader was mortally wounded.
The command then devolved on
General Williams, who left his division in the care of
General Crawford, and the latter seized a piece of woods near by.
Hooker had lost heavily;
Doubleday's guns had silenced a Confederate battery;
Ricketts was struggling against constantly increasing numbers on his front; and the
National line began to waver, when
Hooker, in the van, was wounded and taken from the field.
Sumner sent
Sedgwick to the support of
Crawford, and
Gordon and
Richardson and French bore down upon the
Confederates more to the left.
The
Nationals now held position at the Dunker Church, and seemed about to grasp the palm of victory (for
Jackson and
Hood were falling hack), when fresh Confederate troops, under
McLaws and
Walker, supported by
Early, came up. They penetrated the
National line and drove it back, when the unflinching
Doubleday gave them such a storm of artillery that they, in turn, fell back to their original position.
Sedgwick, twice wounded, was carried from the field, and the command of his division devolved on
Gen. O. O. Howard.
Generals Crawford and
Dana were also wounded.
Franklin was sent over to assist the hard-pressed Nationals.
Forming on
Howard's left, he sent
Slocum with his division towards the centre.
At the same time
General Smith was ordered to retake the ground on which there had been so much fighting, and it was done within fifteen minutes. The Confederates were driven far back.
Meanwhile the divisions of French and
Richardson had been busy.
The former received orders from
Sumner to press on and make a diversion in favor of the right.
Richardson's division, composed of the brigades of
Meagher,
Caldwell, and
Brooks (who had crossed the
Antietam at ten o'clock), gained a good
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position.
The Confederates, reinforced by fresh troops, fought desperately.
Finally,
Richardson was mortally wounded, and
Gen. W. S. Hancock succeeded him in command, when a charge was made that drove the
Confederates in great confusion.
Night soon closed the action on the
National right and centre.
General Meagher had been wounded and carried from the field, when the command of his troops devolved on
Colonel Burke.
During the fierce strifes of the day
Porter's corps, with artillery and
Pleasonton's cavalry, had remained on the east side of the stream, as a reserve, until late in the afternoon, when
McClellan sent over some brigades.
On the morning of the 17th the left, under
Burnside, engaged in a desperate struggle for the possession of a bridge just below
Sharpsburg.
That commander had been ordered to cross it and attack the
Confederates.
It was a difficult task, and
Burnside, exposed to a raking fire from the Confederate batteries and an enfilading fire from sharp-shooters, was several times repulsed.
Finally, at a little past noon, two regiments charged across the bridge and drove its defenders away.
The divisions of
Sturgis,
Wilcox, and
Rodman, and
Scammon's brigade, with four batteries, passed the bridge and drove the confederates almost to
Sharpsburg.
A. P. Hill, with fresh troops, fell upon
Burnside's left, mortally wounding
General Rodman, and driving the Nationals nearly back to the bridge.
Gen. O'B. Branch, of
North Carolina, was also killed in this encounter.
The Confederates were checked by National artillery on the eastern side of the stream, and, reserves advancing under
Sturgis, there was no further attempt to retake “the
Burnside Bridge,” as it was called.
Hill came up just in time to save
Lee's army from destruction.
Darkness ended the memorable struggle known as the
Battle of Antietam.
The losses were very severe.
McClellan reported his losses at 12,460 men, of whom 2,010 were killed.
He estimated
Lee's loss as much greater.
The losses fell heavily upon certain brigades.
That of
Duryee retired from the field with not more than twenty men and four colors.
Of the brigades of
Lawton and
Hays, on the
Confederate side, more than one-half were lost.
On the morning of the 18th both parties seemed more willing to rest than to fight; and that night
Lee and his
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“Burnside Bridge,” Antirtan Creek. |
shattered army stole away in the darkness, recrossed the
Potomac at
Williamsport, and planted eight batteries on the high Virginia bank that menaced pursuers.
There had been a very tardy pursuit.
At dark on the evening of the 19th,
Porter, who was on the left bank of the river, ordered
Griffin to cross the stream with two brigades and carry
Lee's batteries.
He captured four of the guns.
On the next morning (Sept. 20) a part of
Porter's division made a reconnoissance in force on the
Virginia side, and were assailed by
Hill in ambush, who drove them across the
Potomac and captured 200 of the Nationals.
Maryland Heights and
Harper's Ferry were retaken by the
Union troops.
