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Show I S9 " S9If 66 " , ; 99 " iiS9 ii " "ANTIETAM ANTIETAM cANTIETAM orUSHARPSBURG r"SHARPSBURG rSHARPSBURG r"SHARPSBURGk -k k * - ic * * Ii It If Spelled "Dea Dea " DeaA DeatL > Ei . " for 0,000 0000 zoooo 20,000 20000 , Americans Amer.icans : . * * * ! I By ELMO SCOTT WATSONIN WATSON WATSONDN THE North they called calledit DN IN It "Antietam Antietam " " ; m ill in the theSouth theSouth theSouth South , "Sharpsburg Sharpsburg " . " Butwhich But Butwhich Butwhich which ever name is 15 given the thebattle thebattle thebattle battle that was fought ill in illWashmgton inWashington mWashington Washmgton Washington county , Mary Mary- Maryland Maryland Maryland - land , on September 17 , 1862 1862it , it spelled "death death " " for some some20,000 some20000 20,000 20000 , Americans , from boththe both boththe boththe the North and the South . The field where it was wasfought wasfought wasfought fought , lying lymg along Antie Antietam Antietamcreek Antietamcreek am amcreek creek and including mcludmg the lIttle lIttletown littletown littletown town of Sharpsburg , has hascome hascome hascome come down in history as the thescene thescene thescene scene of the bloodiest smgle single smgleday singleday singleday day of nghtmg fightmg fighting and that 17th 17thof 17thof 17lhof of September as the day of ofgreatest ofgreatest ofgreatest greatest carnage during durmg the thewhole thewhole thewhole whole four years of the Amer Amer- American American American - - ican Civil war . Into that bat- bat bat'tIe bat-itle bat itle - bat-tle bat tle thatbattle - 'tIe tIe ' Gen . Robert E . Lee led ledapproXImately ledapproximately ledapproximately approXImately 55,000 55000 , men In Ingray ingray ingray gray and came out of it wIth witha a loss of nearly 12,000 12000 , kIlled kIlledand killedand killedand and wounded . But in doingso domg doing domgso doingso so he inflicted mflIcted upon Gen . . rr rrt rr't t 't t 'tA ' , A t tn xf n 4 y f fxf S f . if ifty ty tyry v vt vr ry ryy y 1 t -r r - rGEN GEN . GEORGE B . McCLELLAN McCLELLANGeorge McCLELLANGeorge George B . McClellan and his hishost hishost host of 80,000 80000 , men in blue a aloss aloss loss of more than 11,600 11600 , . Pointing Pomtmg out that "this this " tremen tremen- tremendous tremendous tremendous - - dous tumult of carnage was en entirely en- en entirely entirely - tirely compassed in ill the brIef brIefhours briefhours briefhours hours from dawn to four o'clock oclock o'clockm oclockm o'clockin ' m in the afternoon , " one of the gen gen- generals gen- gen generals generals - - erals who took part m in it ( Gen GenJames GenJames GenJames James Longstreet of the Confederate Confed Confed- Confederate Confederate - erate army m in his memOIrs memoirs/'From memoirs 'From From , / . "From From " ' Manassas to Appomat-tox Appomat tox Appomat- Appomat Appomattox Appomattox - - - tox " ) says . "Gettysburg Gettysburg " was the thegreatest thegreatest thegreatest greatest battle of the war , but It Itwas itwas itwas was for three days , and its total totalof totalof totalof of casualties on either side , ter- ter terrIble terrible ter terrible - - rible as it was , should be ont ontthIrd one-third one third onethirdlarger one-thirdlarger one thirdlarger -thIrd thIrd - thIrdlarger larger to make the average per perdIem perdiem perdiem dIem equal to the losses at atSharpsburg atSharpsburg atSharpsburg Sharpsburg Viewed by the meas meas- measure measure measure - - ure of losses , Antietam was the thefourth thefourth thefourth fourth battle of the war , Spott- Spott Spottsylvama Spottsylvania Spott-sylvama Spott sylvama - - sylvama sylvania and the Wilderness , as aswell aswell aswell well as Gettysburg , exceedmg exceeding It Itm itin itin m in number of killed and wounded , but each of these dragged Itstragedy itstragedy its itstragedy \tragedy tragedy \ tragedy through several days " And now , three quarters of a acentury acentury acentury century later , thousands of Ameri AmerI- AmerIcans Americans Americans - cans are gathering gathermg on that blood- blood bloodsoaked bloodsoaked blood-soaked blood soaked - - soaked field to celebrate the sev sev- seventy sev- sev seventy seventy - - enty fifth anniversary anruversary of the bat bat- battle battle battle - tle 5,000National 5000National 5,000Nabonal , to see it re-enacted re enacted - - - by 5,000 5000 , Nabonal National Guard troops from three threestates threestates threestates states and to hear again agam the story storyor storyof storyo or of the heroic deeds of the men who whofought whofought whofought fought there President Roose Roose- Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt - - velt has been invited mVIted to attend the thecelebratIon thecelebration thecelebration celebratIon and the governors of of29 29 states , Northern and Southern Southernwill , will be among the spectators when whenthe whenthe whenthe the curtain curtam of history is rolled rolledback rolledback rolledback back and the guns of v/ar v ar war / echo echothrough echothrough echothrough Maryland through the rolling rollmg h hills ls of Mary Mary- - land once moreThe more * . . . The story of Antietam is the thestory thestory thestory story of a great battle which Just JustmIssed justmissed justmissed mIssed being bemg a dec decisive slve engage engage- engagement engagement engagement - ment because of several queer queerqwrks queerquirks queerquirks qwrks quirks of fate . It came at a tIme tImewhen timewhen timewhen when the hopes of the Confeder Confeder- Confederacy Confederacy Confederacy - - acy for success were mountIng hIgh mountinghigh Lee had v/hipped v hipped whIpped / Pope at atthe atthe atthe the second battle of Bull Run , or orManassas orManassas orManassas Manassas , and decided that the thetIme thetime thetime tIme was ripe rtpe to carry the war waragaInSt waragainst waragainst agaInSt the enemy instead mstcad of offightmg offighting fightmg fighting offighting on the defensive defensIVc the people of ofMaryland ofMaryland Maryland ofMaryland would rally to the Stars Starsand Starsand Starsand and Bars if he led a strong force forcemto forceinto forcemto mto into that state , and there was also alsothe alsothe alsothe the possibility that this threat threatagamst threatagainst threatagainst agamst against Washington Washmgton would release releasethe releasethe releasethe the pressure on Richmond wIth- wIth wIthout without v/ith-out v ith out / - - out endangering endangermg the capItalof capital of the theConfederacy theConfederacy theConfederacy Confederacy . If his lus reception m mthe mthe inthe the border state was what he hehoped hehoped hehoped hoped it v/ould v ould would / be , he could con con- contmue continue continue - tinue tmue north into mto Pennsylvania Pennsylvarua and andthus andthus andthus thus give the the tie Northerners a taste tasteof tasteof tasteof of their own medicine medlcme of invasion mVaSIOn . . "Maryland Maryland " , My 1\Iy 1 Iy \ Maryland"So MarylandSo 1\Iaryland 1 Iaryland Maryland \ . " So with Job Jeb Stuart ( women of ofMaryland ofMaryland olMaryland Maryland dashingtrooper dashmgtrooper had given that dashmg dashing trooper a pair of gold spurs ) lead- lead leadmg leading leading - mg ing the way , and with bands blar- blar blaring blaring blarIng - "Maryland Maryland ing and soldiers smgmg'IMary singing smgmg 'IMary IMary "Mary- "Mary Mary ' " _ - land , My Maryland I ! " Lee crossed crossedthe crossedthe crossecthe the Potomac on September 11But 11 . But as he advanced mto into his neIgh- neIgh - neighboring neIghbormg bormg boring state he found its people peoplestrangely peoplestrangely peoplistrangely strangely apathetic to his offer to t ( torV . rt ' ry ' t S Nv , . , .v v . .Y.H Y.H YH . . . v . + yvww .v v . - a aR R . . . v tAy . ' Y r vvi , \ x d N 'f f ' ) , M : _ . s A As g gA A \ , t z t 4s\\ 4s 4sx 4sa : \ \ x a 3d4 3d4za za a b bx x tr x ti L Lw Lr6 w r6 r6r r v vc c yob yob3t 3t r$0 r0 $ rf s st sk st seF t 1 Y 7 7xz xz Y k rY \ eF . r a j xij r / t " d 70 70a 70xi xi J 4 H / / t.n tn . . _ . . . . . _ . . . . xn . " 1 : n nNGItS NGItS nh a ar aTHE , ; 'f f ' r ( f . , " + + . . . _ . . .atvwdn atvwdn . _ . .w w . .wuv.ww wuv.ww wuvww . y " % " NoW xwv nh nh.n N ; ' -.n .n - ' " n n .v v . + v THE FIGHT AT n BtIRNSIDL'S BtIRNSIDLS RNSIDE'S RNSIDES ' BRIDGE . I I"free ' "free free " them from oppressIon oppression"Neither oppressionNeither . " NeIther recruits m in any large num num- number num- num number number - - ber nor supplies were forthcom forthcom- forthcommg forthcoming forthcoming - - ing mg Moreover , his men began to tostraggle tostraggle tostraggle straggle b because cause many of them themwere themwere themwere were reluctant to fight outside of ofVlrgmIa ofVirginia ofVirginia ofVirginiaThen VlrgmIa Virginia VirginiaThen Then Lee decided upon a bold boldplan boldplan boldplan plan and a necessary one if he hewere hewere hewere were to carry the war into mto Penn Penn- Pennsylvama Pennsylvania Pennsylvania - sylvania sylvama Agamst Against the advice ofsome of ofsome ofsome some of his generals , he dIvIded dIvIdedlus dividedhis dividedhis lus his forces and ordered "Stone Stone "Stone- "Stonewall "Stonewall "Stonewall " - wall " J Jackson achson to strike stnke for Har Har- Harper's Har- Har Harper's Harper's - - per's pers ' Ferry and capture the Umon Union UmonsupplIes Unionsupplies Unionsupplies supplIes stored there and guarded guardedby guardedby guardedby by a comparatively small force forceSeveral forceSeveral forceSeveral Several copies of the orders forthis for forthIS forthis thIS maneuver were made and one oneof oneof oneof of these copies came into mto the thehands thehands thehands hands of a staff officer whose iden Iden- IdentIty iden- iden identity identity - - tity has never been estabhshed established estabhshedThIs establishedThis establishedThis ThIs officer wrapped up three CI- CI CIgars cigars ci cigars - gars in m the paper and carelessly carelesslystuffed carelesslystuffed carelesslystuffed stuffed it m in his pocket And hereis here hereIS hereis IS where one of those queer qUIrks qUIrksof quirksof quirksof of fate came carne inAn in m inAn An Important "Find Find "Fwd Fwd " . " . " The officer lost the cigars wIth wIththeIr withtheir withtheir theIr highly important wrapplOg wrapping wrapplOgout wrappingout wrappingout out of his lus pocket pochet and they were werepIcked werepicked werepicked pIcked up by a Union Umon soldIer soldier.Within soldierWithin . Wlthm Within a short time Lee's Lees ' "Spe Spe "Spe- "SpecIal "Spe- "Spe Spe "Special "Special " - - cial Order No 191 " was in the thehands thehands thehands hands of Gen . . George B McClel McClel- McClellan McClellan McClellan - - lan At first , the Union Umon commander com com- commander commander - mander could scarcely belIeve belIevethat believethat believethat that it was authentic . Then real real- reallzmg realizing realizing - izing lzmg the golden opportunity that thatlay thatlay thatlay lay within his grasp-that grasp that grasp - - that of strik strIk- strIkmg strik- strik striking striking - - ing mg Lee's Lees ' divided force-he force he force - he set sethIS sethis sethis hIS army of 75,000 75000 , in m swift swilt motion motiontoward motiontoward motiontoward toward Frederick . By this time Lee had reached reachedHagerstown reachedHagerstown reachedHagerstown Hagerstown No word had yetbeen yet yetbeen yetbeen been received from the force sent sentto sentto sentto to capture Harper's Harpers ' Ferry and the theConfederate theConfederate theConfederate Confederate commander began to tobe tobe tobe be concerned . . His . . alarm deep deep- deepened deepened deepened - ened when Job Jeb Stuart broughtr brought broughtGEN r _ :1l\ :1l 1l :1lf : \ f ' A 7 7t t- t - ty y r t . 4 1j i'r ir i'ri ' 1 i ( t tGEN GEN . ROBERT TOOMBS I word w0rd of McClellan's McClellans ' advance Lee Leeknew Leeknew Leeknew knew knewuLIttle "Little Little uLIttle " Mac " as a skIIUul skillful skIIUulbut skillfulbut skillfulbut but over-cautious over cautious - commander and andcould andcould andcould could not understand why heshould he heshould heshould should be moving movmg with suchsure such sure- sure sureness sureness sure-ness sure ness - ness toward his objective He HeI Heknew Heknew Heknew I knew nothing nothmg of the loss of the thecopy thecopy thecopy copy ofIISpeclal of "Special Special IISpeclal " Order No . , 191 191"but 191but " but he suspected that McClellan McClellanhad McClellanhad McClellanhad had guessed his situation and w was wasmarching wasmarching s smarchIng marchIng to take advantage of it itThen ItThen itThen Then word came from Jackson Jacksonthat Jacksonthat Jacksonthat that he had captured Harper's Harpers Harper'sFerry Harper'sFerry Harper'sFerry HarpersFerry ' Ferry and asked for further or- or orders orders or orders - ders Lee at once sent word for fora fora fora a concentration of his scattered scatteredforces scatteredforces scatteredforces forces at Sharpsburg toward towardVhICh towardwhich towardwhich \VhICh VhICh which \ _ McClellan M Clellan was advancmg advancing advanc ' " " . 16 16Lee 16Lee 16Lee Lee drew up his troops on the thewest thewest thewest west bank of Antietam creekand creek and andmade andmade andmade made as strong a display of force forceas forceas forceas as possible m an effort to stall off offMcClellan's offMcClellan's offMcClellan's offMcClellans McClellan's McClellans ' attack until the troops troopsunder troopsunder troopsunder under Jackson , A P P . Hill and Mc-Laws Mc Laws Mc- Mc McLaws McLaws - Laws should arriveHooker arrive arnve arriveHooker Hooker Opens the Affair . In the afternoon McClellan sent sentGen sentGen sentGen Gen . Joe Hooker to cross the An An- AntIetam Antietam Antietam - tietam and attempt to turn Lee's Lees Lee'sleft Lee'sleft Lee'sleft Leesleft ' left . Hooker met with some suc suc- success success success - cess but when night nrght came he was wascontent wascontent wascontent content to rest upon his arms and andhold andhold andhold hold the small amount of ground groundhe groundhe groundhe he had gamed The next mornmg morning mornmgthe morningthe morningthe the h\ h two h0 \ 0 armies were drawn up op- op opposIte opposite op opposite - - posite each other m in mImes lines three threemiles threemiles threemiles miles long . At dawn Hookelagain Hooker Hookeragam Hookeragain agam again attacked attached and soon the battle bat- bat battle battie - tle was raging ragmg all along the line Ime lineThe . The fiercest fighting fightmg took place I in the center and made Immortal Immortaltwo immortaltwo immortaltwo two spots-CiBIoodyLane spots CiBIoodyLane spots"BIoodyLane"a spotsBIoodyLanea spots - " "Bloody Bloody " Lane , "a a " a sunk sunk- sunken sunken sunken - en road , washed out by rams rains rainswhich , whIch made a natural rifle pit for forthe forthe forthe the Confederates , and a stone stonebrzdge stonebridge stonebridge brzdge bridge over Antietam creek , to tobe tobe tobe be known later as BurnsIde's BurnsIdes BurnsIde'sbrIdge Burnside'sbridge Burnside'sbridge Burnsidesbridge ' brIdge . . In the sunken road lay the men menof menof menof of two ( Rode's Rodes ' and Anderson's Andersons Anderson'sof Andersonsof ' ) of the five brigades commandedby commanded commandedby by Gen D H Hill . . When the Unron Union Unrongeneral Uniongeneral Uniongeneral general , French , advanced to at- at attack attack at attack - tack , his men were met , with 'nth nth ' a awItherIng awithering awithering wItherIng fire as they pushed up upthe upthe upthe the hill beyond Antietam creek creek.But creekBut . But they dug m in and held on for a ahttle alittle alittle httle little while . Then in m one of themost the themost themost most dE desperate ; > sperate parts of the whole wholebattle wholebattle wholebattle |
