submitted by Carl Chatto.
The Union attack started with Hookers' Corps attacking through
the East Woods. Doubleday had orders to clear Nicodemus Hill,
which he did. The rest of the corps drove into the West Woods
but was repulsed by Lawton and Hood. By then, the First Corps
was done. Mansfield arrived, though, soon thereafter (and the
first chance for coordination was lost). Ewell’s and Jackson’s
divisions were fought out in the battle, so D. H. Hill arrived
to cover the Dunker Church heights and support the artillery.
The Twelfth Corps plunged ahead, with Crawford’s brigade of green
troops getting blood-lusted and driving off D. H. Hill. At the
same time, Hood (who had been on Hill’s flank) finally understood
his old orders to defend the West Woods, which were no longer
threatened! When he tried to get initiative to countermand the
orders, he got a loose cannon result. Imagine--Hood, a loose cannon!
Hood marched off toward Hauser Ridge, completely befuddled.
While all this was going on, Burnsides has distorted one set of
orders and was pondering a second. Sumner and Porter seemed reluctant
to move. Finally, at 10 AM, Sumner and the newly arrived Franklin,
saw the light and moved up to attack the Confederate left flank
from the Sunken Lane to the West Woods. Just as they arrived,
Mansfield finally broke off his attack, his corps completely wrecked
and driven off from the Dunker Church area by D. H. Hill. McLaws
moves into the Sunken Lane with Anderson in reserve.
The Union Fifth and Ninth Corps artillery has forced the Confederate
batteries to withdraw from the Sunken Lane and Sharpsburg Heights.
At 10:30 AM, the Confederate casualties (excluding stragglers)
total 4,700; Union casualties are 6,300.
Sumner attacked the Dunker Church area and the West Woods. Hood
moved back into the West Woods, but was flanked by Sedgewick’s
division and nearly annihilated. Caldwell’s brigade got their
blood up and drove D. H. Hill off the Dunker Church heights. But
just as the Second Corps was on the verge of victory, Sumner saw
all the carnage he can stand and called off the attack. Anderson’s
division moved in to fill the Confederate void on the left flank.
Franklin’s Corps got off to a slow start against McLaws and Smith’s
division was badly hurt. About this time, Porter finally understood
his orders to cross Antietam Stream and take the Sunken Lane in
the flank. Just before he got there, the attrition was too much
for McLaws’ troops. Without any meaningful support (all “dead
on the field”), they withdrew in the face of Slocum’s division
and Porter’s Corps coming up against their right flank.
While this was going on, Burnsides finally began preparing to
cross the Lower Bridge. Walker’s division barred the way. After
some skirmishing and artillery dueling, Burnsides decided the
position was unassailable and called off the attack. No one from
the Ninth Corps crossed the Antietam!
There was a brief lull around 1 PM. Then Porter, on his own initiative
sent Morrell’s division, which was virtually unscathed, up onto
Sharpsburg Heights, by the Lutheran Church, against D. R. Jones’
troops to capture the town. Porter kept his other division in
line to support Franklin around the Sunken Lane. Jones’ division
could not match the numbers put up by Morrell’s big division and
when Griffin’s brigade got blood lusted, the Confederate line
came undone. Morrell charged into town, and was wounded in street
fighting. Some recovering Confederate troops moved into the town
and A. P. Hill came up to threaten the Union flank. Porter again
saw an opportunity, this time at Lower Bridge, and moved Sykes’
division that way. Franklin finally began to move up to support
Morrell in his drive on Sharpsburg. As A. P. Hill contemplated
his plans to relieve Sharpsburg, he fell wounded by artillery
fire. His troops remained in place.
The Confederate position held--barely--as dusk fell before Sharpsburg
did. The Confederates held on by a sliver, but the ANV was a sideways
shadow of an army.
Casualties, excluding stragglers, are as follows:
Confederate: 14,600
Wrecked brigades: *ALL* except Pryor, Texas, Branch, Field, Gregg,
Pender, and the cavalry.
Union: 14,700
Wrecked brigades: Hoffman, Patrick, Christian, Richardson’s division,
New Jersey, Vermont, Irwin, Fairchild, Twelfth Corps.
Final VP count:
Confederate:
Casualties 20
Little Mac 43
Total 63
Union:
Casualties 40
Terrain 22
Total 62
Result: a draw
Burnsides Mac points did nothing but cost the Union a victory.
He escaped court-martial due to the Union winning the war soon
after the 1862 elections.