Bloodiest Single Day of the
WarComparison of CasualtiesHooker opens the Fight against Jackson's
CentreMany Officers among the Fallen early in the DayMcLaws and
Walker in time to meet Sumner's Advance under SedgwickAround Dunker
ChapelRichardson's splendid Advance against the Confederate Centre the
Signal of the bursting of another StormLongstreet's and D. H. Hill's
Troops stood before itFall of General G. B. AndersonGeneral
Richardson mortally woundedAggressive Spirit of his Command
brokenWonderful Cannon-shotGeneral D. H. Hill's Third Horse killed
under him.
Sedgwick's diagonal march exposed his left to a scattering
fire from Walker's left brigade under M. Ransom, but he kept his steady march
while Walker increased his fire. McLaws increasing his fire staggered the march
of Sedgwick, and presently arrested it. The regiments under Colonels Stafford
and Grigsby, coming from their lurking-places, opened fire on Sedgwick's right
rear. At McLaws's opening Sedgwick essayed to form line of battle; the
increasing fire on his right and left rear, with the terrible fire in front,
was confusing, but the troops were eager to return the fire they found pouring
into their lines from three-quarters of a circle. To counter the rear fire of
Walker, General Sumner ordered the rear brigade to face about. The troops,
taking this to mean a rearward march, proceeded to execute it without awaiting
further orders, which was soon followed by the other brigades.
McLaws and Walker, pushing their success, were joined by G.
T. Anderson's, the brigades of D. H. Hill's left, and those of R. H. Anderson's
division, making strong battle through the woodland and open to the
post-and-rail fence and to the Roulette House, where they encountered Sumner's
division under French, and parts of the Twelfth Corps rallied on that part of
the field. This contention was firm and wasting on both sides, but held with
persevering courage until Richardson's reserve, under Brooke, was put against
Hill's right and broke the Confederate line back to the woodlands south of the
chapel, where Early's regiments had formed a rallying line.
When Hill's right was struck and pressed so severely,
Rodes's brigade, the reserve of his division, was ordered out to support his
right. The brigade advanced in good strong battle, but General Rodes reported
that he could not move his Sixth Alabama Regiment in time, notwithstanding his
personal efforts; that with the support of that regiment the battle line of the
Confederates could have waited other supports.
General Sumner was eager in riding with his leading
division. He was always anxious to get in in time to use all of his power, and
thought others like himself. Had he formed the corps into lines of divisions,
in close echelon, and moved as a corps, he would have marched through and
opened the way for Porter's command at bridge No. 2, and Pleasonton's cavalry,
and for Burnside at the third bridge, and forced the battle back to the river
bank.
He was criticised for his opposition to Franklin's proposed
attack, but the chances are even that he was right. The stir among Franklin's
troops was observed from a dead angle of our lines, and preparations were made
to meet it. General Jackson was marching back to us, and it is possible that
the attack might have resulted in mingling our troops with Franklin's down on
the banks of the Antietam.
After this fight the artillery battalions of S. D. Lee and
Frobel, quite out of ammunition, retired to replenish. The battery of Napoleons
was reduced to one section, that short of ammunition and working hands.
General Hill rallied the greater part of G. B. Anderson's
and Rodes's brigades in the sunken road. Some of Ripley's men came together
near Miller's guns at the Hagerstown pike. General R. H. Anderson and his next
in rank, General Wright, were wounded. The next officer, General Pryor, not
advised of his new authority, the brigades assembled at points most suited to
their convenience, in rear of D. H. Hill's brigades.
But time was up. Confederate affairs were not encouraging.
Our men were all leg-weary and heavy to handle, while McClellan, with his tens
of thousands, whom he had marched in healthful exercise the past two weeks, was
finding and pounding us from left to right under converging fire of his
batteries east and west of the Antietam.
The signal of the approaching storm was the bursting of
Richardson's command, augmented by parts of French's division, through the
field of corn, hardly ruffled by the affair at the Roulette House, spreading
its grand march against our centre. They came in brave style, in full
appreciation of the work in hand, marched better than on drill, unfolded
banners making gay their gallant step.
The Fifth Corps and Pleasonton's cavalry were in active
preparation to cross at the second bridge and join on Richardson's left, and
Burnside at the third bridge was pressing his claim for a passage against our
right.
I had posted G. T. Anderson's brigade behind a stone fence
near the Hagerstown pike, about the safest spot to be found on the field of
Sharpsburg,a dead angle, so to speak. The batteries on the field north
and the long-range thirty-gun battery of General Doubleday were playing their
fire down the pike, taking their aim by the direction of the road, where they
stood. This brought their fire into the field about one hundred yards in rear
of Anderson's line. As the fire came from an enfilade direction, the troops
assumed that they were under enfilade fire, and General Anderson changed
position without reporting. General D. H. Hill got hold of him and moved him to
the Boonsborough pike to defend against Sykes's and Pleasonton's forces,
advancing in that quarter. - Thus, when Richardson's march approached its
objective, the Confederates had Boyce's battery, well out in the corn-field,
facing the march; Miller's section of Napoleons in the centre, and a single
battery at McLaws's rear, with fragments of scattered brigades along the pike,
and the Twenty-seventh North Carolina Regiment to hold the left centre, besides
the brigades in the sunken road, and the brigades of R. H. Anderson's division
awaiting the bloody struggle. They received the severe attack in firm holding
for a long half-hour, the enemy pressing closer at intervals, until an order of
General Rodes's was misconstrued and part of his brigade under
Lieutenant-Colonel Lightfoot, of the Sixth Alabama Regiment, was faced to the
rear, and marched off, informing others that that was the order.
General G. B. Anderson fell mortally wounded. The enemy
pressed in on his outer flank and called for surrender of the forces cut off
and outflanked. Meagher's brigade was retired to replenish ammunition, and
Barlow swung to his right and came against our fragments about Miller's guns,
standing near his flank. Miller had two guns, the others off for a supply of
ammunition. Cooke's Twenty-seventh North Carolina Regiment was well organized,
but short of ammunition; fragments of Ripley's brigade and some others were on
the turnpike; Miller was short of hands and ammunition, even for two guns;
McLaws's division and the other part of Walker's were in front of threatenings
of parts of French's division and of troops rallying on their front, and the
Sixth Corps was up and coming against them, so that it seemed hazardous to call
them off and leave an open way. Our line was throbbing at every point, so that
I dared not call on General Lee for help. Sergeant Ellis thought that he could
bring up ammunition if he was authorized to order it. He was authorized, and
rode for and brought it. I held the horses of some of my staff who helped to
man the guns as cannoneers.
As the attacking forces drew nearer, Colonel Cooke reported
his ammunition exhausted. He was ordered to hold on with the bayonet, and sent
in return that he would " hold till ice forms in regions where it was never
known," or words to that effect. As Richardson advanced through the corn he cut
off the battery under Boyce, so that it was obliged to retire to save itself,
and as Barlow came upon our centre, the battery on our left was for a time
thrown out of fire lest they might injure friend as much as foe. Barlow marched
in steady good ranks, and the remnants before him rose to the emergency. They
seemed to forget that they had known fatigue; the guns were played with life,
and the brave spirits manning them claimed that they were there to hold or to
go down with the guns.
As our shots rattled against the armored ranks, Colonel
Fairfax clapped his hands and ran for other charges. The mood of the gunners to
a man was one of quiet but unflinching resolve to stand to the last gun.
Captain Miller charged and double-charged with spherical case and canister
until his guns at the discharge leaped in the air from ten to twelve inches.
When the crest was reached, the rush that was expected to
sweep us away paused,the Confederates became hopeful. Soon the advancing
ranks lay behind the crest, and presently drew nearer Richardson's part of the
line, then mounting the crest over the Piper House. This latter point, once
established, must cut and break the Confederate position as effectually as our
centre just saved. He occupied the Piper House with two regiments under Colonel
Brooke in advance of his line along the crest, and called up some of his
batteries.
The Confederates meanwhile were collecting other batteries
and infantry in defence, when a shot from one of our batteries brought
Richardson down, mortally wounded. His taking-off broke the aggressive spirit
of the division and reduced its fight to the defensive. The regiments at the
Piper House found their position thus advanced too much exposed, and withdrew
to the stronger line of the crest. General Meagher's brigade came up with
ammunition replenished. General Hancock was despatched to take command of the
division. In the midst of the tragedy, as Richardson approached the east crest,
there was a moment of amusement when General Hill, with about fifty men and a
battle-flag, ran to gain a vantagepoint for flank fire against Richardson's
left. Colonel Ross, observing the move and appreciating the opportunity,
charged with two regiments for the same and secured it. General Hill claimed
(and rightly) that it had effect in giving the impression that there were other
forces coming to support him.
Another regiment came to the relief of the Twenty-seventh,
under Cooke. The movement of troops in that quarter was construed by the enemy
as a threatened flank move against Richardson, which caused some little delay
in his march. Though the Confederates had but fragments here and there, the
enemy were kept busy and watchful lest they should come upon another surprise
move.
The Confederates were surprised but much relieved when they
found this affair reduced to the defensive, and assumed that every missile they
sent must have found one or more victims. But accounts of the other side make
clear that the result was due to accidental artillery shots that cut down
Colonel Barlow, the aggressive spirit of Richardson's right column, and General
Richardson himself at his culminating moment. Barlow fell from a case or
canister-shot, as did Richardson. All the Union accounts refer to a battery on
their right throwing shell, and the " two brass guns in front throwing case and
canister," and this latter was the only artillery at work against them at the
time of Barlow's fall. When Barlow's command drew nearer the division the brass
guns were turned upon Richardson, but at the moment of his taking-off another
battery was in action on his left. General D. H. Hill thought that Carter's
battery was in time to divide the honor of the last shot with the section of
Napoleons under Miller.
Orders were given General Pleasonton, at the second bridge,
to be ready to enter the battle as soon as the attack by Richardson should open
the way. To meet these orders skirmishers were advanced, and Tidball's battery,
by piece, using canister, to drive back the Confederate sharp-shooters. The
Fifth Corps (General Porter's) was ordered to be ready for like service.
When Richardson swung his line up along the crest at the
Piper House, Pleasonton advanced troopers and batteries, crossed the bridge at
a gallop by the Fifth Regular Cavalry, Farnsworth's brigade, Rush's brigade,
two regiments of the Fifth Brigade under B. F. Davis, and the batteries of
Tidball, Robertson, Hains, and Gibson. The batteries were put into action under
the line of skirmishers, that were reinforced by Sykes's division of the Fifth
and Tenth Infantry under Lieutenant Poland.
General Hill seized a musket and by example speedily
collected a number of men, who joined him in reinforcing the line threatened by
this heavy display. The parts of brigades under General Pryor, Colonels
Cummings, Posey, and G. T. Anderson afterwards got up to help the brigade of
Evans already there. By these, with the batteries of Squires, Gardner, and
Richardson, this threatening demonstration was checked. Then it was reinforced
by the batteries of Randol, Kusserow, and Van Reed, and the Fourth United
States Infantry, Captain Dryer; the first battalion of the Twelfth, Captain
Blount; second battalion of the Twelfth, Captain Anderson; first battalion of
the Fourteenth, Captain Brown, and second battalion of the Fourteenth, Captain
McKibbin, of Sykes's division; the batteries posted to command the field, right
and left, to cover Sumner's and Burnside's fronts, as soon as they could rise
to the plateau. S. D. Lee's batteries were back on the crest, replenished of
ammunition, while the Union batteries were on low ground, near the river. A
very clever well-organized advance was made, but their advantages of position
and the tenacious hold of the Confederates, even after the attack reached the
crest, enabled them to drive back the assaulting forces. The horse batteries
went back to positions on the west side after replenishing with ammunition,
except Gibson's, which was put in defensive attitude on the east. Pleasonton,
with a comprehensive view of the opportunity, called for additional force, but
two of Morell's brigades had been ordered by the upper crossing to Sumner's
relief, and a detachment had been sent to assist Burnside, which reduced the
Fifth Corps to the minimum of force necessary to the service to which it was
assigned; not equal to the aggressive fight to which it was invited. But for
the breaking up of Richardson's aggression, this last advance could have gained
the field.
The Third Brigade of the Second Division, Sixth Corps, made
an erratic march across part of the field, the Seventh Maine Regiment leading,
and retired like a meteor that loses its own fire.
A little after one o'clock this and other parts of the line,
except at the Burnside Bridge, settled down to defensive. Burnside was still
hard at work in search of a practical line of advance, Toombs standing manfully
against him.
During the lull, after the rencounter of Walker's, Hill's,
and Hood's divisions against Mansfield's last fight, General Lee and myself,
riding together under the crest of General D. H. Hill's part of the line, were
joined by the latter. We were presently called to the crest to observe
movements going on in the Union lines. The two former dismounted and walked to
the crest; General Hill, a little out of strength and thinking a single
horseman not likely to draw the enemy's fire, rode. As we reached the crest I
asked him to ride a little apart, as he would likely draw fire upon the group.
While viewing the field a puff of white smoke was seen to burst from a cannon's
mouth about a mile off. I remarked, " There is a shot for General Hill," and,
looking towards him, saw his horse drop on his knees. Both forelegs were cut
off just below the knees. The dropping forward of the poor animal so elevated
his croup that it was not an easy matter for one not an expert horseman to
dismount à la militaire. To add to the dilemma, there was a rubber coat
with other wraps strapped to the cantle of the saddle. Failing in his attempt
to dismount, I suggested that he throw his leg forward over the pommel. This
gave him easy and graceful dismount. This was the third horse shot under him
during the day, and the shot was one of the best I ever witnessed. An equally
good one was made by a Confederate at Yorktown. An officer of the Topographical
Engineers walked into the open, in front of our lines, fixed his plane table
and seated himself to make a map of the Confederate works. A non-commissioned
officer, without orders, adjusted his gun, carefully aimed it, and fired. At
the report of the gun all eyes were turned to see the occasion of it, and then
to observe the object, when the shell was seen to explode as if in the hands of
the officer. It had been dropped squarely upon the drawing-table, and
Lieutenant Wagner was mortally wounded.* Of the first shot, Major Alfred A.
Woodhull, under date of June 8, 1886, wrote,
" On the 17th of September, 1862, I was standing in Weed's
battery, whose position is correctly given in the map, when a man on, I think,
a gray horse, appeared about a mile in front of us, and footmen were recognized
near. Captain Weed, who was a remarkable artillerist, himself sighted and fired
the gun at the horse, which was struck."
* Of this shot, Captain A. B. More, of Richmond, Virginia,
wrote, under date of June 16,1886, " The Howitzers have always been proud
of that shot, and, thinking it would interest you, I write to say that it was
fired by Corporal Holzburton, of the Second Company, Richmond Howitzers, from a
ten-pound Parrott." |