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Posted by
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Today is the 158th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American history
Posted by RollTide1987 on 9/17/20 at 7:24 am211
On September 17, 1862, an epic battle erupted along the banks of Antietam Creek, near the small Maryland town of Sharpsburg. Here the Union Army of the Potomac - Major General George B. McClellan commanding - and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia - Robert E. Lee commanding - clashed for 12 straight hours. The battle itself can be divided into three different phases: the Cornfield, the Bloody Lane, and the Burnside Bridge.
The opening phase of the battle took place in a head high cornfield owned by a farmer named Miller. Here and in the areas immediately around it, some of the bloodiest and most intense action of the Civil War would take place as elements of three different Union army corps attempted to wrestle control of the area from troops under the command of Stonewall Jackson. In just 4-5 hours of combat, the two armies would suffer a combined 12,000 casualties in this sector with the Cornfield changing hands no less than 10 different times. While the fighting on this part of the field was desperate, it also turned out to be completely inconclusive as both sides simply fought themselves to exhaustion. From here the battle would shift south to a sunken wagon road that would hereafter be known as the Bloody Lane.
The Confederate center had taken shelter in the Bloody Lane, which they hoped to use as a natural trench against oncoming Federal attacks. Two separate Union divisions would strike at the Confederates in this area, the first of which was heavily mauled by the Rebel defenders. The second division, that of Israel Richardson, managed to get up close and flank the Confederate position. A mistaken order to retreat, however, sent the Confederates falling back toward Sharpsburg - a move that cracked Lee's center wide open. Small but ferocious counterattacks by troops organized by Confederate general James Longstreet kept the Federals at bay. Upon hearing of the success of his soldiers at the Bloody Lane, McClellan was asked if he wanted to commit his reserves to the fight. He erred on the side of caution, however, and kept the thousands of men he had at his disposal from exploiting the breach. The brief firefight at the Bloody Lane had been a violent one, with both sides suffering a combined 5,600 casualties. Antietam's battle toll was now 17,500 and climbing...
As the battle for the Bloody Lane cooled down, the fighting shifted south once again to a stone bridge spanning Antietam Creek. Here 12,500 men under the command of Major General Ambrose Burnside were being kept from crossing the Antietam by some 400 Georgians under the command of Colonel Henry L. Benning. Burnside wasted precious time in his attempts to cross the bridge which now bears his name, taking three hours to storm and capture the span. Burnside then wasted another three hours crossing his IX Corps across the Antietam and getting them into battle formation. He began his assault around 3 PM, with just 3,000 Confederates standing between him and Robert E. Lee's escape route back to Virginia. The inexcusable time it took to take the Burnside Bridge and to organize his men for a final assault came back to haunt him, however. Just then, A.P. Hill's Light Division was arriving on the field after a forced march from Harpers Ferry. They slammed right into the left flank of Burnside's assault force and forced it to retreat back to the Burnside Bridge in disarray.
As night fell the fighting along Antietam Creek began to die down. The next day, September 18, Lee remained in his position daring McClellan to attack him. McClellan, however, refused to do so and Lee retreated back into Virginia that evening. Tactically, the Battle of Antietam was a stalemate but strategically it was a Northern victory as Lee was forced to abandon his Maryland campaign. Lincoln used this opportunity to announce his Emancipation Proclamation on September 22. Dissatisfied with McClellan's failure to follow up and pursue Lee's army in the battle's aftermath, Lincoln would permanently relieve him of command two months later.
In one day, more than 3,600 men were killed and 19,000 were wounded and captured - more American dead than Pearl Harbor, D-Day, or 9/11. Shocking portraits of the dead at Antietam, taken by photographer Alexander Gardner, are displayed in the North - bringing the horrors of war to a curious public for the very first time.
September 17, 1862, remains the bloodiest single day in American history.
The opening phase of the battle took place in a head high cornfield owned by a farmer named Miller. Here and in the areas immediately around it, some of the bloodiest and most intense action of the Civil War would take place as elements of three different Union army corps attempted to wrestle control of the area from troops under the command of Stonewall Jackson. In just 4-5 hours of combat, the two armies would suffer a combined 12,000 casualties in this sector with the Cornfield changing hands no less than 10 different times. While the fighting on this part of the field was desperate, it also turned out to be completely inconclusive as both sides simply fought themselves to exhaustion. From here the battle would shift south to a sunken wagon road that would hereafter be known as the Bloody Lane.
The Confederate center had taken shelter in the Bloody Lane, which they hoped to use as a natural trench against oncoming Federal attacks. Two separate Union divisions would strike at the Confederates in this area, the first of which was heavily mauled by the Rebel defenders. The second division, that of Israel Richardson, managed to get up close and flank the Confederate position. A mistaken order to retreat, however, sent the Confederates falling back toward Sharpsburg - a move that cracked Lee's center wide open. Small but ferocious counterattacks by troops organized by Confederate general James Longstreet kept the Federals at bay. Upon hearing of the success of his soldiers at the Bloody Lane, McClellan was asked if he wanted to commit his reserves to the fight. He erred on the side of caution, however, and kept the thousands of men he had at his disposal from exploiting the breach. The brief firefight at the Bloody Lane had been a violent one, with both sides suffering a combined 5,600 casualties. Antietam's battle toll was now 17,500 and climbing...
As the battle for the Bloody Lane cooled down, the fighting shifted south once again to a stone bridge spanning Antietam Creek. Here 12,500 men under the command of Major General Ambrose Burnside were being kept from crossing the Antietam by some 400 Georgians under the command of Colonel Henry L. Benning. Burnside wasted precious time in his attempts to cross the bridge which now bears his name, taking three hours to storm and capture the span. Burnside then wasted another three hours crossing his IX Corps across the Antietam and getting them into battle formation. He began his assault around 3 PM, with just 3,000 Confederates standing between him and Robert E. Lee's escape route back to Virginia. The inexcusable time it took to take the Burnside Bridge and to organize his men for a final assault came back to haunt him, however. Just then, A.P. Hill's Light Division was arriving on the field after a forced march from Harpers Ferry. They slammed right into the left flank of Burnside's assault force and forced it to retreat back to the Burnside Bridge in disarray.
As night fell the fighting along Antietam Creek began to die down. The next day, September 18, Lee remained in his position daring McClellan to attack him. McClellan, however, refused to do so and Lee retreated back into Virginia that evening. Tactically, the Battle of Antietam was a stalemate but strategically it was a Northern victory as Lee was forced to abandon his Maryland campaign. Lincoln used this opportunity to announce his Emancipation Proclamation on September 22. Dissatisfied with McClellan's failure to follow up and pursue Lee's army in the battle's aftermath, Lincoln would permanently relieve him of command two months later.
In one day, more than 3,600 men were killed and 19,000 were wounded and captured - more American dead than Pearl Harbor, D-Day, or 9/11. Shocking portraits of the dead at Antietam, taken by photographer Alexander Gardner, are displayed in the North - bringing the horrors of war to a curious public for the very first time.
September 17, 1862, remains the bloodiest single day in American history.
re: Today is the 158th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American historyPosted by Loup on 9/17/20 at 7:31 am to RollTide1987
It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it.
re: Today is the 158th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American historyPosted by CocomoLSU on 9/17/20 at 7:42 am to RollTide1987
History is fascinating.
Hopefully we've all learned from this time period since, because people are fricking idiots, it looks like we may be regressing into another civil war at some point.
Hopefully we've all learned from this time period since, because people are fricking idiots, it looks like we may be regressing into another civil war at some point.
re: Today is the 158th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American historyPosted by LSUBoo on 9/17/20 at 7:43 am to RollTide1987
It still seems odd to me that Maryland was considered the "South" back then.
quote:
It still seems odd to me that Maryland was considered the "South" back then.
How about the Army of Northern Virginia was the pride of the south then.
That Army would now be headed by General Brennan with division commanders Strok and Comey.
re: Today is the 158th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American historyPosted by GetCocky11 on 9/17/20 at 8:03 am to LSUBoo
quote:
It still seems odd to me that Maryland was considered the "South" back then.
It is where Harriet Tubman was enslaved.
Ask any random person and they'd probably assume Harriet Tubman ran away from some place like Alabama. Nope...it was Maryland.
re: Today is the 158th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American historyPosted by No Colors on 9/17/20 at 8:04 am to RollTide1987
I am fascinated by people who look on this chapter as some sort of obscure history from a distant era. As if thousands of Americans fighting each other to the death could never happen again.
If history tells us anything, it's that another war like this isn't possible. It's a certainty.
If history tells us anything, it's that another war like this isn't possible. It's a certainty.
re: Today is the 158th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American historyPosted by La Place Mike on 9/17/20 at 8:35 am to LSUBoo
quote:
It still seems odd to me that Maryland was considered the "South" back then.
People in Maryland still consider themselves southerners. I chuckle when they say that.
re: Today is the 158th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American historyPosted by Boston911 on 9/17/20 at 8:43 am to RollTide1987
Did anyone pay Miller for his corn crop damage or did he have crop insurance?
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re: Today is the 158th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American historyPosted by Wolfhound45 on 9/17/20 at 8:46 am to RollTide1987
quote:Excellent work.
RollTide1987
For my Louisiana brethren;
Tigers in the Cornfield: Hays’ Louisiana Brigade at Antietam
re: Today is the 158th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American historyPosted by Sao on 9/17/20 at 9:03 am to RollTide1987
This is going to sound dumb to many but I've often wondered or pictured what would have happened if the South broke from the musket a few times. Use cannon fire but also went the way of the indian and adopted the bow and arrow with the musket. Could get off 10:1 in such rapid succession and cause overwhelming injury at incredible speed. Especially in the open field battles.
quote:
Use cannon fire but also went the way of the indian and adopted the bow and arrow with the musket.
Could have first line fire off a shot then pass the gun to be reloaded and pick up a bow and fire off 10 arrows then repeat the process. Probably would have been deadly
re: Today is the 158th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American historyPosted by RollTide1987 on 9/17/20 at 9:22 am to Sao
quote:
Use cannon fire but also went the way of the indian and adopted the bow and arrow with the musket. Could get off 10:1 in such rapid succession and cause overwhelming injury at incredible speed. Especially in the open field battles.
The effective range of a longbow is 200 yards, while the Enfield Rifle's effective range was between 400-500 yards.
quote:
Was used to kill US calvary well before 62 up until the 80s.
By the time of the Civil War, most of the clashes between Native Americans and U.S. Cavalry involved rifle-on-rifle. The worst U.S. defeat of the Indian Wars - Little Bighorn - saw the natives using mainly rifles.
This post was edited on 9/17 at 9:25 am
re: Today is the 158th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American historyPosted by Lsupimp on 9/17/20 at 9:25 am to RollTide1987
quote:
In one day, more than 3,600 men were killed and 19,000 were wounded and captured
White privilege.
quote:
I am fascinated by people who look on this chapter as some sort of obscure history from a distant era. As if thousands of Americans fighting each other to the death could never happen again.
If history tells us anything, it's that another war like this isn't possible. It's a certainty.
Given where we are at as a nation this kind of history is more relevant than ever.
Both sides should watch Ken Burns again to be reminded of the long term ramifications of remaining intractably divided culturally and politically.
re: Today is the 158th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American historyPosted by Sao on 9/17/20 at 9:38 am to RollTide1987
True but the Henry wasn't largely used by either side in 62. Production was low. Hell good thing it wasn't. Would've slaughtered untold more thousands of men.
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