The battle of Sharpsburg or Antietam was General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North and culminated in America’s bloodiest single day of war and after twelve hours of fighting, over 23,000 troops were killed, wounded, or missing.

Maj. Gen. Geo. B. McClellan, Cmdr. of the Army of the Potomac, initiated the battle with the order of the advance of the I Corps commanded by Maj. Gen. Jos. Hooker, which attacked the left flank of the Gen. R. E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, Maj. Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” J. Jackson Second Corps. Hooker’s three divisions were aligned with Second Division commanded by Brig. Gen. James B. Ricketts on the left, or south, the Third Division commanded by Brig. Gen. Geo. Meade’s aligned in the center, and the First Division commanded by Brig. Gen Abner Doubleday on the right or north.

the War
Between
the States

Sharpsburg
Antietam

September 17^th, 1862

This was the position of the Second Division which moved south across the Miller Cornfield to attack Major General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson's Corps. Hooker’s troops took the east woods and the Miller’s Cornfield but a counter-attack by Brig. General John B. Hood of Maj. Gen. Longstreet's command succeeded in blunting the federal attack, the retaking of the cornfield and the confederate left held. General Hooker was wounded and carried off the field.

The Third Division of the I Corps was located at the edge of the North Woods which advanced in support of the First Division and its famed Iron Brigade. The First Division advanced south along the Hagerstown Road to attack the Confederate left flank.

Stuart’s Horse Artillery was located on the high ground west of the Hagerstown Road on Nicodemus Hill and checked the attack of I Corps First Division by halting its advance on the Confederate left flank.

Brig. General John Bell Hood’s Division of Major General Longstreet’s First Corps, which was held in reserve attacked across the Miller Cornfield the I Corps center and left flank and pushed the federals back to the Cornfield’s northern edge. Maj. General D .H. Hill of Jackson’s Corps attacked the I Corps right flank.