Battle of Antietam

“Battle of Antietam, Md. Burnside’s division carrying the bridge over the Antietam Creek and storming the Confederate position, after a desperate conflict of four hours, Wednesday, September 17th, 1862. On the left, during the afternoon, Burnside carried the bridge, after an obstinate contest of four hours’ duration and a loss of about five hundred killed and wounded. Hawkins’s Zouaves then crossed, and finding the enemy ready drawn up under cover of the hills, advanced in line of battle on their new position, about half a mile distant. The ground over which they advanced was open clover and plowed fields, the latter very difficult and fatiguing to march in, owing to the softness of the ground. The enemy’s guns, fourteen in number, kept up a terrible fire on the advancing line, which never wavered, but slowly toiled along, receving shelter, however, when they were in the hollows. They were halted a few moments to rest in the hollow nearest the enemy’s position, and then were ordered to charge with a yell. As they came up the hillin front of the enemy’s batteries they received a heavy volley from a large force of infantry behind a stone wall about two hundred feet in front of the enemy’s batteries. The Federals, though terribly decimated, gave them a volley in return, and then went on with the bayonet. The enemy did not stay to contest the ground, and although two to one, broke and ran, leaving their guns.” — Frank Leslie, 1896

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