Battle of Antietam - Bloody Lane
by Susan Rissi Tregoning
Title
Battle of Antietam - Bloody Lane
Artist
Susan Rissi Tregoning
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Before the Battle of Antietam, Bloody Lane was known to area residents as the Sunken Road, a dirt farm road used primarily by farmers to bypass Sharpsburg. It had been worn down over the years by rain and wagon traffic.
On the 17th of September, 1862, Major General Daniel Harvey Hill of the Confederate army positioned his division of about 2,600 soldiers along the Sunken Road. To fortify their position further, they stacked fence rails on the embankment and patiently awaited the Union army's advancement. Meanwhile, as Federal forces reinforced their troops fighting in the West Woods, Union Major General William H. French and his brigade of around 5,500 soldiers veered southward towards Hill's location at the Sunken Road. Met with a powerful volley from the Confederate soldiers from less than one hundred yards away, they were staggered.
Soldiers from both sides took defensive positions, and a fierce battle ensued. The fight raged from 9:30 in the morning to 1 in the afternoon. During this time, French, bolstered by General Israel B. Richardson's division, attempted to push back the Confederate forces. Although outnumbered, Confederate soldiers held their position on the road for most of the morning, thanks to their strategic defensive setup. Union forces eventually overpowered the Confederate army, and the heart of the Confederate line was breached. However, the Union did not capitalize on this battle with further attacks due to confusion and extreme fatigue.
This brutal battle resulted in around 5,500 casualties and injuries, with no clear victory. It was the single bloodiest day of the Civil War, and the road has been known as Bloody Lane ever since.
Copyright 2023 Susan Rissi Tregoning
Uploaded
November 21st, 2023
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