On memberships and donations to bring you programs. Also, consider being a member. Structure you are 1844ng in was built around. That is when the fry house was built. Farmers lived and worked here prior to the battle of antietam. Union army took over their property. The structure was a Field Hospital where hundreds of Wounded Soldiers were treated by surgeons in the days and weeks following the battle. Us, Daniel Vermilya to discuss his new book. I will have to read from this because i could not memorize all this. Dan is a civil war historian and the author of several books including the battle of james a. Mountainand garfield and the civil war. He previously worked as a park field,at the antietam and he currently works at the historicr National Site in gettysburg, pennsylvania. Before i handed over to dan, cspan is here today. We will have a question and and their answer section. Please wait for a member of cspan to ask the question. We will also have a book signing. A copy of dans book. If you have a copy, he will sign it there. All right. Here is dan. [applause] mr. Vermilya thank you very much. Thank you, rachel. Thinks to be cspan folks for coming up and being your today. Its really a treat for me to be here with all of you. As rachel said, i currently work at the Eisenhower National Historic Site in gettysburg. That is my day job. Atrs ago i used to work Antietam Battlefield. Its nice to be back in familiar environments and surroundings and a place i love very much and see familiar faces here as well. Its great to be here to talk ofut my book on the battle antietam. It came out last year as part of the emerging civil war series. The idea of the series is these books are providing introductions, perhaps a gateway to these stories of the american civil war. Great bookst many that point to an introduction to the battle and thats what i hope to provide with this volume here not just an introduction to the battle, but a fresh look to antietam. And name so many are familiar with, but we may not understand it all that well. We may not understand its complexity. We may not understand its full weight and important and the story of our country importance in the story of our country. That is what we will do, take a look at the spread tell and that field of, live take a blood,that field of take a new look. And if you are one hoping to dive deeper into the history of willtam, hopefully this help. I would like to start with a quotation. A volunteer in the infantry. Ive, myself i, myself, am from ohio, originally. Typically in my books i quote a lot of ohioans. I want to tell everybody that upfront. I love featuring the boys from my buckeye state. Kennedys quote is a beautiful one because it introduces us to this story of antietam. Upon this field of antietam was brought one of the most desperate battles of the word the rebellion, upon which the outcome hung the destinies changedy dramatically not only the course of these civil war, but American History is off. To dive deeper into this, we need to begin a few months before the battle. In washington, d c, president Abraham Lincoln holds a meeting telling his cap members that he has decided it was time to issue an emancipation proclamation, on rebellion. He was open to their input as to how they would issue this document. The measure was discussed. It was secretary of state William Seward who advised president lincoln to wait for a Union Victory so he would be issuing it from a position of strength. Lincoln took that advice and decided to wait. That will provide a lot of the background, a lot of drama for this upcoming campaign. With lincoln having decided to wait, that victory did not come right away. 1862, the war was on the doorstep of washington, d and theobert e. Lee army of virginia fighting and winning the second battle of manassas, one of the finest battles of the civil war. And with the proclamation still sitting and awaiting the light realized that an opportunity had presented itself. And in september, he would famously note, it was the most propitious time to move north of the Potomac River and bring his Confederate Army into the state of maryland to read this whole campaign is being driven by robert e. Lee and the army of Northern Virginia. With lee and his army fresh off of the victory, with momentum on their site, yes, they were tired. Pushing north of the union soil, they have many things they hope to accomplish. If i have to sum it up in one thing, they are hoping to accomplish a victory over union forces on union soul. Lee understands the longer the war goes on, the greater the north has a chance of victory. Coming into maryland has advantages for lee and his army, but overall he is hoping to defeat union forces on union. Oil what about the other commander in this campaign . It is fitting we will talk a little bit more about George Mcclellan in our talk today, with robert e. Lee spending the night in the price house a stones throw from where we are in the price house pry house born. This is the exact opposite for the army of the potomac which really did not exist, especially as constituted here at antietam. The union forces in washington in total disarray, president lincoln was looking for a commander who could revive this army and do it very quickly. Despite the wishes of his cabinet and many officers, lincoln turned to mcclellan to reorganize this army, to give him a Second Chance at command, George Mcclellan having attempted to seize virginia in peninsulassful campaign. Mcclellan is getting a Second Chance. But before he can confront lee in maryland, yes to build an army he can use in the field. Opposing vehicles, robert e lee has a pickup truck that is a little worse for wear, miles on its tires, but he knows it will run. And George Mcclellan is a beaten up car, the foot is up, steam coming out of the engine, and it is up on cinderblocks. The first thing you have to do is get a car that is capable of moving. Build something out of this disassembled mess and washington, d. C. Referred to this week as the crisis of our fate. Confederate forces moving north, army,lan rebuilding his and what we have here is mcclellan in the center, some of his army remnants from the peninsula campaign. Some of his army will be constituted of the remnants of john popes army and the second is built out of divisions committed by this gentleman here, ambriz burnside. This settlement, jacob cox, and , isaacntleman down here stevens. This is a brandnew amalgamation of the army of the potomac in 1862 and this is the army that would carry through and fight a famous battle. It was really built in Early September at the outset of this campaign and there are a lot of ashs about George Mcclellan a commander. His is a name that is met with scorn and derision by many, especially historians. We label him slow moving. , but not aanizers great deal general. Lets look at the army he built. Not to go too far in the wee son this, but is important to understand each polls mcclellan is operating to go too far in the weeds on this, but it is important to understand the tools mcclellans operating with. About 50 of the confederate soldiers at antietam had fought and three or more major battles. This is a veteran about force. The union army is not very close. Lets go to the bottom. No combat experience. At least 20 of the Union Soldiers had never been in battle before. You can say that almost every soldier hadderate been in one or more major engagement. What about command experience . In the Confederate Army, significantly more experience among the highranking officers. If you are an officer leading a brigade, a division, or a wing, which we will call army corps for the purposes of comparison, always are you have led a unit of that size in battle before. In combat in the american civil war, a lot of decisions that drive the avenue and flow of battle are made of the brigade command level. Three out of every four confederate brigade commanders have led a brigade in combat before. You can say that for less than 30 of Union Brigade commanders. What does this all mean . What am i getting at . When these armies are moving into the state of maryland, they are two very different forces. They are each going to have issues during the campaign. Each army will lose thousands of roads straggling on the of maryland. This is not an easy campaign for and sometimes historians seem to suggest the union army was too big to fail or a force that was so strong, anyell the together that other general could have ended the war here. Thats not necessarily the case, as we will see and talk about further. But by september, both armies are in the field advancing into maryland. There is frederick on a map. The union army catching up with them by september 12, september 13. They are finding the confederates moved west. As lee came into maryland, he had a problem at Harpers Ferry. At the confluence of the shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. With Harpers Ferry at the northern end of the shenandoah have a lee could not Confederate Army in maryland with a union for sitting right behind him. That was kind of a problem. So lee decided he would divvy up acrossces, let them maryland, to try to get rid of the Union Garrison there and he did that with what is known as special orders 191. The union forces arrived in september 12, september 14. They come across on september 13. Just by a short pants, and how many people have heard of this before, the lost orders . A great many of you have. Typically this is described as intelligence coup of the war and mcclellan has this High Definition picture of where the Confederate Forces are and knows exactly how to smash the Confederate Army. At one of the reasons it is known as that, if ownread mcclellans i haves, he says, aha, the confederate plans. Is theim that this intelligence find of the war, thats not exactly what they really were. At the reality of these orders known as the lost orders first of all, it was not a rarity that a copy of enemy marching orders would fall into your hands. This is not the only time in the campaign that marching orders would fall into your hand. Essentially what he has is a orders leaves marching from one day earlier, which indicated they were expired, or at least out of date, the operation to remove union forces from Harpers Ferry should have been wrapped up. 100 rders were no longer accurate. Hightially, rather than a definition picture, it gives mcclellan a blurry portrait, telling him that the confederates are divided. With these orders in mind, a plan andormulates a tax part of leahs army on south mountain. S army on south mountain. It was a turning point in this campaign. There is a great book on this by a good friend of mine. I would encourage you to check that out if you want to learn more about it. Union forces attacked several mountain gaps trying to push these confederates act, to push west of the mountain and it results in a Union Victory. And leemy is divided thinks, i have to head back into virginia. So on the morning of september , confederates in the army of Northern Virginia come marching down the bloombergs pike, but they go a little past the pry farm. Before he withdraws to virginia, he was to wait and hear what happened to the Confederate Forces. It is there that he hears from his trusted subordinate Stonewall Jackson that the union forces have surrendered. It tells lee, you know what . The campaign is not over yet. I can stay in maryland. I can reunite my army and i can fight the battle i came here looking to fight. Fields around sharpsburg, maryland or write about here on this map, by the way where we are now. Of northernate Army Virginia begins to set up on these ridges, on these hills, on this high ground so lee can await the nearby union army in battle. Is this a risk for robert e. Lee . Absolutely. He is a risk taker. Feature of the movie is as a commander. This is a risk for him. However. He does not want to abandon this campaign entirely just yet. This is the goal that he came here for. He is going to give it a try. And again, for lee, i think what , lee is typically when we talk about his west battles of the war, typically we talk about chancellorsville or lee make somes big mistakes. On september 17, i would argue that lee has one of his finest days as a tactical commander. The union forces are gathering. Thereupon the eastern side of the creek and begin setting up around here, the fields and between tvs will and antietam creek itself. As to whyemerge didnt the union army of attack . Had, had come u p. If you are mcclellan looking out to the fields, it is hard to formulate a battle plan when you cannot see where the enemy is. His land andl form the battle will begin. As for the battle of antietam , the typical battle on antietam is it is a battle fought in three separate cases. Have you folks are that before . Three separate phases . I want you to a race that from your mind. It was not fought in three separate phases. It was bought in two phases. There was a northern phase and a southern phase to the battle. From these fields around us, union forces began to move into place. The First Army Corps crossed into antietam creek. Later that night, the 12th army corps would cross over into antietam creek and the battle would begin with attacks and to the left flank of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. If these are two boxers, the union army is opening the battle jabs. Ight wing test lees left, knowing all the while, mcclellan wants to launch a right hook into the left blank. While these attacks are underway with the confederates diverging their attention northward, mcclellan wants to send an attack across on the southern end of the field hoping a hopefully weekend confederate right flank. It is a battle fought in two phases. Boneshing north of the still turnpike, the northern phase of the battle. Everything south is the southern phase of the battle. It thatif we look at way, it makes more sense to discern what mcclellans thinking was during the battle and thus it was on september 16, union forces start moving into case. Into place. There was firm astonishing. Cavalry and forces in the east woods outside of sharpsburg. A few casualties fall. As the dust settles, both armies in close proximity and each has a pretty clear sense that on the morning, there is going to be a major engagement phot. Sometimes major battles corrupt without either army knowing full well they are about to iraq. I think if you asked robert e. Lee and George Gordon meade if the largest, bloodiest battle of the civil war was going to start that day, i think each of them would have said, absolutely not. On the morning of the 17th, both armies are pretty well understanding that a major battle is about to begin. Of imposing dread, of something that was about to come permeated the ranks of both armies. Of theufus dawes wisconsin 16th wrote, there was a drizzling rain and with the prospect of conflict on the morrow, the night was dismal. Nothing can be more solemn than waiting for the summons to battle impending. Sergeant andrew of the first georgia wrote, at night we stretch ourselves on the ground to sleep off the pangs of hunger. No one knows what a day may bring, that from the appearance tonight, thousands of poor soldiers will have no use for rations tomorrow night. One of the most eloquent writers of the civil war were at of that evening, september 16 and die for ait meant to flag or a phrase or a man or an dream was rousing with them, the soldiers, waiting for don. While this is going on, we must c back to washington, d washington, d. C. Where lincoln is awaiting news. Lincoln resolved that if the confederates were defeated and pushed back that would be the defeat he needed to issue his emancipation proclamation. It was not just the eight of the campaign, but the fate of freedom for the united aids, the freedom of millions of individuals. There was a lot in play. And as the sun and on, private Frederick Krause noted that the or ang had a stillness calm that precedes a terrible storm. He read from the 91st psalm, which reads 1000 may fall at your side, 10,000 at your right hand, but it will not come near you. Later that wounded day but he survived that wound. The opening salvos of antietam of antietam were the bloodiest, not just of the civil war, but in American Military history. The fighting began early that morning with artillery fire back and forth from confederate positions from sharpsburg, from the first several hours of the battle were the most confusing, the most chaotic, and the bloodiest. They took place in and around david millers cornfield. The north woods the eastwards, the westwood. Field. A perfect killing there was artillery from each side zeroed in on. Not only to subject going up against other infantry close range, in some instances, but crossfire from artillery. It was devastating fighting. Of all the maps in this book thiswere really well done, one give some sense of the confusing nature. This is the first hour and a half or so of fighting in the cornfield. Its very instructive to how confusing this was. Sometimes people ask, how many times did the cornfield change hands. I have so many different answers. I do not have a precise number. With general just of hookers army advancing to the south. In the first hour, there was roughly one casualty per second on the morning of september 17. One of my favorite quotes about the battle, one of my favorite stories comes from the cornfield on the morning of september 17. It has to do with this soldier the 12th massachusetts infantry. The 12th massachusetts was moving into the cornfield very early on. They would go on to lose 224 out of 334 men. About a two thirds casualty rates. He was moving south and he was hit in the leg. Almost immobilized. Caught betweenf two enemy lines of fire with union and Confederate Forces firing and in his remembrance, he was exposed to the fire of slavery and freedom in the cornfield. Which given the importance of this battle and everything hanging in the balance, its a very fitting quote describing quite literally the conflicting goals of the, slavery and freedom, the conflicting goals of the two sides of the civil war, a very fitting quote. I should note that despite a harrowing expense of being wounded in the calm field kornfield, julie is not only survived but lived to the age of 97 and died in 1926 in massachusetts. He was an immigrant fighting in his adopted countrys army. He was born in france in 1833. His quote is one of my favorites from the battle of antietam because i think it highlights everything at stake. Still0 with the fighting raging in and around the corn field, the union 12 deployed into the battle. Was 59 yearseld old, he was mortally wounded after leading his troops onto the field that morning. The casualties continuing to mount. By 8 30, union forces were able to finally clear of confederate and final time, to this depicts union forces pushing south. The lining is a little off but you can see the church. This is union forces moving across the plateau near the church, pushing confederates from the kornfield for the final time. 9 00 a. M. , the Division Commander of the union 12 corps was taking a position near the church. He is another of my favorites. Inwas born in 1801 and died 1899. His life literally spanned the 19th century. A fascinating guy, one of the Unsung Heroes of the civil war, i think. In these several hours of fighting in the kornfield, there had been about 8000 casualties. Corn field alone versus other major battle spewed battles. It is eclipsing other major battles of the war and this is only a few hours old. The sites were horrific. Antietam was one of the first to be photographed before the dead were buried. The after action report noted was cutry stock of corn as closely as could have been done with a knife. A soldier in the hundred seven pennsylvania road to his parents noting that the cornfield looks like buckets of blood had been emptied after the battle. And essentially it would take several heavy rains to wash the stains away from the land. By about 9 00, there is another union wave entering the fray. Another rightwing jab being sent into the battle, the second corps, men who had camped here the night before. Was the mostrps experienced in George Mcclellans army. They crossed antietam creek come onto the field of battle, three different divisions, about 5000 men each. They did not arrive all at once. The lesion of John Sedgwick was the first on the field, and with sumter being impetuous and eager to get into the fray, led sedgwicks men into battle without waiting for the other two divisions in his command, which were delayed a little bit coming over the creek. Leadr bringing his division into a part of the field known as the west woods. Officially essentially he realized when he arrived at 9 00 a. M. That the confederates had been driven back and he had an opportunity to exploit the gains made thus far during the battle. Map, as soonm our as cedrics men entered the west woods, a major confederate counterattack moves north into the lot. For sedgwicks division, it was a slaughter in the woods. They lost about 2300 casualties in under an hour in the westwood spewed it was west woods. It was one of the most intense slaughters of the war. Sounded like the forest around them was on fire. One of the regiments caught in this was the 15th massachusetts. This is their monument at the Antietam Battlefield viewed battlefield. A private recalled, the bullets came whizzing by my face, poor fellows falling sick and fast around me viewed around me. Some with arms and legs off, cut way. Every conceivable the 15th regiment is now a more corporal guard compared to what it was before the battle. Also in the melee, the second massachusetts, with its commander following mortally wounded. That morning, he had begun a letter to his mother back home and paused as he went into battle. He continued writing the letter as he was mortally wounded along the hagerstown turnpike. Writing, i am wounded as to be helpless, goodbye as i think it must be i will die. I trust in god and love you all to the last. Dearest love to father and all my dear brothers. Our troops have left the part of the field where i lay. He would die a few days later. The rest of the federal second corps was turning and launching attacks on the part of the field now known throughout history as bloody lane. These were the divisions of William French and israel richardson, parts of the second corps going against remnants of the confederate division of federal dh hill. This is frequently described as the midday phase of the battle, but it was about 9 30 in the morning. Five successive waves of federal attackers hitting confederates on this old, sunken farm road. Thousands more casualties falling as the battle raged onward. By about 12 00, 1 00 in the afternoon, union forces were able to seize the road from the confederates. Exhausted andtoo depleted of men to continue forward. That ends the northern phase of the battle. Between the cornfield, west woods, and bloody lane, there were about 19,000 casualties at antietam. In bloody lane, this is a view of the road itself. Among the stories from there lets see, slide advancer will continue. How about this there we go. All right. We have colonel john gordon. He was of the sixth alabama. Wounded five times in the road itself. The fifth went through his cheek and exited the back of his neck, leaving him laying and bleeding into his own hat. He would go on to achieve the rank of general later in the war. A colonel from the second carolina, he was found holding a prized sword he had been given. Returned totly cadets at the citadel, where he had studied early in his life, in a ceremony a few years ago. Confederates were losing a lot of officers on the road and it destabilized their position. The union ranks, the soldiers attacking the road itself, that is their monument, they describe the battle as systematic killing. Afterward, the road was littered with bodies, mainly confederates fighting in that position. A northern newspaper correspondent wrote that the confederate dead in the lane ofe lying in rows like ties a railroad and in heaps like cordwood. Words are inadequate to portray the scene. Oft is the northern phase the battle, some 19,000 casualties. The southern phase would feature just one union command, that of the union ninth army corps. They had the task of getting across antietam creek and launching a leftwing hook into the confederate right flank. The southern face does not get southern phase does not get as much attention as the northern phase. Bridge, therthern. Urnside bridge this is described as the afternoon phase but the fighting took ways primarily on the morning of the 17th, thats why we are getting rid of the three phases thing. Thats why i am on the soapbox about that. Ofnside bridge has a number myths. It was a necessary crossing point for burnside, there was no way to wade across the creek, especially with the heights from the bridge. He tried several attacks as well as a flanking maneuver to get past the confederate defenders, and his command had a difficult task. Once his men were across the bridge, the true test was launching a final attack toward the town of sharpsburg and the Confederate Army itself. This takes place in the Late Afternoon hours of september 17, the most overlooked part of the battle even though it takes place in some of the most seesing terrain and thousands of casualties for union and Confederate Forces. As a union forces are launching attacks toward the depleted confederate right flank, all day long, lee had been shifting men northward as the attacks came his way and he was some play hoping his right flank could hold on for dear life again the union assaults. David tompkins of the ninth new york noted that the mental strain was so great that i saw at that moment the whole landscape for an instant turned slightly red. With union forces closing in on the town of sharpsburg, coming within sight of the town, it looked like the end of the confederacy may be insights. Lees right flank depleted to a few brigades on the southern end of town, union forces closing on sharpsburg. Lee knew he had troops heading his way from Harpers Ferry. The last of his forces to reunite with them at sharpsburg, but he did not know when they would arrive. Hill arrived at the right place and right time, it could not have been scripted any better for lee and the confederates. As hill arrived on the battlefield, he did so justintime to hit the flank of the union forces advancing on sharpsburg, bringing the final attack to a close. Day, federal the forces had made significant gains but failed to deliver a knockout blow against the confederates. The field around sharpsburg were littered with dead, wounded and dying. As private Frank Bullard of the 15th massachusetts would write, this ended the most desperate battle of the war where thousands yielded their lives that this government must and shall live. The question we now ask ourselves is was this a stalemate or victory . Antietam is frequently described as a military draw. On september 18, both armies were still on the field, but on the ninth of the 18th and morning of the 19th, confederates drew back across the potomac and virginia. Union forces did operate pursuit, the battle of shepherdstown fault september 19 and 20th and confederates were able to slip back away and successfully live to fight another debut another day. I would argue that despite neither army was destroyed, antietam was a Union Victory. Each army suffered major losses on the field, the confederates withdrew back into virginia. The confederates had come north seeking a victory on union soil and were unable to achieve that objective. Antietam is very similar to the battle that took place in the town where i live, gettysburg. I will describe a battle for you and you tell me which i am describing. Confederate army comes north looking for a war winning victory, the union army in disarray catches up with them, a major battle is fought, the confederates retreat to fight another day. Describing each campaign. Gettysburg is a Union Victory and thus i would argue that antietam is as well. Were opportunities for both armies to do things differently, as there always are, but George Mcclellan had achieved his goal of keeping lees army away from the federal capital, ending lees invasion of maryland annalee was unable to achieve his objectives. Despite mcclellan achieving his goals, it was not enough for him to earn himself longterm job security. After the battle, Abraham Lincoln met with George Mcclellan, was here on this very farm. Ultimately mcclellan was not long for command and was relieved quite simple he because he and Abraham Lincoln had divergent views of the war itself. They did not share the same principles, the same agreement ,n why the war was being fought and a president and his commanding general need to be on the same page when it comes to that. Lincoln favored a more aggressive war against the confederacy and mcclellan, a moderate, wanted things to say the way they had been before the war. The thing that made it impossible for these two men to continue working together, the thing that ultimately led to mcclellans dismissal was the fact that five days after the battle, lincoln had the victory for which he had been waiting. 1862, abraham2 of lincoln issued his preliminary emancipation proclamation, declaring that all of the slaves in the Southern States and rebellion would be thenceforward and forever free. It was a military measure, a war order, it did not have a lasting solution for what happens once the war itself is over. It was a major step, though, toward freedom for millions of people in this country. It was a major step toward a future for this country, a future definition of freedom that was more inclusive in the United States of america. Lincoln himself said that these individuals would be thenceforward and forever free. This painting, the depiction of lincoln and the First Reading of the emancipation proclamation. Tois antietams direct link emancipation that makes this battle significant in American History. This was a horribly horrific battle with thousands of casualties, but in the words of horace greeley, he said of antietam, the emancipation proclamation itself, he said, it is the beginning of the end of rebellion, the beginning of the new life of the nation. The United States that existed prior to the civil war perished at antietam and the new birth of freedom that lincoln spoke to at gettysburg in 1863, part of that took place here around us. It was the death of antietam that led to the birth of freedom. Antietam stains out because it was the Bloodiest Day in American History, over 23,000 casualties in a 1213 hour time span. Jacob bauer of the 16th connecticut wrote afterward, i find war is a terrible thing to even think of but when you are engaged in it, it is worse yet. Thousands of bodies are buried across this battlefield, thousands more treated in Field Hospitals such as the barn where we are standing. Many of themd were removed to the cemetery outside of sharpsburg. In the Antietam National cemetery there are union dead from antietam, south mountain, from another battle. Fromy 5000 Union Soldiers the civil war buried there as well as hundreds more soldiers who served in a later conflict like world war i, world war ii. In walking through the gravestones of antietam, it all comes together the significance of this place, the significance of this battle. The title of the book i wrote about this, that field of blood, comes from a chaplain from ohio. Terror andat for the agony on the battlefield, it was not limited to the battlefield itself, but extended to thousands of homes north and south across the country. Antietam really was a terrible human tragedy for thousands and thousands of families. He wrote there was untold agony and thousands of homes far from that field of blood to close, i would like to tell you a story about just one soldier and just one family. For those that have read the book, it is a story you will be familiar with. For those who have heard me talk on antietam before, you will be familiar with it as well. It is about private elwood from the 116th pennsylvania volunteer infantry. He was a shoemaker prior to the civil war, and my great great grandfather. He was killed at the battle of antietam. His story is what got me interested in history at a young age and led me to want to work at antietam nearly a decade ago at the National Parks service. His story inspires a lot of what i have done in studying the past and writing about it. He served in company d of the 106 pennsylvania. Last night alive, he went into the westwood on the morning of the 17th. Thats where he was last seen according to those he served with. He was last seen doing his duty with unflinching bravery. We dont know ultimately what became of him, although we know he was killed in action. We dont know where he was buried, i should perhaps say. He was killed in action and buried as an unknown soldier because he had shaved off the heavy beard of whiskers just they couldbattle so not identify his remains. Perhaps he is still in an unknowing unmarked grave on the battlefield. He and thousands of others fought here in september of 1862, helping to lead to the new birth of freedom in our country, and i think perhaps the best words to describe the importance of antietam in American History i would give to general all over howard with oliver the philadelphia brigade in the west woods. He wrote, my men have poured out blood like water and we must look to god and our country for a just reward. We are the ones who inherent this inherited this battlefield and country, and we should ask ourselves if we are taking care of the guess we have been given. I want to thank you for joining us today and coming out to the farm on this beautiful summer afternoon. Thank you to the folks with the pride farm medical museum. Thank you to cspan. It has been a treat for me to be here and i think we have time for a few questions. Thank you. [applause] a quick reminder that cspan is here, and if you have a question, raise your hand and wait for the microphone. Daniel any questions . In the back. What do you think about tom clemenss discovery that this was not mcclellans headquarters . Daniel i thought somebody might ask about that. [laughter] daniel i agree with tom. I think mcclellan use this as a Forward Operating post. Whether it was his actual headquarters i dont know. I think that was likely back in kittys bill and katies bill. It was published an article, i dont remember which magazine or journal, but i am pretty sure he published it. This likely mcclellan used , he slept here the night of the 16th, it was a Forward Operating post for him, and he did not really command the battle from here so much. He moved around a little bit, down by the middle bridge, to the east woods a little while. Another hand up here. Lecture in a recent which they say the shadow of john pope influenced this battle to this extent. Premuch was pretty much in a move when the confederates decimated troops at manassas. In the afternoon battle when the ninth corps is coming toward sharpsburg, they had 7000 or a thousand men, and or 8000 men. The theory is the union army had enough men to dispose of ap hill but because of the fear of a left flank movement, they did not want to suffer a loss, and the commanders in the left field, whoever they were, had the troops withdraw and not dispute ap hills left flank move. Daniel i would disagree with that simply because i dont think they had any clue hill was coming. After he came . I think by that time, the left flank had sustained serious losses and lack of cohesion. Units are dissolving like the 16th connecticut, harlans brigade is suffering serious losses. Hills attack was wellplaced. I dont see how they couldve reformed and repulsed him given the element of surprise, the terrain they were facing, the way some of the regiments fell apart in the face of hills attack. The left flank had overwhelming Union Numbers and they could have disposed of hill even though he came in on the left flank. Involved,e generals one of them was under suspicion of being courtmartialed and he did not want to experience another loss for his own reputation. Readl i have never anything to give that validation. I dont think it was any sort of calculated decision about protecting their own selves from further flank attacks. I dont think it was a calculated decision, i think they were very close to sharpsburg. Anls attack came with unexpected flank assault and he was able to exploit the gaps in the union line in the final attack. If we are talking about simply this taking place on a flat piece of paper on a map, potentially, but the terrain, the experience issues, the struggling issues, i really dont see how they could have done that. Mr. Lincoln said mcclellan had he is exulting after he gets 191. Five minutes later he gets back to staff and says, that old man has so many people, he has them all over the country and still wants to fight me. Lets proceed with a little caution. When we think about mcclellan and handling of 191, it has been alleged that mcclellan sits on it for an inordinate amount of time, waiting for weightings sake, cautious for cautious sake. In this campaign i would say a little caution is always good for a commander operating under the circumstances mcclellan was operating under here. Of all the possible outcomes in , draw, orign, win lose, the one he cannot do under any circumstances is lose, because that is game over. I would say taking about six hours to issue orders, do some reconnaissance, determine the veracity of the orders, i would say that and launching a major battle the next day at south mountain, i dont see that as waiting too long or being overly cautious considering the circumstances. I think that throughout the campaign, mcclellan is not creating on his own, he is being given estimates of confederate 80120,000. M lee does not have that many men in his campaign but he is getting these data points in trying to process them, mcclellan is not creating them on his own. With 191, he waits a little while before launching an attack. I dont know of any general who would receive that and then right away launch an attack the next minute. I think a little caution was good there and i dont get was too long. Yes . [indiscernible] if i remember correctly, he said lee really did not want to go to come here, that he rather was going to go in a roundabout way north and into washington. Did you ever hear that . Not want to come here, that he really wanted to go as far north as he could and then come down into washington to get washington. Heard dennisst talk on that so i could not comment too much, but with the state of lees army, i dont know that washington wouldve been a great target for him. I think the reason he wanted to move into the field here in maryland was specifically to get union forces out of washington. Lees writing suggests he has some concept about how much the union army was in disarray in Early September. I see lees goal very much as not necessarily being here in sharpsburg, but getting the federal army out of washington, dispersing some of the federal strength that is concentrating in the capital. Get some of the army into the field where it is easier for him to operate. Lee, ever declare a specific objective like harrisburg . Daniel it depends on who you listen to and which account you read. Some accounts suggest he declared harrisburg and objective but i dont think he actually did. I think his objective is a victory in the field over union forces. Folks, thank you for coming out today, thank you for joining us. I will be happy to sign copies of my book afterward. It is so nice to see all of you. Again, thank you for being here today. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2018] we have books for sale up in the house and dan will be signing copies and we have a basket for donations. Thank you again, everybody. Andk you for coming out thank you cspan. Learn more about the people and events that shaped the civil war and reconstruction every saturday at 6 00 p. M. Eastern, only on American History tv here on cspan3. Monday night on the communicators, the chair of u. S. Telecoms board of directors and ceo of consolidated communications. Where exactly is the fiberoptic cable . It is everywhere. In the ground, in the air, in the communities we serve. I mentioned the 23 states. It is typically outside the urban markets. The largest towns that we are in the downtown area are places like portland, maine, or roseville, california. Give sony a, pennsylvania. These are the places where we have Fiber Networks in every street and extensions of those facilities in every neighborhood, on the polls and connected directly to the customer. Watch monday at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan two. You can watch archival films on Public Affairs each week on , oneries reel america American History tv. Here is a quick look at a recent program. Then the spring of 1876, word of war traveled like the north wind among the villages of the sioux, hardening the results of the chiefs. There was no rotor left to honor survival but the warpath. Traveled between the villages, weaving the war party together, bringing news of sitting bull and crazy horse and their plans. News that the cheyenne would fight beside there sioux brothers, and that custer was on them toh, it set stirring and the warriors to sharpening their eyes, arrows and hearts for the battle yet unborn. The bright days that followed were stained by ominous smoke signals, sending word of the approaching enemy. Women trembled as everywhere in all places and all times when the thunderheads of war gather on the horizon. The signal spoke of a great war Party Gathering to defend the land at little bighorn. On june 25, 1876, the combined forces met the u. S. Calvary at the little bighorn river and destroyed them. The sioux won the great battle but lost the war against the progress of civilization. The eagle fell against a bigger eagle, its eyes tomorrow. You can watch archival films on Public Affairs in their entirety on our weekly series, andl america, saturday sunday here on American History tv. The author of when the war discusses hist book, which looks at the impact of world war i on order mary ottomans ordinary ottomans. The National World war i museum and memorial in kansas city, missouri host of the talk as part of their annual symposium. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the National World war i museum and memorial in kansas city, missouri. Were so pleased youre joining us for our symposium, 1919