Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/536

 526 Southern Historical Society Papers.

extended the line on D. H. Hill's left, his left thrown somewhat back to the Hagerstown pike, and Jackson's division under J. R. Jones, with its right on the pike, at right angles to it, in double line, some distance beyond the Dunkard church, in a cornfield and woods. Ewell's division, under Lawton, was on the left of Jackson, still fur- ther beyond. Early being at right angles to Starke, Jackson's left brigade, and formed Lee's extreme left of infantry. The space between that point and the Potomac was held by Stuart, with Fitz Lee and Munford and the Horse Artillery. During the i6th Mc- Clellan was making his dispositions with all the pedantry of war, which was one of his most distinguishing characteristics. He cleared the summit of the Red Hills of trees, and erected a signal station, that gave him a clear view of Lee, even down the road to Boteler's Ford, in the rear of Sharpsburg.

He established himself in elaborate headquarters at Sam Pry's house, on a high hill opposite to the right of Hood's line, and slightly in rear, where he could see, with the naked eye, every move- ment of the Confederate left. He posted Burnside with the Ninth corps on his left, opposite Toombs, with the bridge between them. He placed Porter in his centre, with two of his divisions opposite the Keedysville Bridge, and covered the hills on either side of the Keedys- ville pike with long range guns. He moved Hooker up stream, and passed him over Pry's Bridge, whence he proceeded west as far as the Hagerstown pike, when he marched south towards Sharpsburg. He soon ran into Hood's skirmish line, but he gained no ground from them, though Early says in his report, shells were flying pretty thick. They held their places, and darkness put an end to the firing.

The batde of the 17th was mainly fought to the north of Sharps- burg, and beyond the Dunkard church, on the Hagerstown pike. The pike runs nearly due north from Sharpsburg to Hagerstown, probably a mile and a half west of Antietam Creek. A mile north of Sharpsburg is a Dunkard meeting-house, on the west of the pike, in a wood of hickory and oak. The woods extend on the west side of the pike for a quarter of a mile, then they run west for a hundred and fifty yards, then north for another quarter of a mile, and then west- ward some distance. Following General Palfrey, I shall call these the west woods. In the space along the pike there were fields of Indian corn of great height and heavy growth. To the east of the cornfields and the pike was another smaller body of woods, which we call the east woods. The plateau, thus nearly enclosed on three sides by woods, is nearly level, but is higher than the west woods.