Has this been done?

[Stoneyreb]

Spotsylvania to me would have to be one of the worst of all for the hand to hand combat in the rain and the confusion in the trench would have been great. Also the despiration from both sides one to hold the Mule shoe and the other trying to take it away.
For one day of course Antietam is a huge number for one day!

[Calicoboy]

Here's two more places that would be...stressful, to say the least

With the 1st Minnesota at Gettysburg

With the 1st Texas at Antietam

Calicoboy

[FSPowers]

My list of the worst battles:

Cold Harbor

Gettysburg

Antietam

Franklin

The Crater

The Wilderness

Altoona Pass

Fredericksburg (at least for the Union)

Spotsylvania

Of course this is my opinion.

[IrishBrigadeLadd]

I think there are many different canidates for "worst" as well as many different definitions of the worst... Would that be the most brutal, scary, gut-wrenching fire, or plain and simple the most casualties, or somewhere in-between. Of course there had to be some kind of corralation, but alot of those who experienced the true brutality and savagry of the battles did not live to tell about it. They experienced the real horror of war more than anyone else could have.
However, i think the question should not be "what was the worst" but "what was the most brutal." this leaves room to consider other factors besides just body count, but instead looks at the time the battle took, the amount of casualties in one area, the percentage of the army that was depleated, and the indivisual soldier's stories and accounts of just how "hot and scathing" the fire really was.
In that respect, my top 5 canidates would have to be as follows (in no particular order):
1.Anteitam
2.Spotsylvania
3.Wilderness
4.Gettysburg
5.Franklin

Respectfully,
Andrew

[samgrant]

Originally Posted by Calicoboy

It has always ticked me off that after Franklin and before Nashville a massive sleet storm hit. The Confederataes had no food, no blankets, no tents and ragged clothing. While many of them literally froze to the ground, Hood sat in a warm house and dined on ham and hot potatoes. That has always showed me that he considered his men fodder units and little else.

Calicoboy

From: Five Tragic Hours by McDonough and Connelly:

"The deluded Hood issued congratulations to the army on December 1 for the "victory" of the previous day. One December 3, he reported to Richmond that a victory had been gained at Franklin - but mentioned nothing of his losses save the casualties in the officer ranks. On December 5, Hood reported to Richmond again. He did not mention the general casualty figures but said only that the loss of officers was "excessively large in proportion to the loss of men.""

[Alabaman]

The battle of Franklin has to be the worst possible place for a Confederate soldier to be during the WBTS, IMO. I've heard 'Franklin makes Pickett's Charge look like a cakewalk.' I agree, with a great respect that Pickett's Charge was terrible. Most people have heard of Pickett's charge while the AOT at Franklin is not (nearly) as well known. I often wonder why.

Alabaman

[Admiral_Porter]

I often wonder why.

It's in the western theater and the public's understanding of the war is partly influenced by the Lost Cause interpretation which concentrates on the eastern theater. Plus, the eastern battles had much more press coverage.

Just look at something as popular as Ken Burn's ACW documentary. That film spent almost an entire episode on Gettysburg but spent only a couple minutes on Chickamauga and Franklin and doesn't even mention Stones River.

[rbenne]

I have to go with Maryes’ Heights at Fredericksburg as worst based on my own criteria. In my opinion while it is always bad to die in battle, it is worst to die for stupidity. And Fredericksburg ranks way up there in the stupid battle list.

Dieing in Pickett’s charge for instance while a desperate move on Lee’s part was not “stupid” just desperate and I for one would not welcome such a death, but would see the sense in it.

Maryes’ Heights on the other hand made no sense, the entire battle made no sense, and therefore dieing there made no sense

[JohnW in E.TN]

When it comes to senseless, for me, two battles come to mind: Franklin and Cold Harbor.


Regards,

John W.

[IrishBrigadeLadd]

Also another factor that you have to take into account is (at least for Fredericksburg) that many of the wounded would freeze to death because of the cold weather that night and the nights afterward. Death was almost welcome to many of those soldiers.
Respectfully
Andrew