Antietam

[David Ireland]

Was the cornfield the most bloody section of this battle?

For each of the following locations, what were the respective sizes of attack and defense forces, as well as the casualties on both sides?

Cornfield

Dunker Church

Sunken Road

Burnsides Bridge

 

[Wesley P Ellington]

Was the cornfield the most bloody section of this battle?

For each of the following locations, what were the respective sizes of attack and defense forces, as well as the casualties on both sides?

Cornfield

Dunker Church

Sunken Road

Burnsides Bridge

I think it's impossible to know how many men fought and became casualties in the actual 24-acre Cornfield, but if "The Cornfield" refers not only to the Cornfield proper, but also to the areas immediately surrounding it, then:

(My source for everything is The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 by Ezra Carman, unless otherwise noted.)

Strength
Union: 16,292 (1st Corps, and 12th Corps minus Goodrich's brigade)
Confederate: 10,223 (Jackson's division, Hood's division, the brigades of Lawton, Hays, and Trimble from Ewell's division, and the brigades of Ripley, Colquitt, and Garland from D.H. Hill's division)
Total: 26,515

Casualties
Union: 3,695 (Source: McClellan's casualty report)
Confederate: 4,345
Total: 8,040

West Woods (Dunker Church)

Strength
Union: 9,869 (2nd division [Sedgwick] of 2nd Corps, 2nd division [Greene] of 12th Corps, and Irwin's brigade of 6th Corps)
Confederate: 7,552 (Walker's division minus the 27th North Carolina and 3rd Arkansas, the brigades of Semmes, Barksdale, and Kershaw from McLaws' division, G.T. Anderson's brigade from Jones' division, and Early's brigade from Ewell's division)
Total: 17,421

Casualties
Union: 3,278 (Sedgwick: 2,255; Greene: 650; Irwin: 373) (Source: McClellan's casualty report)
Confederate: 1,947
Total: 5,225

Sunken Road ("Bloody Lane")

Strength
Union: 10,015 (1st and 3rd divisions [Richardson and French] of 2nd Corps)
Confederate: 7,197 (Cobb's brigade from McLaws' division, the brigades of Rodes and G.B. Anderson from D.H. Hill's division, R.H. Anderson's division minus Armistead's brigade, G.T. Anderson's brigade from Jones' division, the 27th North Carolina, the 3rd Arkansas, and remnants of Colquitt's brigade)
Total: 17,212

Casualties
Union: 2,954 (Source: McClellan's casualty report)
Confederate: 2,574
Total: 5,528

Burnside Bridge

Strength
Union: 5,689 (Sturgis's division, Crook's brigade from the Kanawha division, and the 11th Connecticut)
Confederate: 457 (Toombs' brigade from Jones' division, and the 50th Georgia)
Total: 6,146

Casualties
Union: 500
Confederate: 120
Total: 620

Final Attack

Strength
Union: 12,193 (9th Corps minus the 500 casualties at Burnside Bridge)
Confederate: 5,642 (Jones' division minus G.T. Anderson's brigade and the 120 casualties at Burnside Bridge, Evans' independent brigade, and the brigades of Gregg, Branch, and Archer from A.P. Hill's division)
Total: 17,835

Casualties
Union: 1,793 (Source: McClellan's casualty report)
Confederate: 1,052
Total: 2,845

 

[BlueandGrayl]

The Cornfield was a pretty bloody spot.

 

[dlavin]

If I remember correctly, at the battlefield on some of the markers they have this breakout. I would have to sort through hundreds of photos to try and find....and of course not sure how old and accurate they are.

 

[Wesley P Ellington]

The Cornfield was a pretty bloody spot.

Especially for the confederates. For three hours, six confederate brigades fought in the Cornfield itself and in the grassy field just south of it:

Lawton: 567 casualties
Hays: 336
Law: 454
Wofford: 548
Ripley: 776
Colquitt: 672
Total: 3,353 casualties

 

[BlueandGrayl]

Especially for the confederates. For three hours, six confederate brigades fought in the Cornfield itself and in the grassy field just south of it:

Lawton: 567 casualties
Hays: 336
Law: 454
Wofford: 548
Ripley: 776
Colquitt: 672
Total: 3,353 casualties

Yeah maybe this thread should be renamed 'What was the bloodiest spot in the Battle of Antietam".