The Middle Region of the Battle of Antietam

9:00 AM French's Third Division (II Corps) crossed the Antietam on the heels of Sedgwick's Division. By the time French emerged from the East Woods, Sedgwick had already disappeared into the West Woods. The only action French could see was Tyndale's Brigade in front of The Dunker church, so he presumed that this was where Sedgwick had gone and steered toward Tyndale's left. Instead of finding Sedgwick, French's troops found D.H. Hill's Confederates waiting in a sunken road which served as a natural fortification.
Weber's Brigade led the advance, with Morris's following. Marching in perfect order, Weber's men got to within 60 feet of Hill's position when the Confederates opened fire. Weber's line was driven back, losing about a third of its strength.

9:30 AM Two of Morris's regiments (14 CT and 130 PA) advanced to the open field in front of Hill's left, and got pinned down. Morris's other regiment (108 NY) would not advance at all, and cowered behind the ridge overlooking the road.
French's last Brigade - Kimball's - struck Hill's line on the eastern portion of the road. The Confederate line was reenforced by Wright and Posey's Brigades which had arrived from Harper's Ferry. Alone and out in the open, Kimball was forced back, but not before inflicting many casualties on the thinning Confederate ranks.

10:30 AM By the time Kimball's Brigade was falling back, the II Corps First Division (Richardson's) was arriving on the field. McClellan had held Richardson back from crossing the Antietam until reenforcements could be moved up to replace him.
Coming up behind and to the left of Kimball, Meagher's Irish Brigade plunged directly into the Confederate front. Under galling fire with no cover, Meagher's disciplined troops pounded away and the dwindling Confederates. Although Richardson's other two Brigades (Caldwell's and Brooke's) were at hand, neither would advance to support Meagher.

12:00 PM Despite mounting casualties, Meagher's Brigade stood their line and laid down a heavy fire until their ammunition ran out and were obligated to retire.
As Meagher moved back, another of Richardson's Brigades (Caldwell) came forward to take Meagher's place.
By this time, Confederate ranks in the Sunken Road were dwindling. Disjoint as they were, the Federals moved in wave after wave with fresh troops, while the Confederates had no hope of further reenforcement.

12:30 PM At about this time, two events transpired to drive the Confederates from the road. First, an order to pull Rodes's rightmost regiment back into Piper's Corn was mixed up and resulted in the whole Brigade falling back and abandoning their position in the road; Federals immediately in their front pursued, taking the east-west segment of the road.
Second, Caldwell's Brigade was able to break though the Confederate right-center, which Meagher's Brigade had so throughly softened up.
Confederate survivors fell back toward Piper's Swale, where they reformed.
Meanwhile, after having driven Tyndale away from the Dunker Church, Cooke's two regiments advanced further into Mumma's Swale and appeared on Richardson's right flank, forcing the Federals to wheel back to meet this threat.

1:00 PM Although quite spectacular at first, Cooke's counterattack had outrun all support, was desperately low on ammunition, and then caught in a crossfire between the Federals who had reformed on Roulette's Lane and Irwin's Brigade which was just arriving on the field. Cooke retreated back to the ridge behind the Hagerstown Turnpike.
On the Federal left flank, Caldwell and Brooke's Brigades advanced from the Sunken Road, across Piper's Cornfield, and into the orchard, where they were met by Confederate troops that fell back from the Sunken Road and artillery that had been wheeled into place just in the nick of time. Although badly mangled, the Confederates still had plenty of fight left in them. D.H. Hill rallied about 100 men to launch a counterattack, "if he would personally lead them". Battleflag in hand, Hill led them out on a gallant but fruitless maneuver that almost caught the retreating 5th New Hampshire in flank, before falling back to Piper's Lane,

4:30 PM After the Federals retreated out of Piper's Swale, all was quiet near the Sunken Road for several hours.
At around 4:30, Colonel Irwin ordered the 7th Maine to advance into Piper's Swale and take the Piper farm buildings. Since Confederate forces had held off two Federal Brigades there only a few hours earlier, it is unknown what Irwin hoped to accomplish in such a reckless venture.
As ordered, the 7th Maine advanced into the swale, veering to the right where they encountered a Confederate line behind a stone wall along the turnpike. Repulsed, the Federal regiment slipped to the left into the orchard where they met more Confederates advancing out of Piper's Lane. Flanked on both sides, the 7th Maine retreated back toward the Sunken Road in good order, pouring fire into their pursuers. A hundred more Union solders littered the Piper farm.
By the time the 7th Maine returned to the Federal line, it was dark, and no further action took place here.

9:00 AM	French's Third Division (II Corps) crossed the Antietam on the heels of Sedgwick's Division. By the time French emerged from the East Woods, Sedgwick had already disappeared into the West Woods. The only action French could see was Tyndale's Brigade in front of The Dunker church, so he presumed that this was where Sedgwick had gone and steered toward Tyndale's left. Instead of finding Sedgwick, French's troops found D.H. Hill's Confederates waiting in a sunken road which served as a natural fortification. Weber's Brigade led the advance, with Morris's following. Marching in perfect order, Weber's men got to within 60 feet of Hill's position when the Confederates opened fire. Weber's line was driven back, losing about a third of its strength.
9:30 AM	Two of Morris's regiments (14 CT and 130 PA) advanced to the open field in front of Hill's left, and got pinned down. Morris's other regiment (108 NY) would not advance at all, and cowered behind the ridge overlooking the road. French's last Brigade - Kimball's - struck Hill's line on the eastern portion of the road. The Confederate line was reenforced by Wright and Posey's Brigades which had arrived from Harper's Ferry. Alone and out in the open, Kimball was forced back, but not before inflicting many casualties on the thinning Confederate ranks.
10:30 AM	By the time Kimball's Brigade was falling back, the II Corps First Division (Richardson's) was arriving on the field. McClellan had held Richardson back from crossing the Antietam until reenforcements could be moved up to replace him. Coming up behind and to the left of Kimball, Meagher's Irish Brigade plunged directly into the Confederate front. Under galling fire with no cover, Meagher's disciplined troops pounded away and the dwindling Confederates. Although Richardson's other two Brigades (Caldwell's and Brooke's) were at hand, neither would advance to support Meagher.
12:00 PM	Despite mounting casualties, Meagher's Brigade stood their line and laid down a heavy fire until their ammunition ran out and were obligated to retire. As Meagher moved back, another of Richardson's Brigades (Caldwell) came forward to take Meagher's place. By this time, Confederate ranks in the Sunken Road were dwindling. Disjoint as they were, the Federals moved in wave after wave with fresh troops, while the Confederates had no hope of further reenforcement.
12:30 PM	At about this time, two events transpired to drive the Confederates from the road. First, an order to pull Rodes's rightmost regiment back into Piper's Corn was mixed up and resulted in the whole Brigade falling back and abandoning their position in the road; Federals immediately in their front pursued, taking the east-west segment of the road. Second, Caldwell's Brigade was able to break though the Confederate right-center, which Meagher's Brigade had so throughly softened up. Confederate survivors fell back toward Piper's Swale, where they reformed. Meanwhile, after having driven Tyndale away from the Dunker Church, Cooke's two regiments advanced further into Mumma's Swale and appeared on Richardson's right flank, forcing the Federals to wheel back to meet this threat.
1:00 PM	Although quite spectacular at first, Cooke's counterattack had outrun all support, was desperately low on ammunition, and then caught in a crossfire between the Federals who had reformed on Roulette's Lane and Irwin's Brigade which was just arriving on the field. Cooke retreated back to the ridge behind the Hagerstown Turnpike. On the Federal left flank, Caldwell and Brooke's Brigades advanced from the Sunken Road, across Piper's Cornfield, and into the orchard, where they were met by Confederate troops that fell back from the Sunken Road and artillery that had been wheeled into place just in the nick of time. Although badly mangled, the Confederates still had plenty of fight left in them. D.H. Hill rallied about 100 men to launch a counterattack, "if he would personally lead them". Battleflag in hand, Hill led them out on a gallant but fruitless maneuver that almost caught the retreating 5th New Hampshire in flank, before falling back to Piper's Lane,
4:30 PM	After the Federals retreated out of Piper's Swale, all was quiet near the Sunken Road for several hours. At around 4:30, Colonel Irwin ordered the 7th Maine to advance into Piper's Swale and take the Piper farm buildings. Since Confederate forces had held off two Federal Brigades there only a few hours earlier, it is unknown what Irwin hoped to accomplish in such a reckless venture. As ordered, the 7th Maine advanced into the swale, veering to the right where they encountered a Confederate line behind a stone wall along the turnpike. Repulsed, the Federal regiment slipped to the left into the orchard where they met more Confederates advancing out of Piper's Lane. Flanked on both sides, the 7th Maine retreated back toward the Sunken Road in good order, pouring fire into their pursuers. A hundred more Union solders littered the Piper farm. By the time the 7th Maine returned to the Federal line, it was dark, and no further action took place here.