It is widely reported that D.H. Hill’s men abandoned the Sunken Road during the battle of Antietam in a disorderly route when their right flank was turned. In fact, General Rodes’ orders to Lieutenant-Colonial Lightfoot were misinterpreted, causing the 6th Alabama to “about-face; forward march” in retreat. When Major Hobson asked if this order was for the entire brigade, Lightfoot answered “yes.”
“French (a Union general) launched several more attacks trying to capture the Sunken Road, but all were failures. Not a man reached the Confederate position. Although he had twice Hill’s numbers, French had lost 1,750 men and still could not capture the road. Reinforcements arrived for both sides. Lee decided to send forward his final reserve division under Richard Anderson (Confederate) to join Hill. French was reinforced by the fresh troops of Richardson’s (Union) divisions. The first attack of an Irish Brigade (Union) was unsuccessful, but the next, the fifth brigade to go into the fight, attained more success. Some Federals attained a good position to fire on the Confederate right, and an order was given to bend back the right flank to meet the threat. However, the order was misunderstood, and all of the troops holding the Sunken Road began a retreat.” ~ T. RUFFIN, JR. Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Thirteenth North Carolina Regiment.
Thus, D. H. Hill’s division retreated in error and almost delivered victory – and perhaps General Lee’s army – into the hands of General George B. McClellan. All due to a misunderstanding.
Details matter.
Especially in the heat of battle.
Take time to pause and ask for clarification before giving in, giving up, or going on.
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All typos are the “respecticablity” of Eddie Jones and in “know” way “refract” the “quantity” of work by those associated with Lighthouse Publishing “fo” the “Carlinas.”
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Yes Mary, I’ve read Art of War. More to the point, Daniel Harvey Hill as a scholar was almost certainly familiar with it. Although Art of War wasn’t translated into English until after the war, it had been translated into French in the mid 1700’s. Napoleon was certainly aware of it, and as Hill spoke and read French, it is almost certain he was familiar with it as well.
Kevin, do you read Sun Tzu? Because that strategy sounds like something directly from the Art of War.
Sad, and fascinating.
An often overlooked fact of the Sunken Road position, and one that shows the genius of D.H.Hill, is that it doesn’t defend the crest of the ridge itself. Instead it defends the reverse slope. Besides being a beautifully natural fortification in and of itself, the sunken road also required the attacking Yankees to crest the ridge less than a football field in front of the position. As they marched in fine regimental mass over that ridgetop, silhouetted against the sky, the Yankees were impossible to miss. As long as all the Southern units held their position, it was impregnable.
But as soon as the 6th Alabama did their “About face, march”, that downslope position showed it’s fatal flaw. The Yankees were able to occupy an uphill position that allowed them to shoot down into the lane. As soon as that occurred, the Sunken Lane was impossible to defend.
The US Army War College still visits Sharpsburg and teaches D. H. Hill’s defense of the Sunken Lane as a superb (and originating) example of a reverse slope defense. What was true of massed Yankee regiments, is also true of tanks and armored vehicles: silhouetted against the sky on the crest of a hill, they are impossible to miss.
Eddie, I was working in Greenville several years ago and got so tired of listening to the same old usual talk shows, I bought Shelby Foote’s “Stars in Their Courses” books on tape series at B&N. He was reading from his own work in volume 2, the narrative of Gettysburg. It broke my heart to hear the details of that battle. The War should have ended then, but didn’t. It went on for another year and a half, ending not too long after the invasion at Fort Fisher and the Fall of Wilmington, cutting off the last supply lines to the Confederate forces. Every now and then, when I visit Oakdale Cemetery, I stop by the Fort Fisher mass grave of 500+ dead Confederates from that invasion with sadness.
You have my respect, Brother. Some of us are unable to enter into those historic places and endure the pain of remembering, yet we must remember, if we are to move forward as a society.
You have been reliving a great deal of pain, my friend. It must wear upon your spirit.