Existing comment:
North:
The road on the far left -- Hagerstown Turnpike
The Confederates in the left front -- Confederate artillery batteries were positioned near where the Visitor Center is today. These guns resisted numerous Union advances early that morning, and were instrumental in helping the Army of Northern Virginia hold this vital ground.
The Confederates near the white building on the left -- Confederate infantry defended the high ground around the Church.
The white building on the left -- The Dunker Church, a battlefield landmark then and now, became a focal point for repeated Union attacks.
The woods behind the Dunker Church -- The West Woods provided cover for Confederate troops.
Behind the rise in the middle of the picture -- Just beyond this high ground lies the famous Cornfield, scene of the worst fighting that morning.
The trees just to the right of the middle -- Earlier that morning, Union troops launched the first attack from the North Woods.
The trees on the right -- The East Woods provided cover for Union soldiers.
Artillery in the East Woods -- Union artillery fired over the heads of their own infantry.
The lines of troops on the right front -- Approximately 5,000 men from Sedgwick's Division of Union Gen. Edwin V. Sumner's 2nd Corps advanced toward the West Woods at about 9:00 am.
Artillery Hell:
The intensity of artillery fire at Antietam led Colonel Stephen D. Lee, commander of the Confederate cannons shown here, to describe the battle as "Artillery Hell." This painting depicts the earliest part of the battle. The artist's perspective is close to the present-day location of the Visitor Center.
This painting, like the others seen here, does not represent a moment in time or one event, but a series of events. For example, when the Union infantry on the right side of this painting advanced, the Confederate artillery on the left had already retreated. |