West Woods Trail "How is it possible for anyone to pass through such a death-trap..." 1 Introduction The West Woods Trail starts at the By 8:45 a.m. on the morning of the New York State Monument, which battle, the fields between this high is just north of the Visitor Center. ground and the North Woods, Allow approximately ninety minutes one mile north of this point, for this 1.5 mile hike. You will was covered with the wreckage be walking through grassy fields, of a titanic struggle. Discarded woodlots, and near park tour roads weapons, accouterments, and the over gently rolling terrain, so good bodies of thousands of killed and hiking shoes are recommended. wounded littered the field. At about 2 9:00 a.m., another attempt to crush Antietam, turned south and drove Lee's left began to form. toward the Sunken Road. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner's 2nd Corps At about the same time that started the day on the east side Sedgwick's forces moved out of of Antietam Creek, near the Pry the East Woods and drove west, House. As the battle unfolded, Confederate soldiers commanded Sumner and his men were ordered by Gen. LaFayette McLaws and to the field to add support to the Col. George T Anderson, were earlier Union attacks. There were ordered north from Sharpsburg to three divisions in the 2nd Corps, shore up Jackson's thin line of gray. each numbering about 5,000 Unknown to either side, they were men. After Gen. John Sedgwick's all headed toward a deadly, lopsided Division crossed the Antietam, they struggle in the West Woods. were rushed into the battle towards the West Woods. The remaining two divisions, after they waded the Born in 1797, Gen. Edwin Vose Sumner had served over 40 years in the Army when he led the 2nd Corps across Antietam Creek and into battle. Longstreet's Command Walk toward the Dunker Church and carefully cross the Hagerstown Turnpike. Trail Stop 1 is just north of the church. 3 Stop 1 - The West Woods The historic West Woods covered area more closely resembles its about 75 acres. Over the years, wartime appearance, allowing farmers used the wood from this future generations to better woodlot for heating their homes understand and appreciate the or building fences. By 1900 most of fighting in this woodlot. the trees were gone, and a farm was built where the woods once stood. Just across the Hagerstown By 1995 the farm was gone, and Turnpike is a monument to the 59th this section of the West Woods was New York Infantry. This regiment nothing more than an open field. had 224 killed and wounded in the West Woods, including its The National Park Service is commander Lt. Col. James Stetson. working hard to restore the Farther on the trail you will pass a battlefield to its 1862 appearance. small monument dedicated to Lt. With the help of thousands of Col. Stetson that was placed there volunteers, the park staff has by his brother in 1920. planted over 20,000 trees so this The area in front of you around 1900, looking north. First Trees Planted in the West-Woods - March 7, 1995, looking west. Continue west behind the church about 100 yards to Stop 2. 4 Stop 2 - Confederate Reinforcements After Gen. John B. Hood's division will never be solved, how it was had been swept from the Cornfield, possible for anyone to pass through Hood sent an urgent message to such a death-trap and live to record the commanding general, Robert E. the fact." Lee, that, "unless reinforcements were sent at once, the day was lost." The 125th Pennsylvania was not Lee responded, ".. .tell Gen. Hood part of Sedgwick's Division, or to hold his ground, reinforcements even part of the Union 2nd Corps. are now rapidly approaching..." Assigned to the 12th Corps, the The reinforcements Lee spoke of 125th entered the West Woods just were Gen. LaFayette McLaws's as Sedgwick's men started their Division which Lee had ordered advance. In the confusion, the 125th north. was caught up in the disaster. Over twenty percent of the regiment was As Sedgwick's Division advanced, lost during the short engagement the 34th New York mistakenly including their color bearer, George veered away from the 15th Simpson, whose likeness adorns Massachusetts on their right. A the top of their monument. The gap opened up in the Union line 34th New York Monument was and it was this 'hole in the line' dedicated in 1902 and the 125th that allowed some of McLaws's Pennsylvania Monument was placed Confederates to slam into the on the field in 1904. Even though exposed Union flank. The 34th was these two regiments were from two hit hard during their short time in different army corps, they fought the West Woods. Lt. H.W Sanford side-by-side in the West Woods. recalled, ".. .we found ourselves flanked and enfiladed by a vastly superior force... it is a mystery that National flag carried by Color Sergeant George Simpson, who was killed in the Confederate onslaught. Capt. William Wallace remembered how Simpson "fell, his death was instantaneous ...covering the flag with his life's blood." Sergeant Simpson is buried in Antietam National Cemetery. Follow the trail north into the woods and proceed to Stop 3. 5 Stop 3 - Confederate Success While moving through the woods, inflicted over 2,000 casualties in notice the rock outcroppings about twenty minutes. The action and rolling terrain that concealed in the West Woods was the only the Confederates until they engagement on the field where were right on the flank of their Confederate forces outnumbered opponent. Confederate soldiers their opponents. from Mississippi and South Carolina slammed into the flank of Five different Confederate brigades unsuspecting Federal soldiers who flanked the Federals posted here had taken up positions just north and drove them north and east out of this point. This Confederate of the West Woods. attack, led by McLaws's Division, 6 Battle Map at Approximately 9:30 a.m. 7 8 Overview of the Fight for the West Woods GEN. JOHN WALKER GEN. LAFAYETTE McLAWS GEN. STONEWALL JACKSON Lee ordered Walker's McLaws and his men His ranks were decimated in the Division to move north marched all night from early morning action. What was from the southern end Harpers Ferry. Early that left of his command fell back of the battlefield toward morning Gen. Lee ordered into the West Woods. the West Woods. McLaws's men into battle. These soldiers did most of the fighting in the West Woods. GEN. EDWIN SUMNER Sumner's Union Second CONFEDERATE Corps advanced across ARTILLERY was Antietam Creek that located on Hauser morning. His three Ridge. These guns divisions became fired on Sedgwick's separated by time, men as they moved distance and terrain. through the West Woods. GEN. JOHN SEDGWICK His division of 5,000 men was E crushed on three sides in the West Woods. Over 2,000 were killed or wounded. Known as "Uncle John," Sedgwick was wounded three times in the woods. He survived, but was later This aerial photograph was taken from above the Cornfield, Tour Stop 4, looking southwest killed at Spotsylvania. toward the West Woods, Tour Stop 5. Walk along the trail west towards Rt. 65. Turn right at the road and follow the fence line to the next stop - the 15th Massachusetts Monument. 9 Stop 4 - The Wounded Lion As the 15th Massachusetts reached for any regiment that fought at this point, Confederate artillery Antietam. In 1900, thirty-eight positioned due west on Hauser years later to the day, the members Ridge stopped their advance. of the regiment returned to the Within ten minutes, Confederate battlefield and dedicated this infantry that had just arrived on monument in honor of their lost the field fired into their front and comrades. flank. When it appeared that the situation could not get any worse, Prior to this stop, notice the War Lt. Col. John Kimball remembered, Department Tablets faced away ".. .the second line of the division... from the modern road. The grassy commenced firing through my left area where the trail is located today wing on the enemy.. .many of my was once the early park tour road. men were by this maneuver killed by The tablets face the original road. our own forces." Similarly, the monument just south of the 15th, dedicated to Col. John The 15th marched into the West Stetson, was placed there because of Woods with 606 men in its ranks. the route of the old tour road. One Twenty minutes later, 75 had been final note before leaving this stop killed and 255 wounded for a total —across Rt. 65, between the trees of 330 casualties, or 55% . Of the is the Alfred Poffenberger cabin, wounded, forty-three later died one of the oldest structures on the from their wounds. This loss was battlefield. the highest number of casualties Continue on the trail through the woods to Starke Ave. The next stop is on the north side of Starke Ave. - The Rock Ledge 10 Stop 5 - The Rock Ledge This inconspicuous rock ledge was a key terrain feature that changed hands numerous times during the battle. Initially, Confederates positioned behind this ledge fired toward the Cornfield (map 1). Then two regiments of Gibbon's Brigade, First Corps, drove the Virginians from this position and used it to fire into Hood's Confederates as they advanced north (map 2). When the 19th Map 1 - About 6:00 a.m.