1 00:00:05,983 --> 00:00:10,385 Narrator: America teeters on the brink of destruction. 2 00:00:10,387 --> 00:00:12,120 Almost a year and a half has passed 3 00:00:12,122 --> 00:00:14,789 since 11 southern states declared war 4 00:00:14,791 --> 00:00:17,459 on the government of Abraham Lincoln. 5 00:00:17,461 --> 00:00:19,327 Despite being outgunned and outmanned 6 00:00:19,329 --> 00:00:21,929 by larger northern forces, 7 00:00:21,931 --> 00:00:25,333 the confederate armies seem invincible. 8 00:00:25,335 --> 00:00:28,403 Now, after a string of victories in Virginia, 9 00:00:28,405 --> 00:00:32,140 rebel general Robert e. Lee has done the unthinkable. 10 00:00:32,142 --> 00:00:34,142 For the first time in the civil war, 11 00:00:34,144 --> 00:00:36,478 the rebels have invaded the north. 12 00:00:36,480 --> 00:00:38,213 This is the first time the United States 13 00:00:38,215 --> 00:00:39,280 is facing invasion. 14 00:00:39,282 --> 00:00:40,548 That hasn't happened before. 15 00:00:40,550 --> 00:00:41,949 Baltimore is threatened. 16 00:00:41,951 --> 00:00:43,885 Pennsylvania is threatened. 17 00:00:43,887 --> 00:00:46,421 Washington is more threatened now than ever. 18 00:00:46,423 --> 00:00:47,556 If there ever was a moment 19 00:00:47,558 --> 00:00:50,024 where Lincoln needed a win, this was it. 20 00:00:50,026 --> 00:00:52,227 Narrator: Near the banks of the antietam creek, 21 00:00:52,229 --> 00:00:54,563 yankee soldiers will launch a desperate attack 22 00:00:54,565 --> 00:00:57,766 to end the invasion and save the union. 23 00:00:57,768 --> 00:00:59,034 As the battle rages, 24 00:00:59,036 --> 00:01:01,536 shock troops from the 1st Texas infantry 25 00:01:01,538 --> 00:01:04,305 will clash with union's elite iron brigade. 26 00:01:04,307 --> 00:01:06,841 And fire! 27 00:01:06,843 --> 00:01:09,677 Their battleground will become one of the deadliest places 28 00:01:09,679 --> 00:01:11,846 in all of the civil war. 29 00:01:11,848 --> 00:01:14,983 There are very few places on civil war battlefields 30 00:01:14,985 --> 00:01:17,719 that approach the cornfield in terms of carnage. 31 00:01:17,721 --> 00:01:19,788 Narrator: Their fight will become part of the bloodiest day 32 00:01:19,790 --> 00:01:22,924 in American military history... 33 00:01:22,926 --> 00:01:25,126 There's too many. We'll never hold them. 34 00:01:25,128 --> 00:01:27,662 And will forever change the nation. 35 00:01:27,664 --> 00:01:30,131 Fire! 36 00:01:30,133 --> 00:01:32,067 Once you've had a day like antietam, 37 00:01:32,069 --> 00:01:35,003 there's no going back to the country as it was before. 38 00:01:43,346 --> 00:01:46,281 Captions by vitac... www.Vitac.Com 39 00:01:46,283 --> 00:01:49,317 captions paid for by discovery communications 40 00:01:59,296 --> 00:02:01,496 Narrator: The civil war has entered its 18th 41 00:02:01,498 --> 00:02:02,697 blood-soaked month. 42 00:02:05,302 --> 00:02:07,636 Following the crushing defeat of the union forces 43 00:02:07,638 --> 00:02:11,840 at the second battle of bull run in late August, 44 00:02:11,842 --> 00:02:16,645 many in the north believe the war could soon be lost. 45 00:02:16,647 --> 00:02:19,347 Morale within the union army has plummeted. 46 00:02:21,652 --> 00:02:23,418 Despite the best efforts of the north 47 00:02:23,420 --> 00:02:24,986 to crush the rebellion, 48 00:02:24,988 --> 00:02:26,655 the confederacy still clings 49 00:02:26,657 --> 00:02:32,260 to 750,000 square miles of American territory. 50 00:02:32,262 --> 00:02:33,595 Frye: People are getting tired of this war, 51 00:02:33,597 --> 00:02:35,063 especially in the north. 52 00:02:35,065 --> 00:02:37,798 There is a fatigue. There is a weariness. 53 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:39,533 And there's also this feeling 54 00:02:39,535 --> 00:02:41,937 of desperation and frustration. 55 00:02:41,939 --> 00:02:44,272 "Why can't we win? 56 00:02:44,274 --> 00:02:45,940 We have the bigger armies. 57 00:02:45,942 --> 00:02:47,976 We have the industry. 58 00:02:47,978 --> 00:02:50,545 We have the population. 59 00:02:50,547 --> 00:02:51,947 What's wrong?" 60 00:02:53,750 --> 00:02:55,817 Narrator: Much of the credit for the confederate success 61 00:02:55,819 --> 00:03:01,089 lies with one man... General Robert e. Lee. 62 00:03:01,091 --> 00:03:03,625 Robert e. Lee certainly ranks among 63 00:03:03,627 --> 00:03:06,094 america's military geniuses. 64 00:03:06,096 --> 00:03:09,631 A great strategist, a great tactician. 65 00:03:09,633 --> 00:03:12,634 Narrator: After assuming command three months earlier, 66 00:03:12,636 --> 00:03:15,637 his forces seem unbeatable. 67 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:19,307 Lee is best remembered as bold. 68 00:03:19,309 --> 00:03:20,441 Narrator: And he's about to embark 69 00:03:20,443 --> 00:03:23,778 on his boldest course of action yet. 70 00:03:23,780 --> 00:03:27,649 Lee believed that if the confederacy was to win, 71 00:03:27,651 --> 00:03:29,384 it had to win quickly. 72 00:03:29,386 --> 00:03:31,252 He could hear that clock ticking. 73 00:03:31,254 --> 00:03:33,988 Every day, every week, every month that passed, 74 00:03:33,990 --> 00:03:36,725 the louder and louder that clock got. 75 00:03:40,197 --> 00:03:42,264 With the northern advantages in manpower, 76 00:03:42,266 --> 00:03:45,133 material, resource, industry... 77 00:03:47,270 --> 00:03:51,106 it motivated his decision to take a bold gamble. 78 00:03:54,878 --> 00:03:58,079 Narrator: In early September, Lee takes that gamble. 79 00:03:59,750 --> 00:04:02,550 Frye: Lee understands that you must 80 00:04:02,552 --> 00:04:04,352 take opportunity and seize it. 81 00:04:04,354 --> 00:04:06,421 The time has come. The moment is here. 82 00:04:06,423 --> 00:04:09,758 Lee must launch. 83 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:11,493 Narrator: And launch he does. 84 00:04:11,495 --> 00:04:13,894 More than 40,000 confederate troops 85 00:04:13,896 --> 00:04:18,699 cross the potomac river and enter Maryland. 86 00:04:18,701 --> 00:04:22,103 Despite being outnumbered by the larger northern forces, 87 00:04:22,105 --> 00:04:23,971 Lee is confident that hard-fighting men 88 00:04:23,973 --> 00:04:28,576 like his Texas brigade can't be beat. 89 00:04:28,578 --> 00:04:32,914 Frye: Robert e. Lee's shock troops... hood's texans. 90 00:04:32,916 --> 00:04:34,982 They were ferocious. 91 00:04:34,984 --> 00:04:36,517 They were loud. 92 00:04:36,519 --> 00:04:40,322 Nobody could do the rebel yell better than those texans. 93 00:04:40,324 --> 00:04:44,725 And they knew that when they were called upon, 94 00:04:44,727 --> 00:04:46,761 they were either going to be cleaning up 95 00:04:46,763 --> 00:04:50,365 or clearing out or trying to save the army. 96 00:04:55,538 --> 00:04:57,338 Narrator: William gaston is an officer 97 00:04:57,340 --> 00:05:00,675 with the 1st Texas infantry. 98 00:05:00,677 --> 00:05:04,812 He fights alongside his younger brother, Robert. 99 00:05:04,814 --> 00:05:06,815 Raised on a farm in east Texas, 100 00:05:06,817 --> 00:05:10,151 the gastons Rose quickly through the ranks. 101 00:05:10,153 --> 00:05:11,819 William serves as a captain. 102 00:05:11,821 --> 00:05:13,687 Robert, a lieutenant. 103 00:05:13,689 --> 00:05:15,423 How is it you always seem to turn up 104 00:05:15,425 --> 00:05:17,225 when the work's just about done? 105 00:05:17,227 --> 00:05:18,560 Ain't my fault. 106 00:05:18,562 --> 00:05:20,628 Y'all were the handy one in the family. 107 00:05:20,630 --> 00:05:22,897 Please tell me you found something to eat. 108 00:05:22,899 --> 00:05:26,334 If there's apples in that bag, I might have to shoot ya. 109 00:05:29,773 --> 00:05:31,705 Colonel's looking into our rations. 110 00:05:31,707 --> 00:05:33,641 God as my witness, soon as we get home 111 00:05:33,643 --> 00:05:36,311 I'll never eat another apple again. 112 00:05:36,313 --> 00:05:38,213 I won't even let someone say the word. 113 00:05:40,516 --> 00:05:42,951 This might help lift your spirits some. 114 00:05:45,188 --> 00:05:46,821 It's yankee, though. 115 00:05:48,792 --> 00:05:51,392 Hmm. 116 00:05:51,394 --> 00:05:52,793 Looks like fighting ain't the only thing 117 00:05:52,795 --> 00:05:55,463 they can't do worth a damn. 118 00:05:55,465 --> 00:05:59,000 Despite the long march north and the lack of rations, 119 00:05:59,002 --> 00:06:01,735 they're confident that the dream of a free south 120 00:06:01,737 --> 00:06:03,538 can soon be realized. 121 00:06:03,540 --> 00:06:06,006 They often went without much to eat. 122 00:06:06,008 --> 00:06:08,476 Somehow, they had the perseverance, 123 00:06:08,478 --> 00:06:09,944 the endurance, 124 00:06:09,946 --> 00:06:14,215 the determination to keep moving, keep marching. 125 00:06:14,217 --> 00:06:15,883 They believed in Lee. 126 00:06:15,885 --> 00:06:17,986 They believed in their cause. 127 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:24,625 I don't know what's more alarming, 128 00:06:24,627 --> 00:06:26,494 the fact that you still got a pair of drawers 129 00:06:26,496 --> 00:06:28,963 or that I can see them through your trousers. 130 00:06:28,965 --> 00:06:30,298 What are all those Yankees gonna say 131 00:06:30,300 --> 00:06:33,367 when they see a texan officer with his drawers showing? 132 00:06:33,369 --> 00:06:34,635 Brother, alls you've got to worry about 133 00:06:34,637 --> 00:06:38,506 is what I look like right here. 134 00:06:38,508 --> 00:06:41,976 And just why is that? 135 00:06:41,978 --> 00:06:43,244 Because no damn yankee's 136 00:06:43,246 --> 00:06:47,181 ever gonna see the backside of a texan. 137 00:06:47,183 --> 00:06:49,450 The arrival of men like the texans spreads 138 00:06:49,452 --> 00:06:52,186 a wave of fear across the union. 139 00:06:52,188 --> 00:06:56,123 Lee's army moving into Maryland in the fall of '62 is... 140 00:06:56,125 --> 00:06:58,593 Creates a crisis in Washington. There's panic. 141 00:06:58,595 --> 00:07:01,662 A lot of people in the south are thinking victory might be near. 142 00:07:01,664 --> 00:07:05,433 People in the north are thinking this very well may be over. 143 00:07:07,737 --> 00:07:10,738 Narrator: A mere 70 miles away in the nation's capital, 144 00:07:10,740 --> 00:07:12,340 Abraham Lincoln is facing some 145 00:07:12,342 --> 00:07:15,810 of the most difficult days of his presidency. 146 00:07:15,812 --> 00:07:17,612 Lincoln knows the union cannot afford 147 00:07:17,614 --> 00:07:20,281 to lose on northern soil. 148 00:07:20,283 --> 00:07:22,617 Since the war began 17 months earlier, 149 00:07:22,619 --> 00:07:24,486 the stakes had not yet been as high 150 00:07:24,488 --> 00:07:27,355 as they were in September of '62. 151 00:07:27,357 --> 00:07:29,624 Early September, with confederates advancing, 152 00:07:29,626 --> 00:07:32,160 with Lee poised in the banks of the potomac, 153 00:07:32,162 --> 00:07:35,096 Lincoln needed the situation to change. 154 00:07:35,098 --> 00:07:36,363 This was the first time 155 00:07:36,365 --> 00:07:37,498 that the president of the United States, 156 00:07:37,500 --> 00:07:39,300 and the United States, is facing invasion. 157 00:07:39,302 --> 00:07:41,435 That hasn't happened before. 158 00:07:41,437 --> 00:07:45,440 Washington is more threatened now than ever. 159 00:07:45,442 --> 00:07:47,375 President Lincoln is also under pressure 160 00:07:47,377 --> 00:07:50,845 from members of his own party to emancipate the slaves. 161 00:07:50,847 --> 00:07:53,915 He's drafted the order to abolish slavery in the south. 162 00:07:53,917 --> 00:07:55,650 But he desperately needs a victory 163 00:07:55,652 --> 00:07:58,452 before he can release it to the nation. 164 00:07:58,454 --> 00:08:01,255 Vermilya: If there was an emancipation proclamation 165 00:08:01,257 --> 00:08:03,925 following these southern military successes 166 00:08:03,927 --> 00:08:05,059 and union defeats, 167 00:08:05,061 --> 00:08:07,561 it would look like a moment of desperation. 168 00:08:07,563 --> 00:08:09,330 And that's the last thing that Lincoln wants. 169 00:08:09,332 --> 00:08:12,667 So you can rightfully say that, in September of 1862, 170 00:08:12,669 --> 00:08:15,937 the United States of America has come to a fork in the road. 171 00:08:15,939 --> 00:08:17,672 And it's either gonna be one way or the other 172 00:08:17,674 --> 00:08:20,475 because a confederate victory on Maryland soil 173 00:08:20,477 --> 00:08:22,410 will go a long ways towards establishing 174 00:08:22,412 --> 00:08:24,545 a separate confederate nation. 175 00:08:24,547 --> 00:08:27,215 A union victory on Maryland soil 176 00:08:27,217 --> 00:08:30,484 is gonna lead to the emancipation proclamation, 177 00:08:30,486 --> 00:08:32,686 the most dramatic presidential action 178 00:08:32,688 --> 00:08:34,955 on slavery in American history. 179 00:08:34,957 --> 00:08:37,358 If there ever was a moment up to this point in the war 180 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:38,893 where Lincoln needed a win, 181 00:08:38,895 --> 00:08:42,096 this was it. 182 00:08:42,098 --> 00:08:43,765 Narrator: Fortunately, for the union army, 183 00:08:43,767 --> 00:08:46,433 on September 13, 1862, 184 00:08:46,435 --> 00:08:50,037 some yankee soldiers make an incredible discovery. 185 00:08:50,039 --> 00:08:52,440 When union soldiers are coming into Frederick, Maryland, 186 00:08:52,442 --> 00:08:54,876 on the heels of confederates leaving Frederick... 187 00:09:00,116 --> 00:09:05,253 they come across a copy of Lee's special orders 191. 188 00:09:08,124 --> 00:09:10,391 Essentially, this was his game plan. 189 00:09:10,393 --> 00:09:13,594 And this intelligence falls into union hands. 190 00:09:13,596 --> 00:09:15,730 Narrator: The union learns that Lee has split his army 191 00:09:15,732 --> 00:09:19,200 during the march and is incredibly vulnerable to attack. 192 00:09:21,871 --> 00:09:25,606 And in the mountains of western Maryland, 193 00:09:25,608 --> 00:09:28,076 the Yankees pounce. 194 00:09:28,078 --> 00:09:31,145 Lee's troops are mauled. 195 00:09:31,147 --> 00:09:33,414 Stunned by the blow, Lee must fall back 196 00:09:33,416 --> 00:09:37,018 and try to regroup his army before another union attack. 197 00:09:39,155 --> 00:09:41,889 Some of the hardest-hitting troops in the fight 198 00:09:41,891 --> 00:09:45,159 were members of the iron brigade. 199 00:09:45,161 --> 00:09:48,363 Composed of regiments from Indiana and Wisconsin, 200 00:09:48,365 --> 00:09:52,834 they're one of the union's elite combat units. 201 00:09:52,836 --> 00:09:55,770 The soldiers of the iron brigade had earned a reputation 202 00:09:55,772 --> 00:09:59,106 of being steadfast, solid, reliable and hard-fighting men. 203 00:09:59,108 --> 00:10:00,575 And just like the men from Texas, 204 00:10:00,577 --> 00:10:02,443 they too were hundreds and hundreds of miles 205 00:10:02,445 --> 00:10:03,978 away from their home. 206 00:10:03,980 --> 00:10:06,246 Narrator: And just like the men from Texas, 207 00:10:06,248 --> 00:10:08,983 they, too, are about to play a pivotal role in one 208 00:10:08,985 --> 00:10:11,686 of the most important battles in American history. 209 00:10:14,057 --> 00:10:16,590 Marching in pursuit of Lee's army, 210 00:10:16,592 --> 00:10:19,460 they've stopped near the town of sharpsburg, Maryland. 211 00:10:22,264 --> 00:10:25,599 With them is private Johnny Johnson. 212 00:10:25,601 --> 00:10:27,401 Johnny came to america from Europe 213 00:10:27,403 --> 00:10:29,336 before the war broke out. 214 00:10:29,338 --> 00:10:31,472 Now he's determined to help defend the country 215 00:10:31,474 --> 00:10:35,009 that gave him a new start. 216 00:10:35,011 --> 00:10:37,278 There was a tremendous number of immigrants 217 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:38,879 who volunteered to serve. 218 00:10:38,881 --> 00:10:40,148 This whole idea of, you know, 219 00:10:40,150 --> 00:10:42,216 a government of the people, by the people, for... 220 00:10:42,218 --> 00:10:43,884 They believed in it, 221 00:10:43,886 --> 00:10:46,287 and they were willing to fight for it. 222 00:10:46,289 --> 00:10:49,623 Artillery batteries were notoriously under strength. 223 00:10:49,625 --> 00:10:52,293 They'll appeal to infantry volunteers. 224 00:10:52,295 --> 00:10:54,428 And Johnny Johnson was one of the men 225 00:10:54,430 --> 00:10:58,032 who volunteered to serve with battery b. 226 00:10:58,034 --> 00:11:00,168 The sergeant's job was to make sure, 227 00:11:00,170 --> 00:11:01,235 even though they were scared, 228 00:11:01,237 --> 00:11:03,104 everybody continued to do their job. 229 00:11:03,106 --> 00:11:04,571 And then, if somebody got hit, 230 00:11:04,573 --> 00:11:06,707 they might step in and fill their role. 231 00:11:06,709 --> 00:11:08,309 That's why drilling was so important. 232 00:11:08,311 --> 00:11:11,312 So that, even though you were scared out of your wits, 233 00:11:11,314 --> 00:11:13,047 you still could execute. 234 00:11:13,049 --> 00:11:14,916 Let's go through it again. 235 00:11:14,918 --> 00:11:16,984 Gunner calls for case. 236 00:11:16,986 --> 00:11:19,053 Canister. What's in it? 237 00:11:19,055 --> 00:11:20,922 Dozens of steel balls timed to burst 238 00:11:20,924 --> 00:11:22,056 in the air above the troops. 239 00:11:22,058 --> 00:11:24,258 Turns the Cannon into a giant shotgun. 240 00:11:27,263 --> 00:11:29,196 Narrator: Just as committed to saving the nation 241 00:11:29,198 --> 00:11:30,664 is Joshua Jones, 242 00:11:30,666 --> 00:11:33,801 another member of the iron brigade. 243 00:11:33,803 --> 00:11:36,870 A 24-year-old serving with the 19th Indiana, 244 00:11:36,872 --> 00:11:41,275 Jones volunteered following the outbreak of the war in 1861. 245 00:11:43,546 --> 00:11:45,679 After 14 months in the army, 246 00:11:45,681 --> 00:11:49,050 he thinks often of the young family he left behind. 247 00:11:57,693 --> 00:12:00,494 He writes to his wife, Celia, 248 00:12:00,496 --> 00:12:02,095 "the longer I stay away, 249 00:12:02,097 --> 00:12:06,099 the more I think of you and the better I love you. 250 00:12:06,101 --> 00:12:07,835 Often do I think of the happy days 251 00:12:07,837 --> 00:12:10,371 when I could sit down with you and our little boy. 252 00:12:12,442 --> 00:12:14,908 But I shall never return until the stars and stripes 253 00:12:14,910 --> 00:12:19,313 is floating over all the states in the union, 254 00:12:19,315 --> 00:12:21,849 and if it falls to my lot to fall in battle, 255 00:12:21,851 --> 00:12:25,386 it will be in defense of my country." 256 00:12:25,388 --> 00:12:27,655 Vermilya: Joshua Jones is writing home saying, 257 00:12:27,657 --> 00:12:29,456 "I love you, my family back at home, 258 00:12:29,458 --> 00:12:31,125 but this is very important for me. 259 00:12:31,127 --> 00:12:33,127 And even though I may not come back, 260 00:12:33,129 --> 00:12:34,529 I want you to know that I'm committed 261 00:12:34,531 --> 00:12:36,297 to trying to save our country." 262 00:12:38,467 --> 00:12:40,067 Narrator: Still stinging from the loss 263 00:12:40,069 --> 00:12:41,535 in the mountains of Maryland, 264 00:12:41,537 --> 00:12:43,003 Lee is now in retreat, 265 00:12:43,005 --> 00:12:46,273 pulling many of his battered troops back towards the potomac. 266 00:12:46,275 --> 00:12:51,078 The dream of winning the war is now in jeopardy. 267 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:54,882 September 14th was a dark day for Robert e. Lee. 268 00:12:54,884 --> 00:12:56,283 Just 10 days earlier, 269 00:12:56,285 --> 00:12:57,752 he had embarked upon this campaign. 270 00:12:57,754 --> 00:12:59,954 And now it seemed, from out of nowhere, 271 00:12:59,956 --> 00:13:03,691 the union army had arrived and was breathing down his neck. 272 00:13:03,693 --> 00:13:07,028 He wants to get his army united. 273 00:13:07,030 --> 00:13:09,096 His men marched through the night, 274 00:13:09,098 --> 00:13:10,565 nothing but the moonlight to guide them 275 00:13:10,567 --> 00:13:11,832 through western Maryland 276 00:13:11,834 --> 00:13:15,369 and toward this meandering creek called the antietam. 277 00:13:17,106 --> 00:13:18,840 Narrator: When Lee sees the antietam, 278 00:13:18,842 --> 00:13:24,245 the bold commander sees an opportunity he can't pass up. 279 00:13:24,247 --> 00:13:26,847 He realizes immediately that this terrain offers 280 00:13:26,849 --> 00:13:30,318 some incredible defensive advantages. 281 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:31,652 Narrator: Lee immediately begins 282 00:13:31,654 --> 00:13:33,921 to move his troops onto the high ridges 283 00:13:33,923 --> 00:13:36,457 that run to the west of the antietam creek 284 00:13:36,459 --> 00:13:38,926 and to the north of the town of sharpsburg. 285 00:13:38,928 --> 00:13:40,661 Vermilya: Lee is going to use these ridges 286 00:13:40,663 --> 00:13:42,930 as a fortress for his army. 287 00:13:42,932 --> 00:13:45,132 In front of that fortress, he has a moat, 288 00:13:45,134 --> 00:13:46,667 which is antietam creek. 289 00:13:46,669 --> 00:13:49,670 So he has a moat. He has a fortress. 290 00:13:49,672 --> 00:13:51,005 He will make a stand. 291 00:13:53,276 --> 00:13:55,075 Narrator: Near the banks of this creek, 292 00:13:55,077 --> 00:13:59,814 the hopes of two nations will live or die. 293 00:13:59,816 --> 00:14:01,749 The bloodiest day in American history 294 00:14:01,751 --> 00:14:04,952 is about to begin. 295 00:14:09,358 --> 00:14:11,558 Narrator: For the first time in the civil war, 296 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:16,631 confederate general Robert e. Lee has invaded the north. 297 00:14:16,633 --> 00:14:18,766 His forces now occupy the high ground 298 00:14:18,768 --> 00:14:21,569 to the west of the antietam creek in Maryland. 299 00:14:21,571 --> 00:14:26,173 They expect a union attack at any moment. 300 00:14:26,175 --> 00:14:28,042 If the rebels triumph, 301 00:14:28,044 --> 00:14:30,978 the dream of an independent south may be realized. 302 00:14:30,980 --> 00:14:34,515 And the United States will be no more. 303 00:14:34,517 --> 00:14:38,486 Given the stakes, both sides will stop at nothing to win. 304 00:14:41,257 --> 00:14:43,190 As Lee plans to make his stand, 305 00:14:43,192 --> 00:14:44,926 the call goes out to his scattered army 306 00:14:44,928 --> 00:14:47,295 to unite near the banks at the antietam. 307 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:52,666 By sunset, most of Lee's troops 308 00:14:52,668 --> 00:14:54,468 have reached the confederate camp. 309 00:15:02,145 --> 00:15:04,145 Among them are William and Robert gaston 310 00:15:04,147 --> 00:15:05,746 of the 1st Texas... 311 00:15:05,748 --> 00:15:10,017 The shock troops of the rebel forces. 312 00:15:10,019 --> 00:15:12,753 The texans have been on the move for almost 3 days, 313 00:15:12,755 --> 00:15:16,691 with very little rest and hardly any food. 314 00:15:16,693 --> 00:15:18,626 In spite of the delayed rations 315 00:15:18,628 --> 00:15:20,827 and all of the hardships they've endured, 316 00:15:20,829 --> 00:15:23,764 the texans' spirits remain high. 317 00:15:23,766 --> 00:15:26,033 Frye: They could barely keep their eyes open. 318 00:15:26,035 --> 00:15:28,102 Their stomachs were growling. 319 00:15:28,104 --> 00:15:34,508 They had had almost no food in 24 hours or longer. 320 00:15:34,510 --> 00:15:36,243 Narrator: After reaching the antietam, 321 00:15:36,245 --> 00:15:37,911 older brother William had gone to check 322 00:15:37,913 --> 00:15:40,081 on the status of their rations. 323 00:15:42,251 --> 00:15:44,385 Don't just sit there. What'd he say? 324 00:15:44,387 --> 00:15:46,987 You want the good news or the bad news? 325 00:15:46,989 --> 00:15:48,989 Let me guess. 326 00:15:48,991 --> 00:15:51,725 Lincoln was caught by Stuart's calvary, 327 00:15:51,727 --> 00:15:56,663 fleeing the capital dressed as some ugly yankee woman. 328 00:15:56,665 --> 00:15:58,065 The war is over. 329 00:15:58,067 --> 00:16:00,735 Not quite that dramatic. 330 00:16:00,737 --> 00:16:03,404 The general has promised us three days rations. 331 00:16:03,406 --> 00:16:05,672 The bad news? 332 00:16:05,674 --> 00:16:09,276 They seem to have... Left the supply wagon 333 00:16:09,278 --> 00:16:12,346 on the other side of the river. 334 00:16:12,348 --> 00:16:14,015 Should be here soon. 335 00:16:21,424 --> 00:16:22,957 Narrator: A mile to the north, 336 00:16:22,959 --> 00:16:24,758 members of the union's iron brigade 337 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,528 prepare for the attack they know is to come in the morning. 338 00:16:31,967 --> 00:16:34,034 Hoptak: Nightfall on September 16th... 339 00:16:34,036 --> 00:16:36,504 In some places fires are prohibited 340 00:16:36,506 --> 00:16:38,872 'cause the lines were so close. 341 00:16:38,874 --> 00:16:41,642 And whether they're in blue or gray, 342 00:16:41,644 --> 00:16:44,778 these veterans knew a battle's imminent. 343 00:16:44,780 --> 00:16:49,116 So imagine what may have been going through their heads. 344 00:16:52,522 --> 00:16:54,221 [ Harmonica plays ] 345 00:16:57,060 --> 00:16:59,660 Narrator: Nearby, unable to sleep, 346 00:16:59,662 --> 00:17:02,596 union soldier Joshua Jones writes what could be 347 00:17:02,598 --> 00:17:04,065 his last letter home. 348 00:17:08,271 --> 00:17:10,471 Jones: "My dear Celia, 349 00:17:10,473 --> 00:17:13,407 I was so happy to receive your letter. 350 00:17:13,409 --> 00:17:16,277 When I seen your hair and little George's hair inside, 351 00:17:16,279 --> 00:17:18,546 I could not help shedding tears. 352 00:17:24,153 --> 00:17:27,288 I can see now that we lived as pleasant a life 353 00:17:27,290 --> 00:17:30,891 as any two on earth. 354 00:17:30,893 --> 00:17:33,894 Celia, there is men here with needy wives 355 00:17:33,896 --> 00:17:35,563 and hungry families, 356 00:17:35,565 --> 00:17:37,431 and they are spending their money for whiskey 357 00:17:37,433 --> 00:17:40,367 and other such foolery. 358 00:17:40,369 --> 00:17:42,035 Just this morning, I sold my watch 359 00:17:42,037 --> 00:17:45,773 to Isaac Branson for 18 and a half. 360 00:17:45,775 --> 00:17:48,375 That's six more than what I paid for it in Virginia 361 00:17:48,377 --> 00:17:51,045 three months ago. 362 00:17:51,047 --> 00:17:53,180 I am sending you the watch money. 363 00:17:53,182 --> 00:17:55,849 Save all that you can. 364 00:17:55,851 --> 00:17:58,185 I love you, Celia. 365 00:17:58,187 --> 00:18:01,655 Faithfully yours, Joshua." 366 00:18:08,997 --> 00:18:10,531 Narrator: Soldiers aren't the only ones 367 00:18:10,533 --> 00:18:12,366 making preparations this night. 368 00:18:15,471 --> 00:18:18,738 Pinsker: The confederate armies could not fight without slaves. 369 00:18:18,740 --> 00:18:21,542 Thousands of black laborers... slaves... 370 00:18:21,544 --> 00:18:24,077 Are serving the army in important support capacities. 371 00:18:24,079 --> 00:18:26,680 Without them, the army doesn't move. 372 00:18:26,682 --> 00:18:28,282 Narrator: To undermine this support, 373 00:18:28,284 --> 00:18:29,950 the federal government has announced 374 00:18:29,952 --> 00:18:31,285 it will free any slave 375 00:18:31,287 --> 00:18:34,487 who can make it to the union line. 376 00:18:34,489 --> 00:18:37,357 Two slaves forced to serve the rebel army 377 00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:40,661 have decided the time to escape their bondage is at hand. 378 00:18:47,302 --> 00:18:49,770 But the risks are great. 379 00:18:51,841 --> 00:18:56,710 If they're caught, they'll be savagely beaten or killed. 380 00:18:56,712 --> 00:18:58,378 But to these two men, 381 00:18:58,380 --> 00:19:01,215 the chance to win their freedom makes it worth the danger. 382 00:19:03,986 --> 00:19:07,488 First, they have to somehow get past the rebel sentries. 383 00:19:26,342 --> 00:19:28,108 Sentry: Hey, you two, stop right there! 384 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:32,680 Spotted by a guard, 385 00:19:32,682 --> 00:19:35,616 the two men race for the safety of the union line. 386 00:19:41,357 --> 00:19:42,623 [ Gunshot ] 387 00:19:48,831 --> 00:19:51,164 As day breaks, 388 00:19:51,166 --> 00:19:53,968 one of the men has almost reached the union line. 389 00:19:56,505 --> 00:19:59,173 There, he will be taken in by federal troops 390 00:19:59,175 --> 00:20:01,542 and will be freed. 391 00:20:05,248 --> 00:20:07,581 But his companion was not so lucky. 392 00:20:13,455 --> 00:20:14,989 During the escape attempt, 393 00:20:14,991 --> 00:20:17,424 he was gunned down by a rebel sentry. 394 00:20:25,534 --> 00:20:27,735 Just hundreds of yards away, 395 00:20:27,737 --> 00:20:31,205 the battle to determine the fate of both slavery and the nation 396 00:20:31,207 --> 00:20:32,939 is set to begin. 397 00:20:32,941 --> 00:20:35,876 If the union wins, Lincoln plans to release 398 00:20:35,878 --> 00:20:37,878 the emancipation proclamation, 399 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,214 freeing almost four million African-Americans. 400 00:20:41,216 --> 00:20:45,619 If it loses, the United States may very well cease to exist. 401 00:20:47,689 --> 00:20:51,959 Almost 10,000 union troops now march toward the rebel line. 402 00:20:54,697 --> 00:20:56,964 Hoptak: George mcclellan, a general that we often 403 00:20:56,966 --> 00:20:59,299 times characterize as cautious, 404 00:20:59,301 --> 00:21:01,701 he is gonna lead the attack at antietam, 405 00:21:01,703 --> 00:21:04,972 and his plan is to rely upon his right hook. 406 00:21:04,974 --> 00:21:08,108 What he wants to do is pummel Lee's left 407 00:21:08,110 --> 00:21:11,578 with a series of hammer-blow assaults. 408 00:21:11,580 --> 00:21:13,713 Narrator: After leaving the union line, 409 00:21:13,715 --> 00:21:16,650 the yankee assault force is to head south 410 00:21:16,652 --> 00:21:18,452 and then slam into the left flank 411 00:21:18,454 --> 00:21:21,989 of general Lee's army. 412 00:21:21,991 --> 00:21:24,791 Expecting heavy resistance from the rebels, 413 00:21:24,793 --> 00:21:29,129 the men know they are in for the fight of their lives. 414 00:21:29,131 --> 00:21:31,731 Leading this union assault is Joshua Jones 415 00:21:31,733 --> 00:21:35,069 and the men of the iron brigade. 416 00:21:35,071 --> 00:21:36,603 The battle that will claim the lives 417 00:21:36,605 --> 00:21:41,608 of almost 4,000 Americans and wound 17,000 more 418 00:21:41,610 --> 00:21:43,277 is about to begin. 419 00:22:05,167 --> 00:22:06,300 [ Indistinct shouting ] 420 00:22:14,377 --> 00:22:16,509 Send these wretched souls back to hell, boys! 421 00:22:16,511 --> 00:22:20,180 Fire! 422 00:22:20,182 --> 00:22:22,383 Narrator: In hopes of ending the first confederate invasion 423 00:22:22,385 --> 00:22:24,317 of the north, 424 00:22:24,319 --> 00:22:25,985 union troops have attacked rebels 425 00:22:25,987 --> 00:22:28,155 near the banks of the antietam creek. 426 00:22:30,593 --> 00:22:33,593 Fire! 427 00:22:33,595 --> 00:22:36,396 And as battery b of the 4th U.S. artillery 428 00:22:36,398 --> 00:22:38,065 pounds the confederate line, 429 00:22:38,067 --> 00:22:42,602 Johnny Johnson watches and waits. 430 00:22:42,604 --> 00:22:44,405 Half a mile to the southwest, 431 00:22:44,407 --> 00:22:47,007 after being pounded by rebel artillery, 432 00:22:47,009 --> 00:22:48,742 Joshua Jones and the iron brigade 433 00:22:48,744 --> 00:22:51,144 have attacked the far left of the rebel line. 434 00:22:51,146 --> 00:22:53,079 Man: Aim! 435 00:22:53,081 --> 00:22:55,549 Fire! 436 00:23:24,246 --> 00:23:26,246 [ Shouting ] 437 00:23:33,188 --> 00:23:35,656 After putting up some fierce resistance... 438 00:23:39,862 --> 00:23:41,562 the rebels fall back. 439 00:23:43,732 --> 00:23:44,732 Fire! 440 00:23:46,735 --> 00:23:48,735 A quarter of a mile away, 441 00:23:48,737 --> 00:23:50,136 union private Johnny Johnson 442 00:23:50,138 --> 00:23:52,672 and a handful of other gun crews from battery b 443 00:23:52,674 --> 00:23:54,775 have been ordered to a new position. 444 00:23:56,946 --> 00:23:59,012 They've been deployed near the edge of a cornfield 445 00:23:59,014 --> 00:24:01,114 that will soon go down in infamy. 446 00:24:03,352 --> 00:24:05,952 Johnson and the men of battery b 447 00:24:05,954 --> 00:24:08,155 are about to find themselves at the epicenter 448 00:24:08,157 --> 00:24:12,559 of one of history's most ferocious battles. 449 00:24:12,561 --> 00:24:16,229 Hoptak: The cornfield... That 24 acres of land... 450 00:24:16,231 --> 00:24:21,034 Will come to symbolize the hellish intensity of antietam. 451 00:24:21,036 --> 00:24:23,904 There were many cornfields at antietam, 452 00:24:23,906 --> 00:24:27,908 but only one cornfield. 453 00:24:27,910 --> 00:24:29,376 Narrator: Rebel troops have launched 454 00:24:29,378 --> 00:24:30,777 a ferocious counterattack, 455 00:24:30,779 --> 00:24:35,715 and battery b soon finds itself in the thick of the fight. 456 00:24:35,717 --> 00:24:38,986 Hoptak: Oftentimes, battery b would be well behind the lines. 457 00:24:38,988 --> 00:24:41,788 But here battery b was brought right to the front. 458 00:24:41,790 --> 00:24:43,657 When these batteries are pushed forward, 459 00:24:43,659 --> 00:24:46,460 and they're engaged in close combat with infantry, 460 00:24:46,462 --> 00:24:48,228 they take heavy casualties. 461 00:24:50,599 --> 00:24:52,332 Narrator: As another crew member falls, 462 00:24:52,334 --> 00:24:54,835 Johnson is finally thrown into the fight. 463 00:25:02,611 --> 00:25:04,210 To the right! 464 00:25:04,212 --> 00:25:05,479 Right! 465 00:25:08,917 --> 00:25:10,984 Too far. Back to the left. 466 00:25:14,156 --> 00:25:16,690 And fire! 467 00:25:19,561 --> 00:25:22,095 Johnson, get the gunpowder back to your post on the double. 468 00:25:25,501 --> 00:25:26,501 Reload! 469 00:25:40,849 --> 00:25:42,916 Narrator: To the west, as Joshua Jones 470 00:25:42,918 --> 00:25:45,518 and the iron brigade drive forward, 471 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:47,654 the confederates counterattack. 472 00:25:52,794 --> 00:25:55,528 And during that fighting is when Jones was hit. 473 00:25:55,530 --> 00:25:56,996 [ Groaning ] 474 00:25:56,998 --> 00:25:59,332 The mini-ball, when it strikes something, 475 00:25:59,334 --> 00:26:02,603 has the tendency to spread out and flatten out. 476 00:26:02,605 --> 00:26:05,805 And when that strikes a bone in a leg or an ankle, 477 00:26:05,807 --> 00:26:09,743 it shatters it beyond repair. 478 00:26:09,745 --> 00:26:11,478 The only way to save the soldier's life 479 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:13,814 would be to amputate the limb. 480 00:26:18,220 --> 00:26:22,155 Narrator: In the confusion, Jones is left behind. 481 00:26:27,962 --> 00:26:30,496 To the east, Johnny Johnson finds himself 482 00:26:30,498 --> 00:26:33,233 in the thick of the battle to control the cornfield. 483 00:26:36,237 --> 00:26:40,373 The cornfield was like a vortex that drew forces in. 484 00:26:40,375 --> 00:26:43,910 There's a large number of troops moving in there. 485 00:26:43,912 --> 00:26:46,713 The waves of battle are swaying back and forth. 486 00:26:46,715 --> 00:26:48,181 And, initially, you have lines 487 00:26:48,183 --> 00:26:50,850 of blue sweeping south through the corn, 488 00:26:50,852 --> 00:26:52,319 then falling back. 489 00:26:52,321 --> 00:26:54,054 And there'd be a confederate counterattack. 490 00:26:54,056 --> 00:26:55,522 And they'd recede. 491 00:26:55,524 --> 00:26:58,058 Back and forth it would go, several times. 492 00:26:58,060 --> 00:27:00,460 The first hour of fighting in the cornfield alone 493 00:27:00,462 --> 00:27:03,329 sees about one casualty per second. 494 00:27:03,331 --> 00:27:05,766 But as the rebels launch one more attack... 495 00:27:08,403 --> 00:27:10,237 union troops begin to flee. 496 00:27:14,008 --> 00:27:16,476 Johnny Johnson and the remaining members of battery b 497 00:27:16,478 --> 00:27:20,213 must try to hold the position. 498 00:27:20,215 --> 00:27:22,215 A rebel breakthrough here could breed panic 499 00:27:22,217 --> 00:27:23,616 in the union ranks 500 00:27:23,618 --> 00:27:26,153 and could potentially cause the line to collapse. 501 00:27:26,155 --> 00:27:27,687 Fire. 502 00:27:27,689 --> 00:27:30,623 Misfire. Ram it again. 503 00:27:30,625 --> 00:27:31,825 Do it now! 504 00:27:31,827 --> 00:27:34,560 The fuse went, sarge. It could cook off at any time. 505 00:27:34,562 --> 00:27:36,096 If I put my arm in there, I'll lose it. 506 00:27:36,098 --> 00:27:38,632 You'll lose more than that if you don't. 507 00:27:38,634 --> 00:27:40,333 Do it now or we all die!! 508 00:27:45,174 --> 00:27:46,039 Narrator: Near the antietam creek, 509 00:27:46,041 --> 00:27:47,507 a ferocious fight to determine 510 00:27:47,509 --> 00:27:50,777 the fate of two nations rages on. 511 00:27:50,779 --> 00:27:53,046 Realizing a rebel victory could possibly lead 512 00:27:53,048 --> 00:27:54,514 to southern independence 513 00:27:54,516 --> 00:27:56,383 and the death of the United States, 514 00:27:56,385 --> 00:27:59,052 both sides will stop at nothing to win. 515 00:27:59,054 --> 00:28:03,389 A rebel counterattack has scattered union forces. 516 00:28:03,391 --> 00:28:06,659 Now Johnny Johnson and a handful of union soldiers 517 00:28:06,661 --> 00:28:09,262 must try and hold the line. 518 00:28:09,264 --> 00:28:11,798 That battery is the focal point. 519 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:13,800 If the federals can hold the battery, 520 00:28:13,802 --> 00:28:16,536 they can break the back of the confederate assault. 521 00:28:16,538 --> 00:28:18,404 And if the confederates can capture it, 522 00:28:18,406 --> 00:28:20,741 they might turn the tide of the battle. 523 00:28:20,743 --> 00:28:22,476 Man: There's too many. We'll never hold them. 524 00:28:22,478 --> 00:28:25,912 Ram it again. Do it now or we all die! 525 00:28:38,827 --> 00:28:40,861 Ready! Fire! 526 00:28:58,046 --> 00:28:59,712 Narrator: As the confederates are cut down 527 00:28:59,714 --> 00:29:01,181 by the Cannon blasts, 528 00:29:01,183 --> 00:29:04,450 fresh union troops arrive and pour into the cornfield. 529 00:29:04,452 --> 00:29:07,453 Hey, sweep, nicely done. 530 00:29:07,455 --> 00:29:08,921 Hoptak: There were moments in the fighting 531 00:29:08,923 --> 00:29:10,791 where it could go either way. 532 00:29:10,793 --> 00:29:13,326 And at one moment, it seemed the confederate army 533 00:29:13,328 --> 00:29:16,395 would sweep the blue lines out of the corn, 534 00:29:16,397 --> 00:29:19,166 only for the union army to counterattack. 535 00:29:20,735 --> 00:29:22,803 Narrator: The union attack drives the rebels back 536 00:29:22,805 --> 00:29:25,305 toward their own line in full retreat. 537 00:29:28,810 --> 00:29:31,077 Frye: It's been a bad morning for Robert e. Lee. 538 00:29:31,079 --> 00:29:32,746 Robert e. Lee usually doesn't have 539 00:29:32,748 --> 00:29:33,947 bad days on the battlefield. 540 00:29:33,949 --> 00:29:37,817 And his forces are being pushed backwards. 541 00:29:37,819 --> 00:29:39,819 This is unbelievable. 542 00:29:39,821 --> 00:29:42,222 What's going on? 543 00:29:42,224 --> 00:29:45,158 Narrator: As union troops stream south of the cornfield, 544 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:47,093 the left flank of the rebel position 545 00:29:47,095 --> 00:29:49,362 teeters on the brink of collapse. 546 00:29:49,364 --> 00:29:51,431 With their line hanging by a thread, 547 00:29:51,433 --> 00:29:54,968 the south turns to some of its toughest troops to save it... 548 00:29:54,970 --> 00:29:57,037 The men of the 1st Texas. 549 00:29:59,174 --> 00:30:02,242 Don't even think about asking me to share. 550 00:30:02,244 --> 00:30:06,313 I've been dreaming about this bacon for days. 551 00:30:06,315 --> 00:30:07,714 Despite the shells... 552 00:30:07,716 --> 00:30:08,781 Just keep cooking. 553 00:30:08,783 --> 00:30:10,316 The texans are desperate to eat 554 00:30:10,318 --> 00:30:13,720 their first hot meal in 3 days. 555 00:30:13,722 --> 00:30:15,522 Don't worry. You'll hear them coming. 556 00:30:20,128 --> 00:30:23,562 - Oh, no, no, no. - Texas, on your feet! 557 00:30:23,564 --> 00:30:27,334 Got to be kidding me! 558 00:30:27,336 --> 00:30:29,269 Frye: Their breakfast has been disrupted. 559 00:30:29,271 --> 00:30:31,404 And, all of a sudden, you got to take your food 560 00:30:31,406 --> 00:30:33,873 and just throw it aside, pick up your rifle, 561 00:30:33,875 --> 00:30:37,610 put on your cartridge box and go. 562 00:30:37,612 --> 00:30:38,878 Narrator: As the men of the 1st Texas 563 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:42,815 prepare to push back the yankee attack, 564 00:30:42,817 --> 00:30:44,684 to the west of the cornfield, 565 00:30:44,686 --> 00:30:47,821 wounded union private Joshua Jones struggles 566 00:30:47,823 --> 00:30:49,990 to get back to his own line. 567 00:30:58,500 --> 00:31:00,400 [ Groans ] 568 00:31:06,108 --> 00:31:08,375 [ Breathing heavily ] 569 00:31:12,981 --> 00:31:14,915 If he ever wants to see his family again, 570 00:31:14,917 --> 00:31:18,385 Jones will need to crawl to the safety of the union line. 571 00:31:21,456 --> 00:31:24,324 With his ankle shattered by a rebel musket ball, 572 00:31:24,326 --> 00:31:26,559 the journey seems all but impossible. 573 00:31:33,067 --> 00:31:36,002 To the south, the 1st Texas infantry 574 00:31:36,004 --> 00:31:38,471 has orders to push back the union assault 575 00:31:38,473 --> 00:31:40,206 and retake the cornfield. 576 00:31:42,811 --> 00:31:45,611 Hoptak: The men from Texas were angry. 577 00:31:45,613 --> 00:31:46,947 So when they went into the fight, 578 00:31:46,949 --> 00:31:50,951 they went in screaming. They went in yelling. 579 00:31:50,953 --> 00:31:52,218 Vermilya: And they were also soldiers 580 00:31:52,220 --> 00:31:54,621 who realized that at that point in the battle, 581 00:31:54,623 --> 00:31:56,756 their presence was desperately needed, 582 00:31:56,758 --> 00:31:59,625 as the initial confederate lines were falling apart. 583 00:31:59,627 --> 00:32:01,894 Steady, men! Steady! 584 00:32:01,896 --> 00:32:04,931 Aim for the belt and don't stop for the wounded! 585 00:32:19,181 --> 00:32:21,047 Narrator: The arrival of the texans 586 00:32:21,049 --> 00:32:22,816 stabilizes the rebel line. 587 00:32:29,858 --> 00:32:31,858 [ Indistinct shouting ] 588 00:33:06,027 --> 00:33:08,094 It's like shooting partridge. 589 00:33:08,096 --> 00:33:10,696 The texans cut through the corn like a scythe, 590 00:33:10,698 --> 00:33:12,966 relentlessly driving union troops 591 00:33:12,968 --> 00:33:15,167 back to their line. 592 00:33:15,169 --> 00:33:19,372 Hartwig: Those units directly come towards battery b. 593 00:33:19,374 --> 00:33:20,440 Get the canisters. 594 00:33:20,442 --> 00:33:21,908 These were aggressive soldiers. 595 00:33:21,910 --> 00:33:23,376 They are veteran soldiers. 596 00:33:23,378 --> 00:33:25,245 They don't wanna get killed. They wanna kill you. 597 00:33:25,247 --> 00:33:29,983 And that's when the real ordeal began for the battery. 598 00:33:29,985 --> 00:33:31,918 Narrator: As the texans push through the corn, 599 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:35,188 Johnson and the others brace for another rebel attack. 600 00:33:41,396 --> 00:33:42,996 Fire. 601 00:33:48,537 --> 00:33:51,071 They're coming. 602 00:34:03,752 --> 00:34:05,685 As the rebels sweep through the corn, 603 00:34:05,687 --> 00:34:08,888 it seems like the tide of the battle is turning. 604 00:34:08,890 --> 00:34:10,356 For the first time that morning, 605 00:34:10,358 --> 00:34:13,426 the yankee army looked vulnerable. 606 00:34:13,428 --> 00:34:15,294 Narrator: The Yankees seem powerless 607 00:34:15,296 --> 00:34:17,230 to stop the texans' advance. 608 00:34:39,988 --> 00:34:42,388 If battery b can't stop the attack, 609 00:34:42,390 --> 00:34:44,257 the union line may crack. 610 00:34:50,731 --> 00:34:51,798 Load the Cannon. 611 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:54,066 - What? - Load the Cannon. 612 00:34:54,068 --> 00:34:56,669 There's no time! Load the Cannon! 613 00:34:56,671 --> 00:34:58,604 Do it! 614 00:34:58,606 --> 00:35:01,141 Go! 615 00:35:10,619 --> 00:35:12,351 Vermilya: Although it's not pretty, 616 00:35:12,353 --> 00:35:14,220 although it's not romantic, 617 00:35:14,222 --> 00:35:16,756 it does happen during civil-war combat. 618 00:35:16,758 --> 00:35:19,825 Sergeant hertzog is in extreme pain. 619 00:35:19,827 --> 00:35:21,628 He's in some of the worst circumstances 620 00:35:21,630 --> 00:35:22,896 you could possibly imagine. 621 00:35:22,898 --> 00:35:25,031 And in the midst of that, with all that pain, 622 00:35:25,033 --> 00:35:27,767 he simply pulls out his revolver and ends it. 623 00:35:27,769 --> 00:35:31,504 They're coming! 624 00:35:31,506 --> 00:35:34,641 Double canister! 625 00:35:34,643 --> 00:35:38,111 The canister was simply a tin can packed with iron balls 626 00:35:38,113 --> 00:35:40,580 that might be an inch to an inch and a half in diameter. 627 00:35:40,582 --> 00:35:42,582 Double canister usually cleared your front 628 00:35:42,584 --> 00:35:44,183 because it was so deadly. 629 00:35:44,185 --> 00:35:45,585 If you're firing double canister 630 00:35:45,587 --> 00:35:48,054 it's because you and your battery 631 00:35:48,056 --> 00:35:50,557 are in grave danger. 632 00:35:58,199 --> 00:36:00,466 - Hurry! - I gotta lower it! 633 00:36:00,468 --> 00:36:02,569 [ Indistinct shouting ] 634 00:36:24,225 --> 00:36:25,157 Ready! 635 00:36:25,159 --> 00:36:26,459 Fire! 636 00:36:29,497 --> 00:36:31,897 Narrator: As Johnson pounds the rebels with canister, 637 00:36:31,899 --> 00:36:34,801 they stream northwest toward the corner of the field. 638 00:36:51,586 --> 00:36:53,118 Narrator: One of the most important battles 639 00:36:53,120 --> 00:36:57,056 of the civil war has reached a critical moment. 640 00:36:57,058 --> 00:36:59,125 Confederate shock troops from Texas 641 00:36:59,127 --> 00:37:01,994 sent to shatter the union line 642 00:37:01,996 --> 00:37:05,198 have just been hit by a massive yankee counterattack. 643 00:37:16,811 --> 00:37:18,411 In hopes of rallying the texans, 644 00:37:18,413 --> 00:37:22,682 Robert gaston sets out to find the regimental flag. 645 00:37:22,684 --> 00:37:24,951 I'm all right. Go. 646 00:37:31,893 --> 00:37:33,159 In the chaos of battle, 647 00:37:33,161 --> 00:37:35,828 with the smoke stinging your eyes and the sound, 648 00:37:35,830 --> 00:37:39,365 the noise, the confusion, if you saw your flag, 649 00:37:39,367 --> 00:37:41,234 you knew where you were supposed to go. 650 00:37:41,236 --> 00:37:44,937 You can't see that flag? You're lost. 651 00:38:07,795 --> 00:38:09,796 [ Indistinct shouting ] 652 00:38:22,744 --> 00:38:24,276 Narrator: The texans have been cut down 653 00:38:24,278 --> 00:38:27,313 by yankee reinforcements sent to help hold the line. 654 00:38:32,820 --> 00:38:35,487 They were laying down behind the fence 655 00:38:35,489 --> 00:38:38,291 that bordered the northern edge of the corn, 656 00:38:38,293 --> 00:38:42,361 and the texans actually couldn't see them. 657 00:38:42,363 --> 00:38:44,630 They blasted the texans with a volley, 658 00:38:44,632 --> 00:38:46,299 then followed it up with more volleys. 659 00:38:46,301 --> 00:38:48,634 It cut the regiment to ribbons, 660 00:38:48,636 --> 00:38:50,636 shot down both their flags. 661 00:38:50,638 --> 00:38:53,305 Once they get towards the northern end of the corn field, 662 00:38:53,307 --> 00:38:56,375 they are met with a ferocious counterassault, 663 00:38:56,377 --> 00:38:59,078 not only from musketry fire, but Cannon fire. 664 00:39:04,252 --> 00:39:06,985 Narrator: The results... 665 00:39:06,987 --> 00:39:09,655 Are catastrophic. 666 00:39:09,657 --> 00:39:11,858 At first, Texas gets slaughtered... 667 00:39:11,860 --> 00:39:13,192 Slaughtered. 668 00:39:13,194 --> 00:39:19,632 More than 80% of their men will drop on that Maryland soil. 669 00:39:24,138 --> 00:39:26,839 It was an awful disaster. 670 00:39:42,423 --> 00:39:43,423 They're running. 671 00:39:48,296 --> 00:39:50,429 Narrator: With the help of Johnny Johnson, 672 00:39:50,431 --> 00:39:53,966 battery b has helped save the union line, 673 00:39:53,968 --> 00:39:56,102 but they've paid dearly. 674 00:39:56,104 --> 00:40:00,239 Hoptak: Battery b sustained 40% casualties. 675 00:40:00,241 --> 00:40:02,775 The casualties attest to the savagery, 676 00:40:02,777 --> 00:40:06,312 the ferocity of their role in the fight. 677 00:40:06,314 --> 00:40:08,247 Well, battery b's performance, obviously, 678 00:40:08,249 --> 00:40:12,718 the performance of the battery was extraordinary. 679 00:40:12,720 --> 00:40:15,921 Narrator: When the brutal struggle for the cornfield finally ends, 680 00:40:15,923 --> 00:40:18,257 the fighting shifts to the center and right 681 00:40:18,259 --> 00:40:21,194 of the rebel line. 682 00:40:21,196 --> 00:40:22,662 As the sun sets, 683 00:40:22,664 --> 00:40:26,399 the rebels still hold the ground west of the antietam creek. 684 00:40:28,937 --> 00:40:32,738 But Lee's troops are in no shape to fight on. 685 00:40:32,740 --> 00:40:34,874 On the 18th of September, 686 00:40:34,876 --> 00:40:37,877 he takes his shattered army back to Virginia. 687 00:40:42,483 --> 00:40:44,951 Hoptak: The confederate army's gonna limp back into Virginia. 688 00:40:44,953 --> 00:40:47,119 Began the campaign with such high hopes 689 00:40:47,121 --> 00:40:48,754 for a victory on union soil, 690 00:40:48,756 --> 00:40:52,091 and Robert e. Lee's objectives are not realized. 691 00:40:52,093 --> 00:40:55,428 I consider antietam the greatest victory 692 00:40:55,430 --> 00:40:57,763 of the war for the United States. 693 00:40:57,765 --> 00:41:00,099 Pennsylvania is safe. Washington is safe. 694 00:41:00,101 --> 00:41:01,501 Baltimore is safe. 695 00:41:01,503 --> 00:41:03,903 The eastern newspapers are proclaiming victory 696 00:41:03,905 --> 00:41:07,306 for the United States. 697 00:41:07,308 --> 00:41:09,442 Narrator: But it's come at a terrible price, 698 00:41:15,516 --> 00:41:20,786 Almost 4,000 killed and 17,000 wounded. 699 00:41:20,788 --> 00:41:25,791 Among them, Joshua Jones of the union's iron brigade. 700 00:41:25,793 --> 00:41:28,127 Found by rebels after he was shot, 701 00:41:28,129 --> 00:41:31,464 he's placed in a barn with other wounded troops. 702 00:41:34,002 --> 00:41:37,336 He receives no care for 48 hours. 703 00:41:37,338 --> 00:41:39,338 Once you've had a day like antietam, 704 00:41:39,340 --> 00:41:42,675 there's no going back to the country as it was before. 705 00:41:42,677 --> 00:41:48,414 Once you've had a day with over 23,000 casualties, 706 00:41:48,416 --> 00:41:50,716 the nation is fundamentally changed. 707 00:41:53,954 --> 00:41:55,555 Narrator: In the wake of the battle, 708 00:41:55,557 --> 00:41:57,356 Lincoln publishes one of the most 709 00:41:57,358 --> 00:42:01,493 extraordinary documents in American history. 710 00:42:01,495 --> 00:42:03,763 Frye: It emboldened Lincoln to do something 711 00:42:03,765 --> 00:42:07,233 the president had been wanting to do since July, 712 00:42:07,235 --> 00:42:10,235 which was to issue the preliminary 713 00:42:10,237 --> 00:42:12,505 emancipation proclamation. 714 00:42:12,507 --> 00:42:14,906 And so five days... 715 00:42:14,908 --> 00:42:17,309 Only five days after antietam, 716 00:42:17,311 --> 00:42:18,777 on September the 22nd, 717 00:42:18,779 --> 00:42:22,848 the president issues the proclamation. 718 00:42:22,850 --> 00:42:25,484 This is no longer going to be a war fought 719 00:42:25,486 --> 00:42:27,787 to restore the union as it once was. 720 00:42:27,789 --> 00:42:30,122 That union died at antietam. 721 00:42:30,124 --> 00:42:32,324 This was now a war that was going to be fought 722 00:42:32,326 --> 00:42:35,127 to preserve a new and better union, 723 00:42:35,129 --> 00:42:38,197 one without slavery. 724 00:42:38,199 --> 00:42:40,199 Narrator: Johnny Johnson wins the metal of honor 725 00:42:40,201 --> 00:42:44,470 for the courage he displayed in the fight for the cornfield. 726 00:42:44,472 --> 00:42:47,273 He survives the war. 727 00:42:47,275 --> 00:42:50,676 Found by union troops following the rebel retreat, 728 00:42:50,678 --> 00:42:54,480 Joshua Jones finally receives medical attention. 729 00:42:54,482 --> 00:42:56,282 After doctors amputate his leg, 730 00:42:56,284 --> 00:42:58,451 the wound becomes infected. 731 00:43:00,688 --> 00:43:03,222 He dies almost two weeks after the battle. 732 00:43:05,426 --> 00:43:07,226 Captain William gaston continues 733 00:43:07,228 --> 00:43:09,295 to serve with the confederate army. 734 00:43:11,766 --> 00:43:16,368 At war's end, he returns home to Anderson county, Texas. 735 00:43:16,370 --> 00:43:18,871 His brother, Robert, dies in the cornfield. 736 00:43:21,375 --> 00:43:24,477 His body is found on top of the regimental colors. 737 00:43:27,181 --> 00:43:29,115 He is one of the 3,600 men 738 00:43:29,117 --> 00:43:32,018 claimed by the battle of antietam.