Cedar Mountain to Antietam: A Civil War Campaign History of the Union XII Corps, July-September 1862

by M. Chris Bryan

Overview

This history of the Union XII Corps “skillfully weaves firsthand accounts into a compelling story about the triumphs and defeats of this venerable unit” (Bradley M. Gottfried, author of The Maps of Antietam).
 
The diminutive Union XII Corps found significant success on the field at Antietam. Its soldiers swept through the East Woods and the Miller Cornfield—permanently clearing both of Confederates—repelled multiple Southern assaults against the Dunker Church plateau, and eventually secured a foothold in the West Woods. This important piece of high ground had been the Union objective all morning, and its occupation threatened the center and rear of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s embattled Army of Northern Virginia. Yet federal leadership largely ignored this signal achievement and the opportunity it presented.
 
The achievement of the XII Corps is especially notable given its string of disappointments and hardships in the months leading up to Antietam. M. Chris Bryan’s Cedar Mountain to Antietam begins with the formation of this often-luckless command as the II Corps in Maj. Gen. John Pope’s Army of Virginia on June 26, 1862. Bryan explains in meticulous detail how the corps endured a bloody and demoralizing loss after coming within a whisker of defeating Maj. Gen. “Stonewall” Jackson at Cedar Mountain on August 9; suffered through the hardships of Pope’s campaign before and after the Battle of Second Manassas; and triumphed after entering Maryland and joining the reorganized Army of the Potomac.
 
The men of this small corps earned a solid reputation in the Army of the Potomac at Antietam that would only grow during the battles of 1863. This unique study, which blends unit history with sound leadership and character assessments, puts the XII Corps’ actions in proper context by providing significant and substantive treatment to its Confederate opponents. Bryan’s extensive archival research, newspapers, and other important resources, together with detailed maps and images, offers a compelling story of a little-studied yet consequential command that fills a longstanding historiographical gap.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611215786
Publisher:	Savas Beatie
Publication date:	04/04/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	408
Sales rank:	293,808
File size:	58 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Chris Bryan earned a B.S. in History from the United States Naval Academy, an M.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College, Annapolis, and a Masters in Historic Preservation from the University of Maryland, College Park. The former Naval Aviator works as a project manager and lives in southern Maryland with his wife and two children. This is his first book.

Table of Contents

List of Maps vii

Archival Sources viii

Introduction ix

Part I II Corps, Army of Virginia from little Washington to Washington, DC, July 28 to September 3, 1862 xiii

Chapter 1 Banks's Corps from Little Washington to Culpeper July 28 to August 7, 1862 1

Chapter 2 Jackson Moves on Culpeper August 7 to 5:45 p.m., August 9, 1862 27

Chapter 3 Banks Attacks at Slaughter's Mountain 5:45 to 6:15 p.m., August 9, 1862 54

Chapter 4 Ambrose Powell Hill Counterattacks 6:15 p.m. to Midnight, August 9, 1862 84

Chapter 5 Lee Shifts Theater During Pope's Intermission August 10 to 17, 1862 119

Chapter 6 Pope's Campaign from the Rapidan to the Potomac August 18 to September 3, 1862 136

Part II XII Corps, Army of the Potomac from Chain Bridge to the Dunker Church September 4 to 30, 1862 191

Chapter 7 A New Corps, a New Campaign: Pursuing Lee in Maryland September 4 to 16, 1862 193

Chapter 8 Crawford and Gordon in the East Woods and the Cornfield 7:20 to 8:30 a.m., September 17, 1862 224

Chapter 9 Greene's Division Breaks the Stalemate 8:30 to 9:20 a.m., September 17, 1862 257

Chapter 10 McLaws's Counterattack from the West Woods 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., September 17, 1862 285

Chapter 11 To the Dunker Church 9:50 a.m. to Midnight, September 17, 1862 313

Epilogue: Beyond the Antietam September 18 to 30, 1862 341

Appendix A Orders of Battle 347

Appendix B Casualties and Force Strength 363

Appendix C Where the Advanced 3rd Wisconsin Battalion Fought at Cedar Mountain 368

Bibliography 371

Index 381

Acknowledgments 394

About the Author 394

Editorial Reviews

The study is a deep dive into the very fabric of this corps, the depth of research Bryan brings to the forefront is truly worthy to note. This is a micro-tactical study in the fullest sense of that phrase.

Emerging Civil War Book Review

I thoroughly enjoyed this new study on the early days of the XII Corps. Bryan skillfully weaves firsthand accounts into a compelling story about the triumphs and defeats of this venerable unit. Unlike so many other unit histories, he provides context by explaining the Confederate side of the equation and goes one step further by devoting space to the topography of the battlefields. These approaches help the reader gain a much better grasp of the issues and challenges the XII Corps faced. Hal Jespersen’s outstanding maps are abundant and effectively complement the text. This study thrusts armchair readers into the ranks of the XII Corps, where they can almost see, smell, and hear the sounds of camp, the march, and the battles. I wish all unit history books were this good.

Bradley M. Gottfried

Where this book shines is the attention Bryan pays to individual accounts - humanizing the campaign in ways that reveal the experiences of combat, a tough nut to crack. Bryan’s use of private correspondence and the OR among a zillion other sources is exceptional.

Keith Harris History - Keith Harris

Cedar Mountain to Antietam brings relief to the deeds of an organization and men history has left behind. Chris Bryan tells the story of the XII Corps as its soldiers would have wanted it done: with good writing, excellent storytelling, deep research, and a close focus on their successes, struggles, and sacrifices. This book will be an essential source for those interested in the Army of the Potomac or the campaigns of Cedar Mountain, Antietam, or Second Manassas.

John Hennessy

This is a terrific book! Chris Bryan’s deep research and concise prose shines new light on the often-overlooked travails and valor of ‘Banks’ Weary Boys’ as they became the XII Corps, Army of the Potomac at Antietam. I highly recommend it.

Thomas G. Clemens

The XII Corps was something of an ugly stepchild in the Union Army and did not often get full credit for its battlefield performance. Chris Bryan’s richly sourced narrative helps bring the XII Corps and its remarkable story from Cedar Mountain to Antietam out of the shadows.

D. Scott Hartwig

Deeply researched and accompanied by splendid battle maps, Chris Bryan’s book is an engaging microhistory of the Union Army’s XII Corps during the crucial summer and fall of 1862. In addition to providing a clear and comprehensive narrative, Bryan has marshaled a myriad of soldier’s voices to create a vivid portrait of life in the Union Army during its most trying period.

Craig L. Symonds