Countless historians have analyzed Antietam, a battle which proved to be the bloodiest single day in American military history. Historian John Priest tells this brutal tale of slaughter from the perspective of the common enlisted man. He brings to life the fear, the horror, and the profound courage that soldiers displayed -- From the back cover.

Originally published: Shippensburg, Pa. : White Mane Pub. Co., ©1989. Includes maps of: Position of the Irish Brigade and Kimball's Brigade of the II Corps at the Middle Bridge, September 16, 1862; Advance of Companies C, H, and I, 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry, at the Upper Bridge, Afternoon, September 16, 1862; C Company, 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry, Opens the Fighting in the East Woods, Afternoon, September 16, 1862; Drive of the 1st Pennsylvania Rifles (13th Reserves) against Law's Brigade South of the Martin Line Farm, AFternoon, September 16, 1862; Struggle for the East Woods Before 8:00 P.M., September 16, 1862; End of the East Woods Fight, Evening, September 16, 1862; Position of Troops on the Northern End of the Field from Midnight to Dawn, September 16-17, 1862; Confederate Troop Disposition on the Northern End of the Field before the First Federal Infantry Assault, Dawn to 6:20 A.M., September 17, 1862; Deployment of Gibbon's Brigade in the North Woods, Dawn to 6:20 A.M., September 17, 1862; Federal Positions around D. R. Miller's Farm, Dawn to 6:20 A.M., September 17, 1862; Initial Fighting in the Cornfield, Dawn to 6:20 A.M., September 17, 1862; Lawton and Hays Attempt to Turn Gibbon's Left Flank, 6:25-7:00 A.M., September 17, 1862; Christian's Brigade Stalls Ripley and the 21st Georgia, 6:25-7:00 A.M., September 17, 1862; Hartsuff's Brigade Saves Gibbon and Phelps in the Cornfield, 6:25-7:00 A.M., September 17, 1862; Phelps and Gibbon Try to Take the West Woods, 6:25-7:00 A.M., September 17, 1862; Hood's Division Thwarts the Federal Charge from the Cornfield, 6:25-7:00 A.M., September 17, 1862; Texas Brigade Rushes into the Cornfield, 7:00-7:20 A.M., September 17, 1862; Pennsylvania Reserves Halt Hood's Offensive in the Cornfield, 7:00-7:20 A.M., September 17, 1862; Decimation of the Texas Bridgade in the Cornfield, 7:00-7:20 A.M., September 17, 1862; Crawford's Brigade Pushes into the East Woods, 7:20-8:00 A.M., September 17, 1862; Ripley's Counterthrust against the 19th Indiana and the 7th Wisconsin, 7:20-8:00 A.M., September 17, 1862; Final Confederate Push against the Cornfield, 8:00-8:40 A.M., September 17, 1862; 125th Pennsylvania Cleans Out the East Woods, 8:00-8:40 A.M., September 17, 1862; XII Corps Secures the East Woods, 8:00-8:40 A.M., September 17, 1862; Temporary Respite in the West Woods Sector, 8:40 A.M., September 17, 1862; 125th Pennsylvania Temporarily Secures the West Woods, 8:40-9:00 A.M., September 17, 1862; Sedgwick's Division Begins its Advance against the West Woods, 8:40-9:00 A.M., September 17, 1862; Federals' Desperate Attempt to Hold the Dunker Church, 9:00-9:30 A.M., September 17, 1862; Sedgwick Penetrates the West Woods, 9:00-9:30 A.M., September 17, 1862; Collapse of the Dunker Church and the Envelopment of Sedgwick's Flank, 9:00-9:30 A.M., September 17, 1862; Route of the Federal Right Wing in the West Woods, 9:00-9:30 A.M., September 17, 1862; Difficult Withdrawal of the 1st Minnesota and the 19th Massachusetts from the West Woods, 9:30 A.M., September 17, 1862; First Federal Repulse at the Bloody Lane, 9:00-9:30 A.M., September 17, 1862; Tyndale and Stainbrook Hurl Back Manning's Assault, 9:30-10:30 A.M., September 17, 1862; Tyndale and Stainbrook Gain a Foothold around the Dunker Church, 9:30-10:30 A.M., September 17, 1862; Confederates Thwart the Second Federal Assault upon the Bloody Lane, 9:30-10:30 A.M., September 17, 1862; Posey and Wright Reinforce Anderson's North Carolinians in the Bloody Lane, 9:30-10:30 A.M., September 17, 1862; Irish Brigade Stabilizes the Federal Left along the Bloody Lane, 10:30 A.M.-Noon, September 17, 1862; Hancock's Brigade Reinforces the Federal Line in the East Woods, Noon-1:00 P.M., September 17, 1862; Ransom and Cooke Throw Tyndale's Brigade Out of the West Woods, Noon-1:00 P.M., September 17, 1862; Irish Brigade Retires from the Bloody Lane, Noon-1:00 P.M., September 17, 1862; Barlow's 64th/61st New York Keeps the Confederates in the Bloody Lane in Check, Noon-1:00 P.M., September 17, 1862; Bloody Lane Collapses, Noon-1:00 P.M., September 17, 1862; Cooke and Cobb Pressure the Federal Right in Roulette's Lane, Noon-1:00 P.M., September 17, 1862; Irwin's Brigade, VI Corps, Flanks Cooke and Cobb in Mumma's Swale, Noon-1:00 P.M., September 17, 1862; Irwin's Brigade, VI Corps, Drives Cooke and Cobb from the Field, Noon-1:00 P.M., September 17, 1862; Stalemate near the Dunker Church, Noon-1:00 P.M., September 17, 1862; Confederates Hold Their Own in Piper's Swale, Noon-1:00 P.M., September 17, 1862; Lieutenant Thomas Evans' Two Companies Hold the Ground West of the Middle Bridge, September 17, 1862; Two Companies of the 11th Ohio Make a Half-hearted Foray against the Lower Bridge, 9:00 A.M., September 17, 1862; 11th Connecticut Loses Heavily in its Try for the Lower Bridge, 10:00 A.M., September 17, 1862; Nagle's Brigade Prepares to Attack the Lower Bridge, 10:30 A.M.-Noon, September 17, 1862; Colonel Duryea Leads the 2nd Maryland into the Fray, 10:30 A.M.-Noon, September 17, 1862; 2nd Maryland and the 6th New Hampshire Assault the Lower Bridge for the First Time, 10:30 A.M.-Noon, September 17, 1862; Nagle's Brigade Becomes Fully Committed to the Battle, 10:30 A.M.-Noon, September 17, 1862; 2nd Maryland and the 6th New Hampshire Fail in Their Second Charge against the Lower Bridge, 10:30 A.M.-Noon, September 17, 1862; Ferrero's Brigade Gets into the Fighting, 10:30 A.M.-Noon, September 17, 1862; 51st Pennsylvania and the 51st New York Gain a Foothold at the Lower Bridge, Noon-1:00 P.M., September 17, 1862; 51st Pennsylvania and the 51st New York Force a Crossing at the Lower Bridge, Noon-1:00 P.M., September 17, 1862; Rest of Nagle's and Ferrero's Brigades Close on the Lower Bridge, Noon-1:00 P.M. September 17, 1862; 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry and the Federal Horse Artillery Go into Action at the Middle Bridge, Noon-1:00 P.M., September 17, 1862; Benning's Georgians Regroup on the Western Edge of the 40-Acre Cornfield, Noon-1:00 P.M., September 17, 1862; 9th New York Pressures the Confederate Right, 1:00-4:20 P.M., September 17, 1862; IX Corps Moves against D. R. Jones' Division, 1:00-4:20 P.M., September 17, 1862; Jones' Division Buckles under Increased Pressure, 1:00-4:20 P.M., September 17, 1862; IX Corps Halts to Cheer Itself for its Conquests, 1:00-4:20 P.M., September 17, 1862; Benning and Gregg Launch Their Counterattacks, 4:20 P.M.-Dark, September 17, 1862; Benning and George Roll Up the Federal Left Wing, 4:20 P.M.-Dark, September 17, 1862; 30th Ohio Attempts to Save the IX Corps' Left Flank, 4:20 P.M.-Dark, September 17, 1862; 35th Massachusetts Shows its Mettle, 4:20 P.M.-Dark, September 17, 1862; Final Disposition of the U.S. Regulars at the Middle Bridge, 4:20 P.M.-Dark, September 17, 1862; 7th Maine Makes a Desperate Charge into Piper's Swale, 4:20 P.M.-Dark, September 17, 1862.