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Narrator: America teeters
on the brink of destruction.
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Almost a year and
a half has passed
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00:00:12,839 --> 00:00:15,506
since 11 southern
states declared war
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00:00:15,508 --> 00:00:18,176
on the government
of Abraham Lincoln.
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Despite being
outgunned and outmanned
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00:00:20,046 --> 00:00:22,646
by larger northern forces,
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00:00:22,648 --> 00:00:26,050
the confederate
armies seem invincible.
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00:00:26,052 --> 00:00:29,120
Now, after a string
of victories in Virginia,
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rebel general Robert e. Lee
has done the unthinkable.
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For the first time
in the civil war,
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the rebels have
invaded the north.
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This is the first time
the United States
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00:00:38,932 --> 00:00:39,997
is facing invasion.
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That hasn't happened before.
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Baltimore is threatened.
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Pennsylvania is threatened.
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00:00:44,604 --> 00:00:47,138
Washington is more
threatened now than ever.
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If there ever was a moment
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where Lincoln needed
a win, this was it.
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Narrator: Near the banks
of the antietam creek,
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00:00:52,946 --> 00:00:55,280
yankee soldiers will
launch a desperate attack
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to end the invasion
and save the union.
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As the battle rages,
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00:00:59,753 --> 00:01:02,253
shock troops from
the 1st Texas infantry
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will clash with union's
elite iron brigade.
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And fire!
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Their battleground will become
one of the deadliest places
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in all of the civil war.
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There are very few places
on civil war battlefields
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that approach the cornfield
in terms of carnage.
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Narrator: Their fight will
become part of the bloodiest day
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in American military history...
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There's too many.
We'll never hold them.
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And will forever
change the nation.
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Fire!
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Once you've had
a day like antietam,
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there's no going back to
the country as it was before.
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Captions by vitac...
www.Vitac.Com
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captions paid for by
discovery communications
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Narrator: The civil
war has entered its 18th
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blood-soaked month.
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00:02:06,019 --> 00:02:08,353
Following the crushing
defeat of the union forces
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00:02:08,355 --> 00:02:12,557
at the second battle of
bull run in late August,
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many in the north believe
the war could soon be lost.
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Morale within the union
army has plummeted.
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Despite the best
efforts of the north
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to crush the rebellion,
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the confederacy still clings
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00:02:27,374 --> 00:02:32,977
to 750,000 square miles
of American territory.
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00:02:32,979 --> 00:02:34,312
Frye: People are
getting tired of this war,
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00:02:34,314 --> 00:02:35,780
especially in the north.
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There is a fatigue.
There is a weariness.
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And there's also this feeling
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of desperation and frustration.
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"Why can't we win?
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We have the bigger armies.
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We have the industry.
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We have the population.
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What's wrong?"
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00:02:54,467 --> 00:02:56,534
Narrator: Much of the credit
for the confederate success
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lies with one man...
General Robert e. Lee.
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00:03:01,808 --> 00:03:04,342
Robert e. Lee
certainly ranks among
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00:03:04,344 --> 00:03:06,811
america's military geniuses.
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00:03:06,813 --> 00:03:10,348
A great strategist,
a great tactician.
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00:03:10,350 --> 00:03:13,351
Narrator: After assuming
command three months earlier,
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his forces seem unbeatable.
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00:03:16,356 --> 00:03:20,024
Lee is best remembered as bold.
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Narrator: And he's
about to embark
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on his boldest
course of action yet.
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Lee believed that if the
confederacy was to win,
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it had to win quickly.
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00:03:30,103 --> 00:03:31,969
He could hear
that clock ticking.
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00:03:31,971 --> 00:03:34,705
Every day, every week,
every month that passed,
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00:03:34,707 --> 00:03:37,442
the louder and
louder that clock got.
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00:03:40,914 --> 00:03:42,981
With the northern
advantages in manpower,
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00:03:42,983 --> 00:03:45,850
material, resource, industry...
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it motivated his decision
to take a bold gamble.
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00:03:55,595 --> 00:03:58,796
Narrator: In early September,
Lee takes that gamble.
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Frye: Lee understands
that you must
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00:04:03,269 --> 00:04:05,069
take opportunity and seize it.
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00:04:05,071 --> 00:04:07,138
The time has come.
The moment is here.
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Lee must launch.
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Narrator: And launch he does.
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More than 40,000
confederate troops
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cross the potomac
river and enter Maryland.
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00:04:19,418 --> 00:04:22,820
Despite being outnumbered
by the larger northern forces,
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00:04:22,822 --> 00:04:24,688
Lee is confident
that hard-fighting men
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00:04:24,690 --> 00:04:29,293
like his Texas
brigade can't be beat.
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00:04:29,295 --> 00:04:33,631
Frye: Robert e. Lee's
shock troops... hood's texans.
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00:04:33,633 --> 00:04:35,699
They were ferocious.
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00:04:35,701 --> 00:04:37,234
They were loud.
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00:04:37,236 --> 00:04:41,039
Nobody could do the rebel
yell better than those texans.
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00:04:41,041 --> 00:04:45,442
And they knew that when
they were called upon,
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00:04:45,444 --> 00:04:47,478
they were either
going to be cleaning up
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or clearing out or
trying to save the army.
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Narrator: William
gaston is an officer
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with the 1st Texas infantry.
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00:05:01,394 --> 00:05:05,529
He fights alongside his
younger brother, Robert.
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00:05:05,531 --> 00:05:07,532
Raised on a farm in east Texas,
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00:05:07,534 --> 00:05:10,868
the gastons Rose
quickly through the ranks.
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00:05:10,870 --> 00:05:12,536
William serves as a captain.
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00:05:12,538 --> 00:05:14,404
Robert, a lieutenant.
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How is it you always
seem to turn up
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when the work's just about done?
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00:05:17,944 --> 00:05:19,277
Ain't my fault.
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Y'all were the handy
one in the family.
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00:05:21,347 --> 00:05:23,614
Please tell me you
found something to eat.
108
00:05:23,616 --> 00:05:27,051
If there's apples in that
bag, I might have to shoot ya.
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00:05:30,490 --> 00:05:32,422
Colonel's looking
into our rations.
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God as my witness,
soon as we get home
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00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,028
I'll never eat
another apple again.
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I won't even let
someone say the word.
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This might help lift
your spirits some.
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00:05:45,905 --> 00:05:47,538
It's yankee, though.
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00:05:49,509 --> 00:05:52,109
Hmm.
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00:05:52,111 --> 00:05:53,510
Looks like fighting
ain't the only thing
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they can't do worth a damn.
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00:05:56,182 --> 00:05:59,717
Despite the long march
north and the lack of rations,
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they're confident that
the dream of a free south
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00:06:02,454 --> 00:06:04,255
can soon be realized.
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00:06:04,257 --> 00:06:06,723
They often went
without much to eat.
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00:06:06,725 --> 00:06:09,193
Somehow, they had
the perseverance,
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00:06:09,195 --> 00:06:10,661
the endurance,
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00:06:10,663 --> 00:06:14,932
the determination to keep
moving, keep marching.
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00:06:14,934 --> 00:06:16,600
They believed in Lee.
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00:06:16,602 --> 00:06:18,703
They believed in their cause.
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00:06:24,077 --> 00:06:25,342
I don't know what's
more alarming,
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00:06:25,344 --> 00:06:27,211
the fact that you still
got a pair of drawers
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00:06:27,213 --> 00:06:29,680
or that I can see them
through your trousers.
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00:06:29,682 --> 00:06:31,015
What are all those
Yankees gonna say
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00:06:31,017 --> 00:06:34,084
when they see a texan officer
with his drawers showing?
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00:06:34,086 --> 00:06:35,352
Brother, alls you've
got to worry about
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00:06:35,354 --> 00:06:39,223
is what I look like right here.
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00:06:39,225 --> 00:06:42,693
And just why is that?
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00:06:42,695 --> 00:06:43,961
Because no damn yankee's
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00:06:43,963 --> 00:06:47,898
ever gonna see the
backside of a texan.
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00:06:47,900 --> 00:06:50,167
The arrival of men
like the texans spreads
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00:06:50,169 --> 00:06:52,903
a wave of fear across the union.
139
00:06:52,905 --> 00:06:56,840
Lee's army moving into
Maryland in the fall of '62 is...
140
00:06:56,842 --> 00:06:59,310
Creates a crisis in
Washington. There's panic.
141
00:06:59,312 --> 00:07:02,379
A lot of people in the south are
thinking victory might be near.
142
00:07:02,381 --> 00:07:06,150
People in the north are thinking
this very well may be over.
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00:07:08,454 --> 00:07:11,455
Narrator: A mere 70 miles
away in the nation's capital,
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00:07:11,457 --> 00:07:13,057
Abraham Lincoln is facing some
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00:07:13,059 --> 00:07:16,527
of the most difficult
days of his presidency.
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Lincoln knows the
union cannot afford
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00:07:18,331 --> 00:07:20,998
to lose on northern soil.
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Since the war began
17 months earlier,
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00:07:23,336 --> 00:07:25,203
the stakes had not
yet been as high
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00:07:25,205 --> 00:07:28,072
as they were in
September of '62.
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00:07:28,074 --> 00:07:30,341
Early September, with
confederates advancing,
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00:07:30,343 --> 00:07:32,877
with Lee poised in the
banks of the potomac,
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00:07:32,879 --> 00:07:35,813
Lincoln needed the
situation to change.
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This was the first time
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that the president
of the United States,
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and the United States,
is facing invasion.
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That hasn't happened before.
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00:07:42,154 --> 00:07:46,157
Washington is more
threatened now than ever.
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00:07:46,159 --> 00:07:48,092
President Lincoln is
also under pressure
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00:07:48,094 --> 00:07:51,562
from members of his own
party to emancipate the slaves.
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00:07:51,564 --> 00:07:54,632
He's drafted the order to
abolish slavery in the south.
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But he desperately
needs a victory
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00:07:56,369 --> 00:07:59,169
before he can
release it to the nation.
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Vermilya: If there was an
emancipation proclamation
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00:08:01,974 --> 00:08:04,642
following these southern
military successes
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00:08:04,644 --> 00:08:05,776
and union defeats,
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00:08:05,778 --> 00:08:08,278
it would look like a
moment of desperation.
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00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:10,047
And that's the last
thing that Lincoln wants.
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00:08:10,049 --> 00:08:13,384
So you can rightfully say
that, in September of 1862,
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00:08:13,386 --> 00:08:16,654
the United States of America
has come to a fork in the road.
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00:08:16,656 --> 00:08:18,389
And it's either gonna
be one way or the other
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because a confederate
victory on Maryland soil
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00:08:21,194 --> 00:08:23,127
will go a long ways
towards establishing
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00:08:23,129 --> 00:08:25,262
a separate confederate nation.
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00:08:25,264 --> 00:08:27,932
A union victory on Maryland soil
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00:08:27,934 --> 00:08:31,201
is gonna lead to the
emancipation proclamation,
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00:08:31,203 --> 00:08:33,403
the most dramatic
presidential action
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00:08:33,405 --> 00:08:35,672
on slavery in American history.
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If there ever was a moment
up to this point in the war
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where Lincoln needed a win,
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00:08:39,612 --> 00:08:42,813
this was it.
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00:08:42,815 --> 00:08:44,482
Narrator: Fortunately,
for the union army,
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00:08:44,484 --> 00:08:47,150
on September 13, 1862,
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00:08:47,152 --> 00:08:50,754
some yankee soldiers
make an incredible discovery.
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00:08:50,756 --> 00:08:53,157
When union soldiers are
coming into Frederick, Maryland,
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00:08:53,159 --> 00:08:55,593
on the heels of confederates
leaving Frederick...
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00:09:00,833 --> 00:09:05,970
they come across a copy
of Lee's special orders 191.
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00:09:08,841 --> 00:09:11,108
Essentially, this
was his game plan.
189
00:09:11,110 --> 00:09:14,311
And this intelligence
falls into union hands.
190
00:09:14,313 --> 00:09:16,447
Narrator: The union learns
that Lee has split his army
191
00:09:16,449 --> 00:09:19,917
during the march and is
incredibly vulnerable to attack.
192
00:09:22,588 --> 00:09:26,323
And in the mountains
of western Maryland,
193
00:09:26,325 --> 00:09:28,793
the Yankees pounce.
194
00:09:28,795 --> 00:09:31,862
Lee's troops are mauled.
195
00:09:31,864 --> 00:09:34,131
Stunned by the blow,
Lee must fall back
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00:09:34,133 --> 00:09:37,735
and try to regroup his army
before another union attack.
197
00:09:39,872 --> 00:09:42,606
Some of the hardest-hitting
troops in the fight
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00:09:42,608 --> 00:09:45,876
were members
of the iron brigade.
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00:09:45,878 --> 00:09:49,080
Composed of regiments
from Indiana and Wisconsin,
200
00:09:49,082 --> 00:09:53,551
they're one of the
union's elite combat units.
201
00:09:53,553 --> 00:09:56,487
The soldiers of the iron
brigade had earned a reputation
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00:09:56,489 --> 00:09:59,823
of being steadfast, solid,
reliable and hard-fighting men.
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00:09:59,825 --> 00:10:01,292
And just like the
men from Texas,
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00:10:01,294 --> 00:10:03,160
they too were hundreds
and hundreds of miles
205
00:10:03,162 --> 00:10:04,695
away from their home.
206
00:10:04,697 --> 00:10:06,963
Narrator: And just like
the men from Texas,
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00:10:06,965 --> 00:10:09,700
they, too, are about to
play a pivotal role in one
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00:10:09,702 --> 00:10:12,403
of the most important
battles in American history.
209
00:10:14,774 --> 00:10:17,307
Marching in pursuit
of Lee's army,
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00:10:17,309 --> 00:10:20,177
they've stopped near the
town of sharpsburg, Maryland.
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00:10:22,981 --> 00:10:26,316
With them is private
Johnny Johnson.
212
00:10:26,318 --> 00:10:28,118
Johnny came to
america from Europe
213
00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:30,053
before the war broke out.
214
00:10:30,055 --> 00:10:32,189
Now he's determined to
help defend the country
215
00:10:32,191 --> 00:10:35,726
that gave him a new start.
216
00:10:35,728 --> 00:10:37,995
There was a tremendous
number of immigrants
217
00:10:37,997 --> 00:10:39,596
who volunteered to serve.
218
00:10:39,598 --> 00:10:40,865
This whole idea of, you know,
219
00:10:40,867 --> 00:10:42,933
a government of the
people, by the people, for...
220
00:10:42,935 --> 00:10:44,601
They believed in it,
221
00:10:44,603 --> 00:10:47,004
and they were
willing to fight for it.
222
00:10:47,006 --> 00:10:50,340
Artillery batteries were
notoriously under strength.
223
00:10:50,342 --> 00:10:53,010
They'll appeal to
infantry volunteers.
224
00:10:53,012 --> 00:10:55,145
And Johnny Johnson
was one of the men
225
00:10:55,147 --> 00:10:58,749
who volunteered to
serve with battery b.
226
00:10:58,751 --> 00:11:00,885
The sergeant's job
was to make sure,
227
00:11:00,887 --> 00:11:01,952
even though they were scared,
228
00:11:01,954 --> 00:11:03,821
everybody continued
to do their job.
229
00:11:03,823 --> 00:11:05,288
And then, if somebody got hit,
230
00:11:05,290 --> 00:11:07,424
they might step
in and fill their role.
231
00:11:07,426 --> 00:11:09,026
That's why drilling
was so important.
232
00:11:09,028 --> 00:11:12,029
So that, even though you
were scared out of your wits,
233
00:11:12,031 --> 00:11:13,764
you still could execute.
234
00:11:13,766 --> 00:11:15,633
Let's go through it again.
235
00:11:15,635 --> 00:11:17,701
Gunner calls for case.
236
00:11:17,703 --> 00:11:19,770
Canister. What's in it?
237
00:11:19,772 --> 00:11:21,639
Dozens of steel
balls timed to burst
238
00:11:21,641 --> 00:11:22,773
in the air above the troops.
239
00:11:22,775 --> 00:11:24,975
Turns the Cannon
into a giant shotgun.
240
00:11:27,980 --> 00:11:29,913
Narrator: Just as committed
to saving the nation
241
00:11:29,915 --> 00:11:31,381
is Joshua Jones,
242
00:11:31,383 --> 00:11:34,518
another member
of the iron brigade.
243
00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:37,587
A 24-year-old serving
with the 19th Indiana,
244
00:11:37,589 --> 00:11:41,992
Jones volunteered following
the outbreak of the war in 1861.
245
00:11:44,263 --> 00:11:46,396
After 14 months in the army,
246
00:11:46,398 --> 00:11:49,767
he thinks often of the
young family he left behind.
247
00:11:58,410 --> 00:12:01,211
He writes to his wife, Celia,
248
00:12:01,213 --> 00:12:02,812
"the longer I stay away,
249
00:12:02,814 --> 00:12:06,816
the more I think of you
and the better I love you.
250
00:12:06,818 --> 00:12:08,552
Often do I think
of the happy days
251
00:12:08,554 --> 00:12:11,088
when I could sit down
with you and our little boy.
252
00:12:13,159 --> 00:12:15,625
But I shall never return
until the stars and stripes
253
00:12:15,627 --> 00:12:20,030
is floating over all
the states in the union,
254
00:12:20,032 --> 00:12:22,566
and if it falls to my
lot to fall in battle,
255
00:12:22,568 --> 00:12:26,103
it will be in defense
of my country."
256
00:12:26,105 --> 00:12:28,372
Vermilya: Joshua Jones
is writing home saying,
257
00:12:28,374 --> 00:12:30,173
"I love you, my
family back at home,
258
00:12:30,175 --> 00:12:31,842
but this is very
important for me.
259
00:12:31,844 --> 00:12:33,844
And even though I
may not come back,
260
00:12:33,846 --> 00:12:35,246
I want you to know
that I'm committed
261
00:12:35,248 --> 00:12:37,014
to trying to save our country."
262
00:12:39,184 --> 00:12:40,784
Narrator: Still
stinging from the loss
263
00:12:40,786 --> 00:12:42,252
in the mountains of Maryland,
264
00:12:42,254 --> 00:12:43,720
Lee is now in retreat,
265
00:12:43,722 --> 00:12:46,990
pulling many of his battered
troops back towards the potomac.
266
00:12:46,992 --> 00:12:51,795
The dream of winning
the war is now in jeopardy.
267
00:12:51,797 --> 00:12:55,599
September 14th was a
dark day for Robert e. Lee.
268
00:12:55,601 --> 00:12:57,000
Just 10 days earlier,
269
00:12:57,002 --> 00:12:58,469
he had embarked
upon this campaign.
270
00:12:58,471 --> 00:13:00,671
And now it seemed,
from out of nowhere,
271
00:13:00,673 --> 00:13:04,408
the union army had arrived
and was breathing down his neck.
272
00:13:04,410 --> 00:13:07,745
He wants to get his army united.
273
00:13:07,747 --> 00:13:09,813
His men marched
through the night,
274
00:13:09,815 --> 00:13:11,282
nothing but the
moonlight to guide them
275
00:13:11,284 --> 00:13:12,549
through western Maryland
276
00:13:12,551 --> 00:13:16,086
and toward this meandering
creek called the antietam.
277
00:13:17,823 --> 00:13:19,557
Narrator: When Lee
sees the antietam,
278
00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:24,962
the bold commander sees an
opportunity he can't pass up.
279
00:13:24,964 --> 00:13:27,564
He realizes immediately
that this terrain offers
280
00:13:27,566 --> 00:13:31,035
some incredible
defensive advantages.
281
00:13:31,037 --> 00:13:32,369
Narrator: Lee immediately begins
282
00:13:32,371 --> 00:13:34,638
to move his troops
onto the high ridges
283
00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:37,174
that run to the west
of the antietam creek
284
00:13:37,176 --> 00:13:39,643
and to the north of
the town of sharpsburg.
285
00:13:39,645 --> 00:13:41,378
Vermilya: Lee is going
to use these ridges
286
00:13:41,380 --> 00:13:43,647
as a fortress for his army.
287
00:13:43,649 --> 00:13:45,849
In front of that
fortress, he has a moat,
288
00:13:45,851 --> 00:13:47,384
which is antietam creek.
289
00:13:47,386 --> 00:13:50,387
So he has a moat.
He has a fortress.
290
00:13:50,389 --> 00:13:51,722
He will make a stand.
291
00:13:53,993 --> 00:13:55,792
Narrator: Near the
banks of this creek,
292
00:13:55,794 --> 00:14:00,531
the hopes of two
nations will live or die.
293
00:14:00,533 --> 00:14:02,466
The bloodiest day
in American history
294
00:14:02,468 --> 00:14:05,669
is about to begin.
295
00:14:09,222 --> 00:14:11,422
Narrator: For the first
time in the civil war,
296
00:14:11,424 --> 00:14:16,495
confederate general Robert
e. Lee has invaded the north.
297
00:14:16,497 --> 00:14:18,630
His forces now
occupy the high ground
298
00:14:18,632 --> 00:14:21,433
to the west of the
antietam creek in Maryland.
299
00:14:21,435 --> 00:14:26,037
They expect a union
attack at any moment.
300
00:14:26,039 --> 00:14:27,906
If the rebels triumph,
301
00:14:27,908 --> 00:14:30,842
the dream of an independent
south may be realized.
302
00:14:30,844 --> 00:14:34,379
And the United
States will be no more.
303
00:14:34,381 --> 00:14:38,350
Given the stakes, both sides
will stop at nothing to win.
304
00:14:41,121 --> 00:14:43,054
As Lee plans to make his stand,
305
00:14:43,056 --> 00:14:44,790
the call goes out to
his scattered army
306
00:14:44,792 --> 00:14:47,159
to unite near the
banks at the antietam.
307
00:14:50,464 --> 00:14:52,530
By sunset, most of Lee's troops
308
00:14:52,532 --> 00:14:54,332
have reached the
confederate camp.
309
00:15:02,009 --> 00:15:04,009
Among them are
William and Robert gaston
310
00:15:04,011 --> 00:15:05,610
of the 1st Texas...
311
00:15:05,612 --> 00:15:09,881
The shock troops
of the rebel forces.
312
00:15:09,883 --> 00:15:12,617
The texans have been on
the move for almost 3 days,
313
00:15:12,619 --> 00:15:16,555
with very little rest
and hardly any food.
314
00:15:16,557 --> 00:15:18,490
In spite of the delayed rations
315
00:15:18,492 --> 00:15:20,691
and all of the hardships
they've endured,
316
00:15:20,693 --> 00:15:23,628
the texans' spirits remain high.
317
00:15:23,630 --> 00:15:25,897
Frye: They could barely
keep their eyes open.
318
00:15:25,899 --> 00:15:27,966
Their stomachs were growling.
319
00:15:27,968 --> 00:15:34,372
They had had almost no
food in 24 hours or longer.
320
00:15:34,374 --> 00:15:36,107
Narrator: After
reaching the antietam,
321
00:15:36,109 --> 00:15:37,775
older brother William
had gone to check
322
00:15:37,777 --> 00:15:39,945
on the status of their rations.
323
00:15:42,115 --> 00:15:44,249
Don't just sit there.
What'd he say?
324
00:15:44,251 --> 00:15:46,851
You want the good
news or the bad news?
325
00:15:46,853 --> 00:15:48,853
Let me guess.
326
00:15:48,855 --> 00:15:51,589
Lincoln was caught
by Stuart's calvary,
327
00:15:51,591 --> 00:15:56,527
fleeing the capital dressed
as some ugly yankee woman.
328
00:15:56,529 --> 00:15:57,929
The war is over.
329
00:15:57,931 --> 00:16:00,599
Not quite that dramatic.
330
00:16:00,601 --> 00:16:03,268
The general has promised
us three days rations.
331
00:16:03,270 --> 00:16:05,536
The bad news?
332
00:16:05,538 --> 00:16:09,140
They seem to have...
Left the supply wagon
333
00:16:09,142 --> 00:16:12,210
on the other side of the river.
334
00:16:12,212 --> 00:16:13,879
Should be here soon.
335
00:16:21,288 --> 00:16:22,821
Narrator: A mile to the north,
336
00:16:22,823 --> 00:16:24,622
members of the
union's iron brigade
337
00:16:24,624 --> 00:16:27,392
prepare for the attack they
know is to come in the morning.
338
00:16:31,831 --> 00:16:33,898
Hoptak: Nightfall
on September 16th...
339
00:16:33,900 --> 00:16:36,368
In some places
fires are prohibited
340
00:16:36,370 --> 00:16:38,736
'cause the lines were so close.
341
00:16:38,738 --> 00:16:41,506
And whether they're
in blue or gray,
342
00:16:41,508 --> 00:16:44,642
these veterans knew
a battle's imminent.
343
00:16:44,644 --> 00:16:48,980
So imagine what may have
been going through their heads.
344
00:16:52,386 --> 00:16:54,085
[ Harmonica plays ]
345
00:16:56,924 --> 00:16:59,524
Narrator: Nearby,
unable to sleep,
346
00:16:59,526 --> 00:17:02,460
union soldier Joshua
Jones writes what could be
347
00:17:02,462 --> 00:17:03,929
his last letter home.
348
00:17:08,135 --> 00:17:10,335
Jones: "My dear Celia,
349
00:17:10,337 --> 00:17:13,271
I was so happy to
receive your letter.
350
00:17:13,273 --> 00:17:16,141
When I seen your hair and
little George's hair inside,
351
00:17:16,143 --> 00:17:18,410
I could not help shedding tears.
352
00:17:24,017 --> 00:17:27,152
I can see now that we
lived as pleasant a life
353
00:17:27,154 --> 00:17:30,755
as any two on earth.
354
00:17:30,757 --> 00:17:33,758
Celia, there is men
here with needy wives
355
00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:35,427
and hungry families,
356
00:17:35,429 --> 00:17:37,295
and they are spending
their money for whiskey
357
00:17:37,297 --> 00:17:40,231
and other such foolery.
358
00:17:40,233 --> 00:17:41,899
Just this morning,
I sold my watch
359
00:17:41,901 --> 00:17:45,637
to Isaac Branson
for 18 and a half.
360
00:17:45,639 --> 00:17:48,239
That's six more than
what I paid for it in Virginia
361
00:17:48,241 --> 00:17:50,909
three months ago.
362
00:17:50,911 --> 00:17:53,044
I am sending you
the watch money.
363
00:17:53,046 --> 00:17:55,713
Save all that you can.
364
00:17:55,715 --> 00:17:58,049
I love you, Celia.
365
00:17:58,051 --> 00:18:01,519
Faithfully yours, Joshua."
366
00:18:08,861 --> 00:18:10,395
Narrator: Soldiers
aren't the only ones
367
00:18:10,397 --> 00:18:12,230
making preparations this night.
368
00:18:15,335 --> 00:18:18,602
Pinsker: The confederate armies
could not fight without slaves.
369
00:18:18,604 --> 00:18:21,406
Thousands of black
laborers... slaves...
370
00:18:21,408 --> 00:18:23,941
Are serving the army in
important support capacities.
371
00:18:23,943 --> 00:18:26,544
Without them, the
army doesn't move.
372
00:18:26,546 --> 00:18:28,146
Narrator: To
undermine this support,
373
00:18:28,148 --> 00:18:29,814
the federal government
has announced
374
00:18:29,816 --> 00:18:31,149
it will free any slave
375
00:18:31,151 --> 00:18:34,351
who can make it
to the union line.
376
00:18:34,353 --> 00:18:37,221
Two slaves forced to
serve the rebel army
377
00:18:37,223 --> 00:18:40,525
have decided the time to
escape their bondage is at hand.
378
00:18:47,166 --> 00:18:49,634
But the risks are great.
379
00:18:51,705 --> 00:18:56,574
If they're caught, they'll
be savagely beaten or killed.
380
00:18:56,576 --> 00:18:58,242
But to these two men,
381
00:18:58,244 --> 00:19:01,079
the chance to win their freedom
makes it worth the danger.
382
00:19:03,850 --> 00:19:07,352
First, they have to somehow
get past the rebel sentries.
383
00:19:26,206 --> 00:19:27,972
Sentry: Hey, you
two, stop right there!
384
00:19:30,944 --> 00:19:32,544
Spotted by a guard,
385
00:19:32,546 --> 00:19:35,480
the two men race for the
safety of the union line.
386
00:19:41,221 --> 00:19:42,487
[ Gunshot ]
387
00:19:48,695 --> 00:19:51,028
As day breaks,
388
00:19:51,030 --> 00:19:53,832
one of the men has almost
reached the union line.
389
00:19:56,369 --> 00:19:59,037
There, he will be taken
in by federal troops
390
00:19:59,039 --> 00:20:01,406
and will be freed.
391
00:20:05,112 --> 00:20:07,445
But his companion
was not so lucky.
392
00:20:13,319 --> 00:20:14,853
During the escape attempt,
393
00:20:14,855 --> 00:20:17,288
he was gunned down
by a rebel sentry.
394
00:20:25,398 --> 00:20:27,599
Just hundreds of yards away,
395
00:20:27,601 --> 00:20:31,069
the battle to determine the fate
of both slavery and the nation
396
00:20:31,071 --> 00:20:32,803
is set to begin.
397
00:20:32,805 --> 00:20:35,740
If the union wins,
Lincoln plans to release
398
00:20:35,742 --> 00:20:37,742
the emancipation proclamation,
399
00:20:37,744 --> 00:20:41,078
freeing almost four
million African-Americans.
400
00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:45,483
If it loses, the United States
may very well cease to exist.
401
00:20:47,553 --> 00:20:51,823
Almost 10,000 union troops
now march toward the rebel line.
402
00:20:54,561 --> 00:20:56,828
Hoptak: George mcclellan,
a general that we often
403
00:20:56,830 --> 00:20:59,163
times characterize as cautious,
404
00:20:59,165 --> 00:21:01,565
he is gonna lead
the attack at antietam,
405
00:21:01,567 --> 00:21:04,836
and his plan is to rely
upon his right hook.
406
00:21:04,838 --> 00:21:07,972
What he wants to do
is pummel Lee's left
407
00:21:07,974 --> 00:21:11,442
with a series of
hammer-blow assaults.
408
00:21:11,444 --> 00:21:13,577
Narrator: After
leaving the union line,
409
00:21:13,579 --> 00:21:16,514
the yankee assault
force is to head south
410
00:21:16,516 --> 00:21:18,316
and then slam
into the left flank
411
00:21:18,318 --> 00:21:21,853
of general Lee's army.
412
00:21:21,855 --> 00:21:24,655
Expecting heavy
resistance from the rebels,
413
00:21:24,657 --> 00:21:28,993
the men know they are
in for the fight of their lives.
414
00:21:28,995 --> 00:21:31,595
Leading this union
assault is Joshua Jones
415
00:21:31,597 --> 00:21:34,933
and the men of the iron brigade.
416
00:21:34,935 --> 00:21:36,467
The battle that
will claim the lives
417
00:21:36,469 --> 00:21:41,472
of almost 4,000 Americans
and wound 17,000 more
418
00:21:41,474 --> 00:21:43,141
is about to begin.
419
00:22:05,031 --> 00:22:06,164
[ Indistinct shouting ]
420
00:22:14,241 --> 00:22:16,373
Send these wretched
souls back to hell, boys!
421
00:22:16,375 --> 00:22:20,044
Fire!
422
00:22:20,046 --> 00:22:22,247
Narrator: In hopes of ending
the first confederate invasion
423
00:22:22,249 --> 00:22:24,181
of the north,
424
00:22:24,183 --> 00:22:25,849
union troops have
attacked rebels
425
00:22:25,851 --> 00:22:28,019
near the banks of
the antietam creek.
426
00:22:30,457 --> 00:22:33,457
Fire!
427
00:22:33,459 --> 00:22:36,260
And as battery b of
the 4th U.S. artillery
428
00:22:36,262 --> 00:22:37,929
pounds the confederate line,
429
00:22:37,931 --> 00:22:42,466
Johnny Johnson
watches and waits.
430
00:22:42,468 --> 00:22:44,269
Half a mile to the southwest,
431
00:22:44,271 --> 00:22:46,871
after being pounded
by rebel artillery,
432
00:22:46,873 --> 00:22:48,606
Joshua Jones and
the iron brigade
433
00:22:48,608 --> 00:22:51,008
have attacked the
far left of the rebel line.
434
00:22:51,010 --> 00:22:52,943
Man: Aim!
435
00:22:52,945 --> 00:22:55,413
Fire!
436
00:23:24,110 --> 00:23:26,110
[ Shouting ]
437
00:23:33,052 --> 00:23:35,520
After putting up some
fierce resistance...
438
00:23:39,726 --> 00:23:41,426
the rebels fall back.
439
00:23:43,596 --> 00:23:44,596
Fire!
440
00:23:46,599 --> 00:23:48,599
A quarter of a mile away,
441
00:23:48,601 --> 00:23:50,000
union private Johnny Johnson
442
00:23:50,002 --> 00:23:52,536
and a handful of other
gun crews from battery b
443
00:23:52,538 --> 00:23:54,639
have been ordered
to a new position.
444
00:23:56,810 --> 00:23:58,876
They've been deployed
near the edge of a cornfield
445
00:23:58,878 --> 00:24:00,978
that will soon go
down in infamy.
446
00:24:03,216 --> 00:24:05,816
Johnson and the men of battery b
447
00:24:05,818 --> 00:24:08,019
are about to find
themselves at the epicenter
448
00:24:08,021 --> 00:24:12,423
of one of history's
most ferocious battles.
449
00:24:12,425 --> 00:24:16,093
Hoptak: The cornfield...
That 24 acres of land...
450
00:24:16,095 --> 00:24:20,898
Will come to symbolize the
hellish intensity of antietam.
451
00:24:20,900 --> 00:24:23,768
There were many
cornfields at antietam,
452
00:24:23,770 --> 00:24:27,772
but only one cornfield.
453
00:24:27,774 --> 00:24:29,240
Narrator: Rebel
troops have launched
454
00:24:29,242 --> 00:24:30,641
a ferocious counterattack,
455
00:24:30,643 --> 00:24:35,579
and battery b soon finds
itself in the thick of the fight.
456
00:24:35,581 --> 00:24:38,850
Hoptak: Oftentimes, battery b
would be well behind the lines.
457
00:24:38,852 --> 00:24:41,652
But here battery b was
brought right to the front.
458
00:24:41,654 --> 00:24:43,521
When these batteries
are pushed forward,
459
00:24:43,523 --> 00:24:46,324
and they're engaged in
close combat with infantry,
460
00:24:46,326 --> 00:24:48,092
they take heavy casualties.
461
00:24:50,463 --> 00:24:52,196
Narrator: As another
crew member falls,
462
00:24:52,198 --> 00:24:54,699
Johnson is finally
thrown into the fight.
463
00:25:02,475 --> 00:25:04,074
To the right!
464
00:25:04,076 --> 00:25:05,343
Right!
465
00:25:08,781 --> 00:25:10,848
Too far. Back to the left.
466
00:25:14,020 --> 00:25:16,554
And fire!
467
00:25:19,425 --> 00:25:21,959
Johnson, get the gunpowder
back to your post on the double.
468
00:25:25,365 --> 00:25:26,365
Reload!
469
00:25:40,713 --> 00:25:42,780
Narrator: To the
west, as Joshua Jones
470
00:25:42,782 --> 00:25:45,382
and the iron brigade
drive forward,
471
00:25:45,384 --> 00:25:47,518
the confederates counterattack.
472
00:25:52,658 --> 00:25:55,392
And during that fighting
is when Jones was hit.
473
00:25:55,394 --> 00:25:56,860
[ Groaning ]
474
00:25:56,862 --> 00:25:59,196
The mini-ball, when
it strikes something,
475
00:25:59,198 --> 00:26:02,467
has the tendency to
spread out and flatten out.
476
00:26:02,469 --> 00:26:05,669
And when that strikes a
bone in a leg or an ankle,
477
00:26:05,671 --> 00:26:09,607
it shatters it beyond repair.
478
00:26:09,609 --> 00:26:11,342
The only way to
save the soldier's life
479
00:26:11,344 --> 00:26:13,678
would be to amputate the limb.
480
00:26:18,084 --> 00:26:22,019
Narrator: In the confusion,
Jones is left behind.
481
00:26:27,826 --> 00:26:30,360
To the east, Johnny
Johnson finds himself
482
00:26:30,362 --> 00:26:33,097
in the thick of the battle
to control the cornfield.
483
00:26:36,101 --> 00:26:40,237
The cornfield was like a
vortex that drew forces in.
484
00:26:40,239 --> 00:26:43,774
There's a large number
of troops moving in there.
485
00:26:43,776 --> 00:26:46,577
The waves of battle are
swaying back and forth.
486
00:26:46,579 --> 00:26:48,045
And, initially, you have lines
487
00:26:48,047 --> 00:26:50,714
of blue sweeping
south through the corn,
488
00:26:50,716 --> 00:26:52,183
then falling back.
489
00:26:52,185 --> 00:26:53,918
And there'd be a
confederate counterattack.
490
00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:55,386
And they'd recede.
491
00:26:55,388 --> 00:26:57,922
Back and forth it
would go, several times.
492
00:26:57,924 --> 00:27:00,324
The first hour of fighting
in the cornfield alone
493
00:27:00,326 --> 00:27:03,193
sees about one
casualty per second.
494
00:27:03,195 --> 00:27:05,630
But as the rebels
launch one more attack...
495
00:27:08,267 --> 00:27:10,101
union troops begin to flee.
496
00:27:13,872 --> 00:27:16,340
Johnny Johnson and the
remaining members of battery b
497
00:27:16,342 --> 00:27:20,077
must try to hold the position.
498
00:27:20,079 --> 00:27:22,079
A rebel breakthrough
here could breed panic
499
00:27:22,081 --> 00:27:23,480
in the union ranks
500
00:27:23,482 --> 00:27:26,017
and could potentially
cause the line to collapse.
501
00:27:26,019 --> 00:27:27,551
Fire.
502
00:27:27,553 --> 00:27:30,487
Misfire. Ram it again.
503
00:27:30,489 --> 00:27:31,689
Do it now!
504
00:27:31,691 --> 00:27:34,424
The fuse went, sarge. It
could cook off at any time.
505
00:27:34,426 --> 00:27:35,960
If I put my arm
in there, I'll lose it.
506
00:27:35,962 --> 00:27:38,496
You'll lose more
than that if you don't.
507
00:27:38,498 --> 00:27:40,197
Do it now or we all die!!
508
00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:44,465
Narrator: Near
the antietam creek,
509
00:27:44,467 --> 00:27:45,933
a ferocious fight to determine
510
00:27:45,935 --> 00:27:49,203
the fate of two
nations rages on.
511
00:27:49,205 --> 00:27:51,472
Realizing a rebel victory
could possibly lead
512
00:27:51,474 --> 00:27:52,940
to southern independence
513
00:27:52,942 --> 00:27:54,809
and the death of
the United States,
514
00:27:54,811 --> 00:27:57,478
both sides will stop
at nothing to win.
515
00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:01,815
A rebel counterattack
has scattered union forces.
516
00:28:01,817 --> 00:28:05,085
Now Johnny Johnson and
a handful of union soldiers
517
00:28:05,087 --> 00:28:07,688
must try and hold the line.
518
00:28:07,690 --> 00:28:10,224
That battery is the focal point.
519
00:28:10,226 --> 00:28:12,226
If the federals can
hold the battery,
520
00:28:12,228 --> 00:28:14,962
they can break the back
of the confederate assault.
521
00:28:14,964 --> 00:28:16,830
And if the confederates
can capture it,
522
00:28:16,832 --> 00:28:19,167
they might turn
the tide of the battle.
523
00:28:19,169 --> 00:28:20,902
Man: There's too many.
We'll never hold them.
524
00:28:20,904 --> 00:28:24,338
Ram it again. Do
it now or we all die!
525
00:28:37,253 --> 00:28:39,287
Ready! Fire!
526
00:28:56,472 --> 00:28:58,138
Narrator: As the
confederates are cut down
527
00:28:58,140 --> 00:28:59,607
by the Cannon blasts,
528
00:28:59,609 --> 00:29:02,876
fresh union troops arrive
and pour into the cornfield.
529
00:29:02,878 --> 00:29:05,879
Hey, sweep, nicely done.
530
00:29:05,881 --> 00:29:07,347
Hoptak: There were
moments in the fighting
531
00:29:07,349 --> 00:29:09,217
where it could go either way.
532
00:29:09,219 --> 00:29:11,752
And at one moment, it
seemed the confederate army
533
00:29:11,754 --> 00:29:14,821
would sweep the blue
lines out of the corn,
534
00:29:14,823 --> 00:29:17,592
only for the union
army to counterattack.
535
00:29:19,161 --> 00:29:21,229
Narrator: The union
attack drives the rebels back
536
00:29:21,231 --> 00:29:23,731
toward their own
line in full retreat.
537
00:29:27,236 --> 00:29:29,503
Frye: It's been a bad
morning for Robert e. Lee.
538
00:29:29,505 --> 00:29:31,172
Robert e. Lee
usually doesn't have
539
00:29:31,174 --> 00:29:32,373
bad days on the battlefield.
540
00:29:32,375 --> 00:29:36,243
And his forces are
being pushed backwards.
541
00:29:36,245 --> 00:29:38,245
This is unbelievable.
542
00:29:38,247 --> 00:29:40,648
What's going on?
543
00:29:40,650 --> 00:29:43,584
Narrator: As union troops
stream south of the cornfield,
544
00:29:43,586 --> 00:29:45,519
the left flank of
the rebel position
545
00:29:45,521 --> 00:29:47,788
teeters on the
brink of collapse.
546
00:29:47,790 --> 00:29:49,857
With their line
hanging by a thread,
547
00:29:49,859 --> 00:29:53,394
the south turns to some of
its toughest troops to save it...
548
00:29:53,396 --> 00:29:55,463
The men of the 1st Texas.
549
00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:00,668
Don't even think about
asking me to share.
550
00:30:00,670 --> 00:30:04,739
I've been dreaming
about this bacon for days.
551
00:30:04,741 --> 00:30:06,140
Despite the shells...
552
00:30:06,142 --> 00:30:07,207
Just keep cooking.
553
00:30:07,209 --> 00:30:08,742
The texans are desperate to eat
554
00:30:08,744 --> 00:30:12,146
their first hot meal in 3 days.
555
00:30:12,148 --> 00:30:13,948
Don't worry. You'll
hear them coming.
556
00:30:18,554 --> 00:30:21,988
- Oh, no, no, no.
- Texas, on your feet!
557
00:30:21,990 --> 00:30:25,760
Got to be kidding me!
558
00:30:25,762 --> 00:30:27,695
Frye: Their breakfast
has been disrupted.
559
00:30:27,697 --> 00:30:29,830
And, all of a sudden,
you got to take your food
560
00:30:29,832 --> 00:30:32,299
and just throw it
aside, pick up your rifle,
561
00:30:32,301 --> 00:30:36,036
put on your
cartridge box and go.
562
00:30:36,038 --> 00:30:37,304
Narrator: As the
men of the 1st Texas
563
00:30:37,306 --> 00:30:41,241
prepare to push back
the yankee attack,
564
00:30:41,243 --> 00:30:43,110
to the west of the cornfield,
565
00:30:43,112 --> 00:30:46,247
wounded union private
Joshua Jones struggles
566
00:30:46,249 --> 00:30:48,416
to get back to his own line.
567
00:30:56,926 --> 00:30:58,826
[ Groans ]
568
00:31:04,534 --> 00:31:06,801
[ Breathing heavily ]
569
00:31:11,407 --> 00:31:13,341
If he ever wants to
see his family again,
570
00:31:13,343 --> 00:31:16,811
Jones will need to crawl to
the safety of the union line.
571
00:31:19,882 --> 00:31:22,750
With his ankle shattered
by a rebel musket ball,
572
00:31:22,752 --> 00:31:24,985
the journey seems
all but impossible.
573
00:31:31,493 --> 00:31:34,428
To the south, the
1st Texas infantry
574
00:31:34,430 --> 00:31:36,897
has orders to push
back the union assault
575
00:31:36,899 --> 00:31:38,632
and retake the cornfield.
576
00:31:41,237 --> 00:31:44,037
Hoptak: The men
from Texas were angry.
577
00:31:44,039 --> 00:31:45,373
So when they
went into the fight,
578
00:31:45,375 --> 00:31:49,377
they went in screaming.
They went in yelling.
579
00:31:49,379 --> 00:31:50,644
Vermilya: And they
were also soldiers
580
00:31:50,646 --> 00:31:53,047
who realized that at
that point in the battle,
581
00:31:53,049 --> 00:31:55,182
their presence was
desperately needed,
582
00:31:55,184 --> 00:31:58,051
as the initial confederate
lines were falling apart.
583
00:31:58,053 --> 00:32:00,320
Steady, men! Steady!
584
00:32:00,322 --> 00:32:03,357
Aim for the belt and
don't stop for the wounded!
585
00:32:17,607 --> 00:32:19,473
Narrator: The
arrival of the texans
586
00:32:19,475 --> 00:32:21,242
stabilizes the rebel line.
587
00:32:28,284 --> 00:32:30,284
[ Indistinct shouting ]
588
00:33:04,453 --> 00:33:06,520
It's like shooting partridge.
589
00:33:06,522 --> 00:33:09,122
The texans cut through
the corn like a scythe,
590
00:33:09,124 --> 00:33:11,392
relentlessly
driving union troops
591
00:33:11,394 --> 00:33:13,593
back to their line.
592
00:33:13,595 --> 00:33:17,798
Hartwig: Those units directly
come towards battery b.
593
00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:18,866
Get the canisters.
594
00:33:18,868 --> 00:33:20,334
These were aggressive soldiers.
595
00:33:20,336 --> 00:33:21,802
They are veteran soldiers.
596
00:33:21,804 --> 00:33:23,671
They don't wanna get
killed. They wanna kill you.
597
00:33:23,673 --> 00:33:28,409
And that's when the real
ordeal began for the battery.
598
00:33:28,411 --> 00:33:30,344
Narrator: As the texans
push through the corn,
599
00:33:30,346 --> 00:33:33,614
Johnson and the others
brace for another rebel attack.
600
00:33:39,822 --> 00:33:41,422
Fire.
601
00:33:46,963 --> 00:33:49,497
They're coming.
602
00:34:02,178 --> 00:34:04,111
As the rebels sweep
through the corn,
603
00:34:04,113 --> 00:34:07,314
it seems like the tide
of the battle is turning.
604
00:34:07,316 --> 00:34:08,782
For the first time that morning,
605
00:34:08,784 --> 00:34:11,852
the yankee army
looked vulnerable.
606
00:34:11,854 --> 00:34:13,720
Narrator: The Yankees
seem powerless
607
00:34:13,722 --> 00:34:15,656
to stop the texans' advance.
608
00:34:38,414 --> 00:34:40,814
If battery b can't
stop the attack,
609
00:34:40,816 --> 00:34:42,683
the union line may crack.
610
00:34:49,157 --> 00:34:50,224
Load the Cannon.
611
00:34:50,226 --> 00:34:52,492
- What?
- Load the Cannon.
612
00:34:52,494 --> 00:34:55,095
There's no time!
Load the Cannon!
613
00:34:55,097 --> 00:34:57,030
Do it!
614
00:34:57,032 --> 00:34:59,567
Go!
615
00:35:09,045 --> 00:35:10,777
Vermilya: Although
it's not pretty,
616
00:35:10,779 --> 00:35:12,646
although it's not romantic,
617
00:35:12,648 --> 00:35:15,182
it does happen during
civil-war combat.
618
00:35:15,184 --> 00:35:18,251
Sergeant hertzog
is in extreme pain.
619
00:35:18,253 --> 00:35:20,054
He's in some of the
worst circumstances
620
00:35:20,056 --> 00:35:21,322
you could possibly imagine.
621
00:35:21,324 --> 00:35:23,457
And in the midst of
that, with all that pain,
622
00:35:23,459 --> 00:35:26,193
he simply pulls out
his revolver and ends it.
623
00:35:26,195 --> 00:35:29,930
They're coming!
624
00:35:29,932 --> 00:35:33,067
Double canister!
625
00:35:33,069 --> 00:35:36,537
The canister was simply a
tin can packed with iron balls
626
00:35:36,539 --> 00:35:39,006
that might be an inch to an
inch and a half in diameter.
627
00:35:39,008 --> 00:35:41,008
Double canister
usually cleared your front
628
00:35:41,010 --> 00:35:42,609
because it was so deadly.
629
00:35:42,611 --> 00:35:44,011
If you're firing double canister
630
00:35:44,013 --> 00:35:46,480
it's because you
and your battery
631
00:35:46,482 --> 00:35:48,983
are in grave danger.
632
00:35:56,625 --> 00:35:58,892
- Hurry!
- I gotta lower it!
633
00:35:58,894 --> 00:36:00,995
[ Indistinct shouting ]
634
00:36:23,344 --> 00:36:24,276
Ready!
635
00:36:24,278 --> 00:36:25,578
Fire!
636
00:36:28,616 --> 00:36:31,016
Narrator: As Johnson
pounds the rebels with canister,
637
00:36:31,018 --> 00:36:33,920
they stream northwest
toward the corner of the field.
638
00:36:50,705 --> 00:36:52,237
Narrator: One of the
most important battles
639
00:36:52,239 --> 00:36:56,175
of the civil war has
reached a critical moment.
640
00:36:56,177 --> 00:36:58,244
Confederate shock
troops from Texas
641
00:36:58,246 --> 00:37:01,113
sent to shatter the union line
642
00:37:01,115 --> 00:37:04,317
have just been hit by a
massive yankee counterattack.
643
00:37:15,930 --> 00:37:17,530
In hopes of rallying the texans,
644
00:37:17,532 --> 00:37:21,801
Robert gaston sets out
to find the regimental flag.
645
00:37:21,803 --> 00:37:24,070
I'm all right. Go.
646
00:37:31,012 --> 00:37:32,278
In the chaos of battle,
647
00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:34,947
with the smoke stinging
your eyes and the sound,
648
00:37:34,949 --> 00:37:38,484
the noise, the confusion,
if you saw your flag,
649
00:37:38,486 --> 00:37:40,353
you knew where you
were supposed to go.
650
00:37:40,355 --> 00:37:44,056
You can't see that
flag? You're lost.
651
00:38:06,914 --> 00:38:08,915
[ Indistinct shouting ]
652
00:38:21,863 --> 00:38:23,395
Narrator: The texans
have been cut down
653
00:38:23,397 --> 00:38:26,432
by yankee reinforcements
sent to help hold the line.
654
00:38:31,939 --> 00:38:34,606
They were laying
down behind the fence
655
00:38:34,608 --> 00:38:37,410
that bordered the
northern edge of the corn,
656
00:38:37,412 --> 00:38:41,480
and the texans actually
couldn't see them.
657
00:38:41,482 --> 00:38:43,749
They blasted the
texans with a volley,
658
00:38:43,751 --> 00:38:45,418
then followed it up
with more volleys.
659
00:38:45,420 --> 00:38:47,753
It cut the regiment to ribbons,
660
00:38:47,755 --> 00:38:49,755
shot down both their flags.
661
00:38:49,757 --> 00:38:52,424
Once they get towards the
northern end of the corn field,
662
00:38:52,426 --> 00:38:55,494
they are met with a
ferocious counterassault,
663
00:38:55,496 --> 00:38:58,197
not only from musketry
fire, but Cannon fire.
664
00:39:03,371 --> 00:39:06,104
Narrator: The results...
665
00:39:06,106 --> 00:39:08,774
Are catastrophic.
666
00:39:08,776 --> 00:39:10,977
At first, Texas
gets slaughtered...
667
00:39:10,979 --> 00:39:12,311
Slaughtered.
668
00:39:12,313 --> 00:39:18,751
More than 80% of their men
will drop on that Maryland soil.
669
00:39:23,257 --> 00:39:25,958
It was an awful disaster.
670
00:39:41,542 --> 00:39:42,542
They're running.
671
00:39:47,415 --> 00:39:49,548
Narrator: With the
help of Johnny Johnson,
672
00:39:49,550 --> 00:39:53,085
battery b has helped
save the union line,
673
00:39:53,087 --> 00:39:55,221
but they've paid dearly.
674
00:39:55,223 --> 00:39:59,358
Hoptak: Battery b
sustained 40% casualties.
675
00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:01,894
The casualties
attest to the savagery,
676
00:40:01,896 --> 00:40:05,431
the ferocity of their
role in the fight.
677
00:40:05,433 --> 00:40:07,366
Well, battery b's
performance, obviously,
678
00:40:07,368 --> 00:40:11,837
the performance of the
battery was extraordinary.
679
00:40:11,839 --> 00:40:15,040
Narrator: When the brutal
struggle for the cornfield finally ends,
680
00:40:15,042 --> 00:40:17,376
the fighting shifts to
the center and right
681
00:40:17,378 --> 00:40:20,313
of the rebel line.
682
00:40:20,315 --> 00:40:21,781
As the sun sets,
683
00:40:21,783 --> 00:40:25,518
the rebels still hold the ground
west of the antietam creek.
684
00:40:28,056 --> 00:40:31,857
But Lee's troops are
in no shape to fight on.
685
00:40:31,859 --> 00:40:33,993
On the 18th of September,
686
00:40:33,995 --> 00:40:36,996
he takes his shattered
army back to Virginia.
687
00:40:41,602 --> 00:40:44,070
Hoptak: The confederate army's
gonna limp back into Virginia.
688
00:40:44,072 --> 00:40:46,238
Began the campaign
with such high hopes
689
00:40:46,240 --> 00:40:47,873
for a victory on union soil,
690
00:40:47,875 --> 00:40:51,210
and Robert e. Lee's
objectives are not realized.
691
00:40:51,212 --> 00:40:54,547
I consider antietam
the greatest victory
692
00:40:54,549 --> 00:40:56,882
of the war for
the United States.
693
00:40:56,884 --> 00:40:59,218
Pennsylvania is safe.
Washington is safe.
694
00:40:59,220 --> 00:41:00,620
Baltimore is safe.
695
00:41:00,622 --> 00:41:03,022
The eastern newspapers
are proclaiming victory
696
00:41:03,024 --> 00:41:06,425
for the United States.
697
00:41:06,427 --> 00:41:08,561
Narrator: But it's
come at a terrible price,
698
00:41:14,635 --> 00:41:19,905
Almost 4,000 killed
and 17,000 wounded.
699
00:41:19,907 --> 00:41:24,910
Among them, Joshua Jones
of the union's iron brigade.
700
00:41:24,912 --> 00:41:27,246
Found by rebels
after he was shot,
701
00:41:27,248 --> 00:41:30,583
he's placed in a barn
with other wounded troops.
702
00:41:33,121 --> 00:41:36,455
He receives no
care for 48 hours.
703
00:41:36,457 --> 00:41:38,457
Once you've had
a day like antietam,
704
00:41:38,459 --> 00:41:41,794
there's no going back to
the country as it was before.
705
00:41:41,796 --> 00:41:47,533
Once you've had a day
with over 23,000 casualties,
706
00:41:47,535 --> 00:41:49,835
the nation is
fundamentally changed.
707
00:41:53,073 --> 00:41:54,674
Narrator: In the
wake of the battle,
708
00:41:54,676 --> 00:41:56,475
Lincoln publishes
one of the most
709
00:41:56,477 --> 00:42:00,612
extraordinary documents
in American history.
710
00:42:00,614 --> 00:42:02,882
Frye: It emboldened
Lincoln to do something
711
00:42:02,884 --> 00:42:06,352
the president had been
wanting to do since July,
712
00:42:06,354 --> 00:42:09,354
which was to issue
the preliminary
713
00:42:09,356 --> 00:42:11,624
emancipation proclamation.
714
00:42:11,626 --> 00:42:14,025
And so five days...
715
00:42:14,027 --> 00:42:16,428
Only five days after antietam,
716
00:42:16,430 --> 00:42:17,896
on September the 22nd,
717
00:42:17,898 --> 00:42:21,967
the president issues
the proclamation.
718
00:42:21,969 --> 00:42:24,603
This is no longer
going to be a war fought
719
00:42:24,605 --> 00:42:26,906
to restore the
union as it once was.
720
00:42:26,908 --> 00:42:29,241
That union died at antietam.
721
00:42:29,243 --> 00:42:31,443
This was now a war that
was going to be fought
722
00:42:31,445 --> 00:42:34,246
to preserve a new
and better union,
723
00:42:34,248 --> 00:42:37,316
one without slavery.
724
00:42:37,318 --> 00:42:39,318
Narrator: Johnny Johnson
wins the metal of honor
725
00:42:39,320 --> 00:42:43,589
for the courage he displayed
in the fight for the cornfield.
726
00:42:43,591 --> 00:42:46,392
He survives the war.
727
00:42:46,394 --> 00:42:49,795
Found by union troops
following the rebel retreat,
728
00:42:49,797 --> 00:42:53,599
Joshua Jones finally
receives medical attention.
729
00:42:53,601 --> 00:42:55,401
After doctors amputate his leg,
730
00:42:55,403 --> 00:42:57,570
the wound becomes infected.
731
00:42:59,807 --> 00:43:02,341
He dies almost two
weeks after the battle.
732
00:43:04,545 --> 00:43:06,345
Captain William gaston continues
733
00:43:06,347 --> 00:43:08,414
to serve with the
confederate army.
734
00:43:10,885 --> 00:43:15,487
At war's end, he returns home
to Anderson county, Texas.
735
00:43:15,489 --> 00:43:17,990
His brother, Robert,
dies in the cornfield.
736
00:43:20,494 --> 00:43:23,596
His body is found on top
of the regimental colors.
737
00:43:26,300 --> 00:43:28,234
He is one of the 3,600 men
738
00:43:28,236 --> 00:43:31,137
claimed by the
battle of antietam.
739
00:43:31,187 --> 00:43:35,737
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