The battle opened at dawn on the 17th when Union General Joseph Hooker's artillery began a murderous fire on Jackson's men in the Miller cornfield north of town. "In the time I am writing," Hooker reported, "every stalk of corn in the northern and greater part of the field was cut as closely as could have been done with a knife, and the [Confed.] slain lay in rows precicely as they had stood in their …showed first 75 words of 2140 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2140 total…of the Battle of Antietam. As night fell, the sounds of battle gave way to the screams and groans of the wounded that the 14 hours of vicious fighting had produced. The Day of September 18th both armies spent waiting for the other side to renew the fight. The fight never came and Lee retired from the field on the evening of the 18th. Confederate Losses Union Losses Killed-1,512 Killed--2,108 Wounded--7,816 Wounded--9,549 Captured/Missing--1,844 Captured/Missing--753