Edward Porter Alexander, Military memoirs of a Confederate: a critical narrative

[251] formed a curve by which the line swept around parallel to the pike. Longstreet, with Jones's division and Evans's brigade, extended the line to the Burnside bridge. Walker's division was in reserve behind the extreme right flank. McLaws's, Anderson's, and A. P. Hill's divisions had not yet arrived. Some artillery duelling across the Antietam took place, but the first infantry affair occurred late in the afternoon, when Hooker's corps came in contact with Hood's pickets. Hooker's orders were to attack. It is hard to believe that McClellan deliberately sent a single corps so far away from prompt support to attack Lee's whole army in position, and had daylight lasted, Hooker would probably have been overwhelmed that afternoon. McClellan had ridden with Hooker in the beginning of his march, and Hooker had called his attention to the hazard of sending him so far upon such a serious errand. It was probably this remonstrance of Hooker's which moved McClellan to send Mansfield at 11.30 P. M. and to order Sumner to be ready to move an hour before daylight. The time of these orders is much more suggestive of a gradually developed plan, than of one formulated beforehand, and it resulted in four extensive combats instead of in one great battle.

The engagement in the afternoon between Hood and Hooker's advance was quite sharp, Hood advancing Law's brigade to the support of his skirmishers and driving back until dark the enemy's advance. In this affair Col. Liddell of 11th Miss. and Col. McNeil of the 1st Pa. (Bucktail) Rifles, both distinguished and promising officers, fell mortally wounded. The fighting ceased at dark, and pickets were established on each side, in such close proximity that they could hear each other's voices. About nine a light rain began to fall and continued most of the night. When all was quiet Hood's brigades were withdrawn to cook rations, they having been without food, but one half ration of meat, for three days. Their positions were filled by Lawton's and Trimble's brigades, of Lawton's division (which were in reserve near Jackson's line), with Hays's brigade in support.

At early dawn the fight was renewed, and Hooker's three fine divisions advanced in columns of brigades in line. Doubleday on the right, Ricketts on the left, and Meade in reserve close