eBook coming soon!
Click HERE to read the front matter and Chapter 1!
Common Question: How is this book different from Welker and Hartwig?
From the author: "Scott Hartwig and David Welker have both written excellent books on Antietam, which is enjoying a resurgence in interest. Crisis at Antietam occupies the space between their studies, wider in scope than Welker's Cornfield and more focused on one phase of the battle than Hartwig's I Dread the Thought of the Place. In addition, my book captures the chaotic and contingent nature of the battle and presents a different assessment of many of the commanders. The fighting was as disjointed and poorly executed on the Confederate side as on the Union. One theme that emerges in Crisis at Antietam is how little control corps, division, and even brigade commanders could exercise over their troops; this was largely a result of General McClellan's dysfunctional command structure on the Union side, and General Lee's decision to fight a battle at a huge disadvantage in position and numbers for the Confederates. I also consider the fight a Union success--not a turning point in the battle or a Confederate victory, but because it accomplished exactly what McClellan hoped that it would."
About the Book: Steve Eden provides a meticulous tactical analysis of the opening, brutal hours of the Civil War’s bloodiest single day. Set within the broader Maryland Campaign, this groundbreaking work plunges readers into the chaos of September 17, 1862. It reveals a Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, under Robert E. Lee, in grave peril. With nearly half his forces exhausted and straggling, Lee confronted George McClellan’s Army of the Potomac—a Union force poised for a decisive victory that famously slipped from its grasp.
Crisis at Antietam: The Cornfield and West Woods and the Opening Rounds of the Civil War’s Bloodiest Battle, September 17, 1862 intensely focuses on operations on the Confederate left, uncovering critical missed opportunities, profound command failures, and the unpredictable hand of sheer chance. As fighting raged through the Miller Cornfield and West Woods, it quickly spiraled beyond command control. Officers often failed to restore order amid the maelstrom; regiments and brigades acted independently, pushing forward without orders or full awareness of the battle’s unfolding horror. Three times, Union forces drove the Confederate front to the precipice of collapse, only for the Rebels to miraculously rally, stabilizing their fragile lines against overwhelming odds.
Drawing on extensive original sources—including memoirs, official reports, and soldier letters—and his own invaluable combat experience as a retired Army officer and former West Point military history instructor, Steve Eden offers fresh, authoritative insights. His work challenges even seasoned readers to fundamentally reconsider the traditional narrative of that pivotal, bloody September day, exposing the raw, brutal reality of command and combat at Antietam.
Advance Praise
“Steve Eden’s Crisis at Antietam does a fine job of not only sorting out the confused combat during the bloodiest fighting of the climactic Battle of Antietam but describes in detail why it was so chaotic. This well written and thoughtfully analyzed study is a welcome addition to the literature of this important 1862 battle.” — Thomas G. Clemens, editor of Ezra Carman’s The Maryland Campaign of 1862, Vols. 1–3
“Steven Eden paints a vivid picture of the opening phases of the Battle of Antietam. Using a variety of sources, he explains why the fighting was initiated at the Cornfield and the West Woods, what happened there, and the impact on the remainder of the battle. The book is well written and illustrated.” — Bradley M. Gottfried, author of The Maps of Gettysburg
“In Crisis at Antietam, Steven Eden takes his trained military eye to the northern sector of the Antietam battlefield—the famed East Woods, West Woods, and Miller’s Cornfield. He dissects the morning’s battle on September 17, 1862, north of Sharpsburg, from the perspective of McClellan, Lee, and the countless other commanders who led their troops into battle on that bloody morning, while putting readers in the ranks with the common soldier. Eden’s analysis is both thorough and thoughtful.” — Kevin R. Pawlak, co-author of To Hazard All: A Guide to the Maryland Campaign, 1862
