Hey everyone, welcome to the 190th episode of our Civil War podcast.

My name is Rich.

And I'm Tracy.

Hello y'all.

Thanks for tuning into the podcast.

With the last episode, we finished setting the stage to the Battle of Antietam by taking

the story right up to the evening of Tuesday, September 16, 1862.

That evening, the opening moves of the battle took place as the Federals of Joseph Hooker's

first corps crossed Antietam Creek and clashed with the rebels at the north end of Robert

E. Lee's line north of Sharpsburg.

In keeping with the general ambiguity of George McClellan's plan, such as it was, for

the upcoming battle, his orders to Hooker were rather vague.

Hooker was told that he was to move across the Antietam and once across the creek, he

was to angle to the left and move south toward Sharpsburg, feeling for Lee's left flank.

Hooker received his orders about 2pm on Tuesday afternoon and at around 4 o'clock, his

three divisions started to cross to the west side of Antietam Creek.

The divisions of George Mead and James Ricketts used the upper bridge while Abner Double

Day's division crossed just downstream at nearby pry Ford.

As soon as his first corps got underway, Hooker rode back to McClellan's headquarters to

obtain clarification of his orders.

He apparently didn't receive any more specifics, probably because McClellan had little idea

of Lee's actual dispositions there north of Sharpsburg and little knowledge of the lay

...