In the mid-morning to early afternoon, the Union concentrate near the lower Antietam bridge. Across the river, three Confederate batteries and approximately 600 soldiers from the state of Georgia were on the slopes looking down at the enemy. Staring at the heights and trying to figure a way across the bridge and the river stood the 9th Corps containing around 13,000 soldiers. Throughout the morning, the Rebels were continuing to shoot at the Union across the river.
Against all the confusion, and the four attacks through Noon, the 2nd and the 20th regiments from Georgia continued to hold off the 9th Corps of the Union. However, around 1 p.m., regiments from the 51st Pennsylvania and 51st New York marched out of the cover of the trees and made a charge against the bridge and were successive.
The battle of Antietam was mainly a draw for both armies. However, soldiers were buried from the Union and the Confederacy within the National Cemetery. Not all soldiers were recognized as they were buried since ids and markers weren’t known at that time. Some soldiers were found with their family bibles or letters in their knapsacks. However, if the name was not known, they were labeled unknown soldiers. Luckily, some remains are still found as recently as thirty years ago and are reinterred with their brothers.
It was the bloodiest day in United States history, with a combined tally of 22,717 dead, wounded, or missing of Confederates and Union soldiers.