The Battle of Antietam is often remembered for the Cornfield, the Sunken Road, and Burnside's Bridge, but some of the most brutal fighting of September 17, 1862, took place on the southern portion of the battlefield.

In this episode of The Distant Drums Podcast, we sit down with historian and author Benjamin L. Cwayna for a deep dive into his presentation, “Slaughter Along a Stone Wall.”

We explore the Maryland Campaign from the Confederate perspective, beginning with the aftermath of Second Manassas and the march north into Maryland. Along the way, we discuss the growing animosity between A.P. Hill and Stonewall Jackson, the tensions within the Army of Northern Virginia, and the circumstances that brought Hill's Light Division to Antietam at a critical moment in the battle.

From there, we turn our attention to the savage fighting on the southern end of the battlefield, where A.P. Hill's Light Division collided with inexperienced Union troops, including the 16th Connecticut Infantry and the 4th Rhode Island Infantry.

For the men of these regiments, Antietam would become a baptism of fire unlike anything they had experienced before. What followed was confused, close-range and extraordinarily violent combat as Confederate and Union soldiers fought for control of the ground around the stone walls and fields south of the Antietam Creek.

Ben brings years of research, living-history experience, and his work on the 12th South Carolina Infantry to the discussion. His book, The Invincible Twelfth, examines the history of the 12th South Carolina and the Gregg-McGowan Brigade, including their experiences during the Maryland Campaign.