The Battle opened at daylight between Hooker's Corps and the Confederate divisions of Jackson and Ewell and raged in the East Woods, in Miller's Cornfield and on either side of the Hagerstown Pike about one third of a mile north of the Dunkard Church. Ewell's Division was relieved by Hood's, and Hooker's Corps by Mansfield's. Hood was reenforced by the Brigades of Ripley, Colquitt, and Garland of D.H. Hill's Division. After a sanguinary contest Mansfield's Corps forced the entire Confederate line north of the Bloody Lane, to retire west of the Pike. Sumner's (Second) Corps crossed the Antietam at Pry's Ford. About 8 a.m., Sedgwick's Division advancing to and through the East Woods, over Mansfield's Corps, across the Hagerstown Pike to the west edge of the West Woods, where it was checked in part by the artillery and infantry of Jackson's command, struck on the left by the divisions of McLaws and Walker, and driven north and east beyond D.R. Miler's. Confederate efforts to recover ground east of the Hagerstown Pike were checked by Hooker's, Mansfield's and Sumner's artillery. Greene's Division of Mansfield's Corps followed the Confederate repulse by a charge and seized the woods west of the Dunkard Church, which it held until about noon, when it was dislodged and the Confederates made another effort to gain ground east, but were repulsed by the fire of the Union artillery and the advance of Franklin's (Sixth) Corps, which arrived on the field about noon.
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