Ninth Army Corps

On September 17, 1862, Fairchild's Brigade of Rodman's Division in the U.S.A. Ninth Army Corps, commanded by Col. H.S. Fairchild of the 89th New York Infantry and composed of the 9th New York Infantry (Hawkins' Zouaves), 89th New York Infantry, and 103d New York Infantry, moved from a position southeast of the Burnside Bridge down the left bank of Antietam, crossed at Snavely's Ford about 1 p.m., forced the right of Toombs' Brigade from the high ground above the ford, then moved up the right bank of the creek and formed line on the left of Wilcox's Division a short distance northwest of the bridge. About 3 p.m., under heavy artillery fire from Cemetery Hill and adjacent heights, the brigade advanced from the ridge 450 yards east of this point, reached the open fields west, gained the high ground about 400 yards northwest of this point, and forced the brigades of Kemper and Drayton through the streets of Sharpsburg. When its position was endangered by the advance of A.P. Hill on its left and rear, it withdrew by the ravines to the Sharpsburg Road and then to the bank of the Antietam near the Burnside Bridge.

Shepherdstown, Maryland · United States