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- The two Union soldiers who found the Confederate battle plans were Corporal Barton W. Mitchell and First Sergeant John
M. Bloss, both of the 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry.
- General Robert E. Lee's battle plans, titled "Special Order 191," were found wrapped in 3 cigars.
- General George B. McClellan gave specific orders to his subordinates without telling them the overall plan for the battle,
thus negating the potential impact his army, which was twice the size of General Lee's.
- The Cornfield changed hands no fewer than 15 times over the course of the morning.
- Major General Joseph Hooker was forced to surrender command to his subordinate General Meade after he was shot through
the foot. A Confederate sharpshooter had caught sight of the Major General's white horse.
- The 12th Massachusetts Infantry suffered the highest percentage of casualties of the day, with 67% of the unit lost in
battle againt the Louisiana "Tiger" Brigade.
- The chaplain Father William Corby rode back and forth in front of the Irish Brigade of Brigadier General Thomas F. Meagher
shouting the Roman Catholic Church's words of conditional absolution perscribed for men about to die.
- General Richardson assumed command of Brigadier General John C. Caldwell's brigade after hearing the man was hiding in
the rear behind a haystack.
- Colonel Charles C Tew, from the 2nd North Carolina, lost his life within minutes of assuming command.
- Colonel John B. Gordon, from the 6th Alabama, recieved 4 serious wounds and while lying unconcious would have drowned
in the blood pooling in his cap if not for the bullet hole an anonymous yankee had left in his cap earlier. The bullet
hole allowed the blood to drain, sparring Gordon's life.
- The Union held 3,500 calvary and General Porter's V Corps, a force of 10,300 men, in reserve. Major General William
B. Franklin's VI Corps, with a total of 12,000 men, also sat in reserve at the end of the Mid-day Phase, but General McClellan
still did not press his advantage over General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
- Part of the Union's failure to exploit the break in the Confederate line can be attributed to Major General Fitz John
Porter, who, when told that his V Corps might have to attack the center, is reported to have said, "Remeber, General, I command
the last reserve of the Army of the Republic."
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