A New Perspective at Burnside Bridge: Antietam 160

We cap off our commemoration of the 160th Anniversary of Antietam at one of the most famous sites of the entire Civil War. Garry Adelman, Dennis Frye and Kevin Pawlak discuss the actions at Burnside Bridge and bring the battle to a close. #AntietamBattlefieldTour
This video is part of our coverage commemorating the 160th Anniversary of the Battle of Antietam. View the whole series here: • Antietam: 160th Annive...
The American Battlefield Trust preserves America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educates the public about what happened there and why it matters. We permanently protect these battlefields for future generations as a lasting and tangible memorial to the brave soldiers who fought in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.

[@georgebeckydragan6389]

I really love Dennis Frye's commentaries, perspective, and story-telling for these Antietam 160 episodes.

[@chaiwatkins8169]

Thank you gentlemen! Gary, you’re right, it is beautiful….

[@alonsocushing2263]

Hard to imagine the horror and carnage here on that fateful day.

[@terryeustice5399]

Another great historical account of Burnside Bridge conflict. Thank you for sharing!

[@richardkendall6746]

My great grandfather, Samuel M. Pooley, crossed that day with the 51st New York. Enlisted as private and discharged as Major.

[@Shawnroberts1980]

These videos look SO MUCH better in 4k then the old 720p. Thank you!

[@cyndiebill6631]

👍🇺🇸My one of my favorite battlefields. Thank you for sharing 160. ❤

[@vincethompson3475]

Thanks gentlemen, I will never forget the costs of our freedom. Historians like you all are special for keep the memories alive! THANKS!!!

[@tomdynia9951]

Another great video! Over the years I've been at Antietam on the anniversary several times where the park rangers (a great bunch!) have demonstrated that crossing the creek is not so easy as Henry Kyd Douglas would have us believe. While the creek itself is not so deep, getting out at the steep bank on the western side is difficult, especially if you're carrying a musket and a cartridge box and need to be able to use them to take on those Georgians on that tall bluff. The 11th Connecticut tried that route and got themselves shot down for their troubles.

[@cablenelsonbabygrandpiano842]

Thank you very much!!!!

[@dcash7018]

Thank you once again for the informative videos. So helpful!

[@NOC1TIME]

Thank you to the ABT for their support of living history efforts.

[@astaboy]

Robert Toombs' home is still standing and remarkably well preserved in Washington GA. If you're ever in the area it's worth your while to give it a visit.

[@blukeblue1235]

Great presentation and information I was unaware of. Thanks! My gosh from the high ground what a turkey shoot down onto the bridge.

[@rivertrees4733]

Thank you!

[@andrewhoward9870]

Can’t wait to visit Antietam. Great presentation!

[@dereks8930]

You definitely should there is a ton of Civil War history to see in the area all very close to Antietam. Shepherdstown Harpers Ferry, all short distance away. While you're here, go eat at Bonnie's at the Redbird. Over near Boonsboro. Also over by Boonsboro, there is a Washington Monument. It was constructed by the residents of Boonsboro to honor George Washington, and was used as an observation post during the battle. Pretty drive up very excellent view on top. Have fun!

[@baltimorelimolady]

Gary and Dennis great presentation.! back in September 1967 myself and several friends who were reenactors were at the bridge where you are standing. we were visiting that day and the following day participating in the reenactment at harpers ferry. at the time down to the bridge to your left was a cow path. the cows would daily walk down the hill go in the creek to cool off. they would then graze on the side of the hill and then about 5pm start their journey up the hill to their barn for milking. the farm of course no longer operates but the barn is still there. my one fellow reenactor said to me that the cow path is a good place to look for relics. sure enough after walking the cow path what looked like the side of a coin was barely pertruding in the path. after digging around it we found it was a bent union breast plate that went across the soldiers cartridge strap. what a greAT FIND. it was bent but in relatively good shape. the eagle with strands of wheat was still very visible on the breast plate. we also found several buttons in a plowed field near the bloody lane. it i remember correctly it was close to the McKinley monument.

[@gale212]

I'm sure the place has changed a lot since the 60s. In 67 I think they had just diverted Harper's Ferry Rd away from this bridge and closed it to car traffic. I'm too young to know it earlier than the 90s and it's changed a ton since just those years.

[@Sheilamarie2]

What a beautiful place, thank you, always great videos and History.

[@michaeldouglas1243]

Terrific presentation

[@emintey]

As can be seen and I can attest this is an incredibly beautiful and placid location well worth a visit.

[@gentryxc]

When we visited Burnside Bridge we did not go up to the Georgian overlook. We were down at bridge level and mostly on the Union side. Totally different perspective from here. Easy to see what sitting ducks the Union troops were.

[@shiningstaer]

Love this style of video.

[@Ivan-ge7xb]

Thanks!

[@mwdjr3158]

Fantastic commentary! Thanks.

[@trevorthompson8252]

Awesome. Can’t wait to hear about AP hills light division coming to save the right flank.

[@blukeblue1235]

👍👍👍Yes! My favorite. One of if not THE best Confederate divisions!

[@annettemoneski3463]

HISTORY,,,,,,,,,, you can't erase it! Thanks for sharing!

[@gale212]

I think the Final Attack is the stuff I know the least about. All those monuments are only recently accessible. And I really can't get a grasp of how things played out there and in the hours that followed. Like when Lee gives it up and heads for Shepherdstown. And when McClellan and Lincoln are at the Grove Farm.

[@squawk3120]

My ancestor Randall VanValkenburgh “Company A Michigans 17 reg” was there. From his detailed story “Randall's company stayed in camp for several days until Stonewall Jackson came with 30,000 men and the fight was turned on toward Antietam. Three days later they fought the Battle of Antietam. The regiment crossed the Antietam River at Burnside's Bridge. There were so many men killed on the bridge and thrown in the water, that the river was, literally, flowing with blood. This was the bloodiest battle that Randall had ever seen. The next day the army went into camp to recruit, which was in Pleasant Valley. They had so many men wounded and sick that they were forced, to remain there a month. One day General Burnside and President Lincoln came into the camp. Randall was very much impressed with the President's appearance. He was mounted on a lean black pony with his long legs dangling from the sides of the pony. He wore a black coat, a tall, black stove-pipe hat, and he carried an old umbrella under his arm. He made a speech to the soldiers which was a great honor then. He said to them, "General Burnside has told me about the gallant charge that you made at South Mountain, and how you charged the enemy on the Stonewall. I will now give you the title of the 'the Stonewall Regiment".

[@ldg1030]

As I read I Dread the Thought of The Place, I find myself watching the videos of Antietam to get the visual. Very, very helpful.

[@travisbayles870]

Two of my Confederate ancestors who were in the 20th Georgia Infantry Regiment part of Toombs brigade fought at Burnsides Bridge

[@jsmith3772]

One thought I have is if a certain certain General was on the battlefield that day would it have gone any differently. The general I am thinking of was born in Virginia, rose to command a corps and was eventually killed by his own troops while riding out ahead at dusk. Probably not the general you are thinking of though(he was here) but Jesse Reno, killed at South Mountain just 3 days earlier I wonder if his leadership would have gotten the IX Corps across the creek and up the high ground just a little bit sooner forcing Lee off the high ground before AP Hill's very timely arrival.

[@michaeldouglas1243]

Dang good point

[@Baseballnfj]

Reno 100% gets that done

[@liveforbass]

Stonewall

[@Baseballnfj]

@@liveforbass not half the battlefield leader that Reno was. You do realize that Jackson's success was half due to the fact that he was out of his mind? Most officers who served with Jackson hated him and had no confidence in his abilities. As a field commander nobody comes close to Reno. Can you name another general officer who was carrying a rifle and literally serving in the ranks next to privates in 1862? The only comparable person prior to 1900 in American history as a battlefield leader is Benedict Arnold.

[@pshawhudson]

What if Grant was leading the union here?

[@justinmays9680]

At least some love for the Kanawha Division

[@AbeBSea]

I've stood at their location, virtually. 😀😀

[@kevindecoteau3186]

Has anyone ever explored the stream under the bridge to see if there is anything in the water on the bottom from the battle?

[@dereks8930]

My family is from South Mountain, and I currently live in Shepherdstown. As far as I know there have been some people down there with metal detectors Etc both officially and unofficially. I'm not really sure what's been found but I'm betting if there was a lot there worth it it's been found by now. Could be wrong though. For sure I'd love to get some scuba gear and mess around for a couple hours!

[@herodotus7]

Beautiful spot.

[@fgrodriguezqac]

Excellent video

[@tallpaul1955]

waiting for you guys to cover wilson creek & pea ridge of the far west.

[@jimmyjames9752]

SAVE OUR BATTLEFIELDS AMERICA 🇺🇸

[@MindOfJigsaw1]

Not sure if my fellow KZbinrs have played WAR OF RIGHTS but I've stood on that hill!

[@kevenlonsdale5460]

My 3rd Great Grandfather was there with the 26th NY, VOL INF. which was part of General Burnsides Division, but I believe they were held in reserve that day, as I cannot find were they may have been engaged on any map I have seen.

[@LeeHoFooks]

Finally your subscription base is growing. If you can slow down on the videos and give the details like this. It will continue.

[@scottyb68]

I was there in 2014 and I was disappointed because the bridge was gated off, I assume for repairs, but I had looked forward to going on it.

[@dereks8930]

It was restored around that time, I'm pretty sure you can get on it now though they did a heck of a job on the bridge. They've done a lot of improvements around there fairly recently too to make it easier to get up and down, parking has been expanded and there's a lot of walking trails you can see from about every angle now. Sorry you missed the bridge, it is a heck of the thing standing on it and looking up and thinking about what those poor guys are going through trying to cross that thing

[@jasonalexander3080]

Thanks guys for helping save history. Question do you think side burns came from Gen burnside lol .

[@joepayne5751]

Yes that is actually true.

[@IAFF-yx4gi]

Lieutenant Jacob Beaver was with the 51st Pennsylvania, not the 51st New York. Just a correction, easy to confuse.

[@richardglady3009]

Great description…great video. I just with you had turned the camera around to show more of the Confederate position. Thank you.

[@bigsarge2085]

🤜🤛

[@2DSTORMS]

Great video, is that a witness tree behind him?

[@irinafromrussialove]

GREETINGS FROM SIBERIA WITH LOVE 😊😻🤩💖🤝👍🌺😘❤️😍🥰👍☀️

[@marcsheinberg6487]

Excellent! Why was Burnside's bridge built? What did it connect?

[@AmericanBattlefieldTrust]

Sharpsburg and Rohrersville. Toll road.

[@emintey]

Two sides of a creek to enable commerce particularly wagon traffic?

[@marklazaroff7213]

Were the Union troops on Red Hill able to observe the approach of AP Hill?

[@tinaphillips7239]

Are there any possible plans to remove some of the vegetation around the area of burnsides bridge and elsewhere on the battlefield and even other battlefields for that matter to give it a look as close as possible to the way it would have looked at the time of the battle?

[@stevent9179]

Gettysburg is trying to do that...Devils den, cups hill.

[@tinaphillips7239]

@@stevent9179 I wish they would do it in my neck of the woods here at the Chickamauga battlefield. I know it was a very wooded area but a lot of the under growth here was definitely not here at the time of the battle and even a lot of the trees too. Battlefields like Gettysburg and Antietam have the luxury of being mostly open ground with a few exceptions like devils den and so on, but r easily clearable than Chickamauga is.

[@irinafromrussialove]

HELLO 🤩🤩🤩

[@rvpolley1]

There is commentary that the Union could have forded the river. Is that true?

[@Tomatohater64]

Are there any witness trees near the Burnside Bridge?

[@jsmith3772]

Yes I believe the Sycamore tree to Gary's right is a witness tree

[@Corded1862]

The only one I know of is, from the video's perspective, across the bridge and just to the left.

[@TermiteUSA]

It might be great if all the battlefields and related areas in the country were saved someday, but you'd have a small riot on your hands if it meant no more videos! :) Cheers

[@earlyriser8998]

i thought this put the bridge into better perspective. I thought this was a days long battle with 1000's of casualties on both side.

[@richardallen3289]

Oh,the Georgians left the ridge when they ran out of ammo

[@gentryxc]

I've never quite understood why a division-size entity like Rodman's couldn't have been more aggressive in exploring and finding a downstream ford. They've always seemed tardy to me. Am I missing something?

[@dereks8930]

As far as I know there were several instances of people trying to find Downstream Fords, having been from this area north and south of that Creek there's a lot of places it would be difficult to slip a large unit across the water and up around and maneuver due to terrain features Woods Etc. Gets pretty rugged in spots there when you march a couple thousand guys with heavy gear through it gets slippery. Some spots along that Creek the closer you get to South Mountain get pretty steep and nasty. Add to that time constraints Etc it would be a difficult task. Not to mention that bridge was in that location for a reason. Without modern equipment people tended to want to put Bridges where they were easiest and most convenient.

[@emintey]

Also, from what I have read the creek as it is now is not quite what it was then so we must remember to take into account the conditions at the time.

[@josephhewes3923]

You're making George McClellan sound like he knows what he's doing. What's up with that?

[@johnsullivan3060]

It's strange isn't it? :)

[@JFreeze714]

Who paid the guy to rise up just beyond the stone wall seemingly on cue?

[@outdoorlife5396]

I have a question. I have been to Antietam, right there at the bridge. Question is, the creek was not deep, was it deeper then? Or were they scared to get their feet wet. I think the ANV had the advantage, but a flanking movement would have been the key.

[@Frank_nwobhm]

Anything beyond knee deep would necessitate the removal of cartridge boxes and cap pouches. Not exactly the way you want to approach a well defended position...but yeah, they were afraid to get thier feet wet.

[@jacobmasters438]

One thing to remember at Antietam, is every Union regiment had to cross the Antietam creek at some point during the battle. Only on the far southern portion of the battlefield (lower bridge) did Union troops have to cross the creek under fire.

[@jsmith3772]

I often think Burnside gets a lot of flak for not fording the stream, yet two years later a few miles down the road Jubal Early will do the same thing at the Battle of Monacacy(he had the benefit of having calvary). I also recommend the Snavely's ford hike if you ever in Antietam, first off it is beautiful and second it shows the terrain south of the bridge is not hospitable to marching large numbers of troops over

[@cousinfester4621]

I've been there. In many places that creek would be called a river. It's deep and with fast flowing water.

[@mwhyte1979]

Folks don't appreciate the difficulty of fording a stream especially in that time period. I'm originally from the area and if you look in the water near the bridge you'll see that while the water is not particularly deep the footing is very unsure. There's lots of Rocky ridges on the bottom which can catch ankles causing twist and also they are also rather sharp. I'm a reenactor and have tried in multiple times with my group to ford streams to see what it's like also remember your encumbered with your equipment and during this time your ammo is paper wrapped black powder cartridges. If you fall which is possible you risk getting your ammo soaked and then your effectively left with a long club until you fix your bayonet then you have a spear. Also consider that if you get across the stream without falling and ruining your cartridges you have to pull yourself up the opposite bank and I can tell you that it doesn't take many folks ahead of you before that bank becomes slippery and you will need help pulling yourself out of the stream. You should also factor in that if they had tried this they would also be under enemy fire.

[@americanwelder9865]

When I was young my scout troop camped on the battlefield for 4 days. We walked to every site there. We did some midnight walks on the battlefield also. We had a blast there learning about the battle, and the history of the town. They have a mummified hand in the museum, I believe it was from an amputation. I took my kids there many times in the years after. Awesome place! I remember the guide telling us there was a river of blood running down the bridge. The witness tree is cool too.

[@1stonewall]

Thanks!