Burnside Bridge | Antietam Battlefield Tour | Antietam 162

We are thrilled to be joined by Dennis Frye for our coverage of the 162nd Anniversary of the Battle of Antietam. This year we are focusing on the "highlights" of the battlefield, detailing the bloodiest day in American history from start to finish. For our final tour stop we debate the action at Burnside Bridge from the Confederate (high ground) perspective.
This video is part of our series commemorating the 162nd Anniversary of the Battle of Antietam. You can view the full playlist here: • Antietam | The 162nd A...
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.

[@RobinBurke-tb9pd]

Thank you so much for this series. The combination of Dennis and Garry talking about what happened here is probably irreplaceable.

[@brettanymichellelawson-top5197]

So is the american battlefield trust

[@micheldaubigne7629]

That was just spectacular; the photography, the excited and detailed narration of both Dennis Fry and Gary Addelman put my lights out. Well done gentleman, well DONE!

[@lsnead72]

I have been to Antietam and you are right. It is a wonderfully preserved battlefield. To see these areas as they were during the Civil War gives a lot of insight into the battle.

[@Fixingtodraw]

Hoorah for General Robert Toombs. Thank you for your Service.

[@jamescavanaugh3682]

Having Dennis with you provides such great insight on the troop movements in this series. Great job!

[@rclendening]

The two of you are just the best. Dennis inspired me to finally visit Antietam a couple years ago. The area around Burnside Bridge is something that needs to be seen to be fully appreciated. I stood on the bridge and looked up at where the Confederates would have been, and I stood on the hill where the Confederates would have been firing down on the Union troops. All I can say is that the whole experience was very emotional.

[@explorepikespeak]

I have yet to find any other channel focusing on the Civil War that comes close to the enthusiasm and professionalism of this one. Gary and Dennis are like those "best professors" you remember from high school and college, those that brought history alive and made of you a lifelong amateur or professional student of history.

[@stephenhenion8304]

Thank you Gentlemen for your analysis of the Burnside Bridge... one of the top ten Civil War Images! Im from New Haven County, and its good to know the Big Sacrifices made from our Small State. I have 3 New York Ancestors who served from 1864 right thru to Appomattox, as well as the fall of Richmond. I know i have their DNA, because of my 65 years of Civil War Fascination. I have one Gold Discharge Medal from my Connecticut side as well.

[@karls937]

I wish more people in this Country paid respect to the sacrifices made on these battlefields that have led to our modern day comforts. Maybe then we wouldn’t be doomed to repeat our same mistakes from the past.

[@travisbayles870]

Two of my Confederate ancestors who were in the 20th Georgia lnfantry Toombs Brigade fought at the Burnside Bridge near Sharpsburg September 17 1862 A sad and a terrible day for both sides 😢

[@Pelham1538]

I’ve found a couple Georgia buckles near Sharpsburg (I’m a resident) and my wife found a Georgia state seal officer’s button! One confederate buckle has the name Wilson scratched on it! God bless ole Georgia!

[@jumpmaster82nd.]

Timely as I'm finishing up Scott Hartwigs book. Incredible read which I cant recommend enough! Blessed to have spent a few days on the field with the late Brian Pohanka in the 80's. A real "shut up and listen" trip! Good stuff men!

[@ronniedurie7752]

Loved, Loved this! I caught myself several times taking deep breath like I was out of breath reliving those soldiers struggling to move around with bullets and canon balls whistling by! My Hat off to you Dennis for your Heart felt account of the battle there and the importance of preserving the battlefield lands that so much Blood was shed to be who we are as a Nation now under ONE FLAG!!! And to you Garry for making me feel the battle from your telling and bringing to life of all that were there and paying homage to them all!!! Peace!

[@robinfereday6562]

Mr.Adelman without doubt one of the greatest presenters of civil war history ever if not the GOAT😊

[@k.r.truthseeker7156]

I live 17 miles away from Antietam and hike the trails several days per week. Antietam is by far my absolute favorite battlefield....followed by Little Bighorn and Shiloh. Those are very well perserved sites and not commercialized and over crowed like Gettysburg. Great job Dennis and Gary. Excellent discussion. I really enjoyed the new perspectives from Dennis regarding the Bloody Lane breakthrough and the true Federal objective at the lower bridge area. Great stuff....THANKS!!

[@haroldeckert7927]

Thank you Gentlemen 🇺🇸🗽

[@williamcanfield2889]

Fabulous…Dennis Fry is an absolute gift from above to CW buffs!

[@NPB0067]

Antietam is by far the best battlefield to visit. Great jobs guys!

[@timsterrett2417]

Very well done, you made it as easy as possible for the average person to understand what took place , and how it happened,i watched many videos this was one of the best, i love hearing the history of the civil war so much i spent my honeymoonn there, even stayed in the farnswerth house, i couldn't get enough, thanks for all you do, i did have 2 great uncles in the civil war from,ohio Calvary and artillery they both survived!!

[@bryanfields5563]

I always get the impression Dennis is emceeing a professional wrestling event. His point about using Burnside to defend the flank against the Harper's Ferry threat is a GREAT one though!

[@pumpkin998]

That was a good one, fellows. I know something about this battle I did not know before

[@SafetyThirdRC]

Long live the American Battle Field Trust. It's so good in so many ways. Cheers

[@michaellynnhardy]

I appreciate Dennis Fry's "unconventional" fresh perspective on Burnside's movements. Opened my eyes to a different explanation. Thanks

[@Claytuna]

Absolutely wonderful presentation! Thank you American Battlefield Trust!

[@brettanymichellelawson-top5197]

Dennis does a brilliant job

[@danielkeating1201]

Always learn something new from Gary and Dennis...makes each subsequent visit to Antietam (and other battlefields) so much "better". Thanks again.

[@frankofva8803]

Thanks so much for this Antietam 162 series. Although short by your standards, it is always enjoyable and I learn something new.

[@user-mc4sq3fk5d]

Really? I just did a two minute review and stopped counting at 101 Antietam related videos. Yes, 101 videos and counting. Compare that to other Civil War battlefields and you see the massive emphasis on two battlefields and only the Civil War. If there is a reason for this lopsided statistic I wish ABT would explain so as to better educate the public as to why so many great sites go uncovered.

[@simpleman7363]

Love the new perspective on this part of the fight. Totally changes the way I thought it went. Thank you

[@philipryan25]

Thank you, Dennis 👍

[@vickistevens423]

Excellent video....great job, Garry and Dennis. Dennis's comments at the end of the video were very touching and heartfelt. We definitely need to preserve all of the hallowed ground to honor the men who fought and died on these battlefields.

[@coltonwatt423]

This is awesome! Thank you!

[@terryp3034]

Simply great stuff here. And I thought there was nothing left to learn about Antietam. The camera perspectives from the actual ground are outstanding.

[@buck1978]

Awesome video

[@NDB469]

Very interesting

[@tomdynia9951]

Great series of videos as always guys! I really appreciated Dennis Frye's new, somewhat revised interpretation of the action on the south end of the field.

[@michaelhoffman5348]

Dennis Frye is the best. Thanks Guys!

[@kaycox5555]

TERRIFIC DISCUSSION FELLAS! LOVE IT...CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT!

[@jeansalutz8422]

The number of marching troops boggles the mind.

[@markpflum6337]

Well done, gentlemen! The only thing that is missing is a mention of the heavy fire of artillery that was menacing the bridge. A good source for this would be Samuel Rhoads' speech for the dedication of the Durell's Battery monument on the Battlefield. Thank you for all you do!

[@daveoelke857]

Thank you gentlemen, we’ll done!

[@decimated550]

LOVE THIS video with lots of good looking footage and graphics thrown in. the maps are GREAT , now you're making modern -era videos!

[@AmericanBattlefieldTrust]

Andy behind the scenes rejoices, thanks!

[@decimated550]

@@AmericanBattlefieldTrust I particularly like the sloooow pan. My younger brother and I visited Antietam last month . We spent a long, long time at burnside's bridge, marveling at the terrain, and visualizing the men fighting and dying. Shivers.... Salute to all who keep history alive

[@NissanVol]

Awesome video gentlemen. Very well done!

[@gilllawson2214]

As usual, great stuff and thanks 😊

[@Stew-kv8nw]

Excellent as usual. Do we know if the Park service has given though to clearing out some of the trees and underbrush between the Bridge and the town? I think Dennis is starting to like Little Mac… The 4K looks fantastic!! Kudos to the production crew

[@JC-qn3ws]

Great job gentlemen! Learned a lot of new historical Knowledge!

[@daveoelke857]

Far into the future these videos will be studied for their historical value!

[@richardgillespie5703]

Brilliant insights--intriguing! And the two of you know how to clarify with a punch.

[@johnsimms4501]

The graphics really help visualize the situation and battle movements. Nice.

[@roncc1616]

Thanks

[@BallisticCoefficient]

This has arrived now and I am in New Zealand. Thank you so much.

[@mattpiepenburg8769]

Great work boys--as always. Love the new perspective--makes sense. I'll be there in October for another visit and re-consideration of the Burnside flank.

[@tomy.1846]

Awesome video!

[@johnzajac9849]

The rebels also covered the bridge and approaches with some artillery.

[@shotgun111180]

went down some gnarly hills to get to the bridge on my bike, getting back was more of a challenge.

[@FylMarite]

Woohoo! This is my favorite map in the game War of Rights.

[@joeydiamond831]

Thx Gentlemen. Took my 83 year old mother there last year

[@adamcockayne7948]

Brilliant

[@mammasut8280]

As a War of Rights internet soldier on the Union side, I have attacked over this bridge a thousand of times.

[@dadsongs]

Awesome!

[@TomWilson-sy4jo]

Great presentation, one thing I have often wondered what if Jesse Reno was not killed at South Mountain a few days earlier. His leadership of the IX Corps might have made the difference and gotten them across the creek that few hours quicker.

[@Tomatohater64]

Great. Always informative and highly enjoyable not to mention interesting. Tough battle for both sides.

[@NissanVol]

Thanks!

[@AmericanBattlefieldTrust]

@@NissanVol awesome thank you!

[@jorgemartinpaez4376]

Forward the PA vol INF NYS INF twin regts!! WOW McClellan had a balloon and signal station? Then McClellan we've need to hold Lee in place this is an offensive defense attack WOW!

[@mikegarland-vu8ut]

Gary is the man

[@kirkmorrison6131]

When I lived in Virginia I drove up to Sharpsburg MD, to see the battlefield. I had CSA ancestors who fought there. I prefer the new Gettysburg restoration. I am disabled and with crutches I walked the distance from the Virginia Monument to the Highwater mark.

[@topthrilldragster20]

Wife and I were there in April. Very quiet. I think we only saw 4 people the whole time we were there. I actually like this place better than Gettysburg.

[@paulvarner5616]

Well, this last video was the best, for me anyways. I've been to this bridge twice, I know that story of APHill moving up to save the day. "I know all that stuff", so far as "book knowledge" is concerned. But to see you two walk-out the action that is happening, see you two point to "this" and "that"....... Oh it puts a new light on things for me. I still have some thoughts that are not "settled" at this site. Let's start with Union artillery. Why-the-heck did not Burnside set his cannon up across the creek, and fire on this Rebel position? Seems to me he could have blown them to bits. Is not the "doctrine" that you "soften the position up with artillery" before you send your men into the fire? Secondly , I've read all the accounts from the Pacific Islands of how Marines took one Hellish position after another. With casualties mind you. I know there were no "Marines" at this time, but my gosh it seems to me that the Marines would made a cake-walk out of this attack. "With casualties", mind you. For starters, the Rebels did not have machine guns to fire. Each soldier had to "fire and re-load". And then each rifle was "not exactly accurate" either. It just has always seemed to me that Union troops should have been able to cross/storm this position. Whether "by land or by sea". I just don't get it. 300 riflemen on high ground can only fire "so many times". And if the Union troops are storming over that creek "waist deep or chest deep" as well as the bridge, there would HAVE TO BE confusion amongst the riflemen as to "which direction do we fire next?" And once a few Union troops have gotten over - just a FEW - they start crawling up the flanks of the REbel position and firing INTO the Rebel position. Again, IDEAL work for Marines. Well, "enough". I've never been "happy" with the idea that Burnside's men were "trapped", or in an untenable position. What I DO KNOW is that this video was FANTASTIC. Should be "required viewing" for anyone visiting Antietam. Thanks a million guys.

[@tomtaylor6163]

Great presentation but was Dennis in the TV Sitcom , My Favorite Martian?

[@FredCemeteryAdventures]

I'll be back....soon.

[@DeepRiverAsheville]

Garry, Dennis, why doesn’t the Park Service take down the trees SE of the Burnside Bridge so the view scape is just like it was at the Battle?

[@jesterboykins2899]

I called bs as soon as he said it Dennis. Tired my ass. lol. I was thinking, “I could spend all day there and never get tired”, oh Gary…😂

[@elliemcfadden5511]

I would love to come back, but my health will not allow it, I did a quick driving tour in 2004.

[@Steelworker-4-Trump]

Kinda off topic but at the 18:42-18:45 mark,did anyone else hear the faint whooping cry sound?

[@horizon42q]

When I go to that bridge I think of McKinley and Garfield.

[@daviddifonzo7938]

Unless I missed it, there was no mention of Constitution Day. I know you don't "take sides".

[@SpecOrd191]

I think Garry would’ve been Ferrero’s top student in his dance academy

[@justinmays9680]

Come on talk about the Kanawha Division lol

[@lanemeyer9350]

Cocaine does Gary Adelman when it needs a pick me up

[@AmericanBattlefieldTrust]

🤣

[@hochhasd1]

McClellan always attacks😅 He gave up to blame Lincoln in order to win election

[@phenom568]

This makes sense if you interpret McClellan's poor morning planning as proof. However if Burnside was there to prevent a flank why have him move his Core across the river. That would be opening your flank, the thing he is supposedly concerned about. I also don't know why McClellan would lie about this. Its certainly a better story than doing nothing for hours. Easier explanation is poor planning and execution by two poor quality Generals.

[@joeydiamond831]

Thx Gentlemen. Took my 83 year old mother there last year