Burnside's Bridge 1

This is the famous Burnside Bridge at the Antietam Battlefield. If you were a Confederate soldier, you wuld have stood where this picture was taken, perhaps taking cover behind stones that had been left from a quarry. One can see the massive positional advantage you would have against any assault across this bridge. Even the approaches were open to gunfire.

400 Confederate troops and two artillery batteries defended this bridge against General Burnside's Corps of 12,500 troops and 50 cannon. They held off 3 determined assaults to try and cross this important bridge for three hours before they had to abandon this position, suffering about 160 dead and wounded versus over 500 Union casualties. the final assault was made by men who were promised a restoration of a previously cancelled whiskey ration and supported with more artillery got within 25 yards of the enemy using a captured gun that led off the assault firing double canister down the bridge.

Again, a beautiful, peaceful place along Antietam Creek now, but nearly 150 years ago, a place of desperate fighting and also a powerful object lesson for those who try to take a defensible position without forthought and solid tactical planning.