Union Perspective
Major Point: General Major Ambrose ‘Little Mac’ Burnside is ordered to take the bridge
Locations relative to skirmish maps: Both banks of Burnside's Bridge, the bridge itself and A.P. Hill's Counterattack.
Scene 1: McClellan’s plan and attack (9-10 AM) - shot of the bridge focussing on union positions
Antietam creek was seldom more then 50 feet (wide) and while some points could provide an alternative crossing, McClellan instead focussed on storming the bridge and crossing a ford half mile (1km) downstream picked out by his engineers.
The engineers found the riverbank to steep and that part of the plan was abanoned leaving the bridge crossing in McClellan’s eyes as the only viable path.
Scene 2: the first attempt : Col. George CrookÂ’s Ohio brigade
The 11th Connecticut from Col. George CrookÂ’s Ohio brigade was send in to clear the enemy positions near the bridge to alleviate an attack by the rest of the brigade.
A heavy crossfire broke loose and due to lack of terrain knowlegde the rest of the brigade emerged 400 yards too far upstream in order to fully support the 11th.
After 15 minutes of fire and some 139 losses including their commander Col. Henry W. Kingsbury the 11th they had to withdraw in all haste.
Scene 3 : the second attempt : Brig. Gen. James Nagle’s assault on the bridge
Coming from the cornfield, the 2nd Maryland & 6th New hampshire fired a wild volley at the enemy and started rushing the bridge which was nearly 400 yards away.
They immediatly came under contant rifle and cannon fire and while some men reached the bridge eastern end it was impossible to hold, while the two battered regiments retreated uphill to the east for cover, the two supporting regiments consisting of the 9th new Hampshire and the 48th Pennsylvania also got repulsed.
Scene 4: the third attempt : 51th New York & 51th Pennsylvania (12 h 30)
Brigadier General Edward Ferrero formed his brigade in the cornfield with the 51st Pennsylvania in front closely followed by the 51th New York and the 21st Massachusetts and the untried 35th Massachusetts.
Burnside personally requested that the two 51’s would take the bridge, the pennsylvanians who saw their liquor ration cut due to misconduct when marching took the opportunity to demand Whisky, Ferrerro complied.
Partially ignoring the deadly road, the troups maneouvered uphill in order to have a frontal approach on the bridge, once in sight of the confederates they ran down the slope towards the bridge.
The Pensylvanians took cover behind the small stone wall near the bridge, the 51th New York followed suit and stopped behind a rail fence directly south of the brigde. While some others took cover behind the bridge abutments the bridge, a duel broke loosse with the sharpshooters.
While confederate artillery ammunition was running out, the attackers managed the troops managed to conquer enemy positions on the east bank and field a captured howitser against the remaining defenders, the bridge was finally taken.
Scene 5 : Taking the slope, A.P. Hill swoops in.
Once accross, some stopped to loot fallen soldiers for valuables or food while others needlessly fired at treetops or tried to shoot remaining confederates trying to find cover
A cloud from the continues musket fire engulfed the with corpses riddled river banks, the union managed to take the bridge but squandered precious time.
Ferrero instructed Lt. Hudson to form up in the road and to take the crest of the hill, but once Hudson arrived he only could take notice that there was no clear guidance and the lines in dissarray, while in the meanwhile A.P. Hill's forces succesfully managed to flank and attack.
Distraught by the "chaos" and near collapse of the left flank, Burnside had his troops fall back tot he west bank.
He urged McClellan to send in reinforcements, but an overly careful McClellan expected a confederate counterattack and only spared one battery while he had two full corps in reserve, the V & the VI corps.
For the rest of the day Burnside’s men guarded the bridge where so much blood was spilled.
Debate : without the "union's lingering", the war might of ended sooner ?
While from a military perspective the battle can be considered a draw and the Union lost more men, Lincoln claimed this as a victory in order to legitimise the proclamation of the emancipation act.
This battle is considered a turning point in the civil war, it also raised questions about capacities & leadership of McClellan & Burnside who weÂ’re trying to shift the blame of the costly delay and not fully commiting troops on eachother.
Sources
[1] https://www.battlefields.org/learn/m...pm%E2%80%931pm
[2]
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/m...sault-330-dark
[3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Antietam
Confederate Perspective
Major Points : bridge overlook
Scene 1 = intro : 360° shot of the bridge focussing on confederate positions
No one would have believed when a three-arched, 12-foot wide, 125-foot long bridge constructed by Dunker farmers of locally sourced coursed limestone was completed in 1836, it would play a key role in bloody battle many years later. [2]
Known as the Rohrbach bridge (owner of a nearby farm) or the lower bridge (being the most downstream of three bridges), it provides a passageway over Antietam Creek for farmers to take their produce and livestock to market in Sharpsburg.[1]
This day : 17th september 1862 the bridge will soon bear the name of the man who was given the task to capture it : Burnside !
Scene 2 : Wide shot (2nd & 20th Georgia defensive positions)
A mere 400-500 Georgian confederate soldiers and two artillery batteries commanded by Brigadier General Robert Toombs have taken up defensive positions near the bridge and southward to Snavely Ford, with Colonel Henry “Old rock” Benning commanding the troops near the bridge.
The 30 metre high wooded hill provided excellent cover and a vantage position overlooking the creekÂ’s parrallel road leading up to the bridge on union side.
A Union soldier, who attempted to cross the span, noted that the Confederates "were snugly ensconced in their rude but substantial breastworks, in quarry holes, behind high ranks of cordwood, logs, stone piles, Â…
Scene 3: the confederacy is stalling time
Due to the halfhearted attacks the confederates managed to withhold incoming attacks and weÂ’re able to shift some men to repond to the threats.
Once the Union started piling up on the river bank and the bridge the situation become more dangerous, the union started riddling the brush covered western bank with fire.
Simmond's 'Kentucky’ battery also started pinpointing the confederate positions and unleashed canister shots into the already fragile CSA defensive positions.
Scene 4: the confederacy is retreating towards Sharpsburg (3PM)
With Burnside’s federal troops firmly holding the bridge and RodmanÂ’s Federal troops crossing the Antietam creek by SnavelyÂ’s Ford breathing down Toomb’s neck, the remnants of the exhausted defenders had no alternative to fall back to Sharpsburg.
Lt.Col. William R. Holmes vowed to hold the bridge or ‘die trying’ died wih his sword in hand, while the outflanked 2nd Georgie tried to reform.
The confederates managed to valiantly defend the bridge for 3 hours and lost about 160 men while the Union cost was much higher at about 500 losses.
Scene 5: A.P. Hill’s light division arrives from Harpers Ferry (3:45 PM)
The situation was looking dire for the confederates, at a crucial time A.P. Hill highly experienced troops who had marshed a 17 mile (27km) from Harpers Ferry we’re able to surprise the Union’s left flank.
Hill quickly overwhelmed the flank pushing the Union back to the lower bridge where they remained fort he rest of the day.
Burnside asked McClellan who still had a lot of uncommited troops for reinforcements, an overcautious McClellan denied the request due to his misplaced fear of a confederate counterattack.
The battle ended in a stalemate.
Sources
- https://www.historynet.com/burnside-bridge
- https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Burnside%27s_Bridge
- https://www.nps.gov/anti/learn/photo...our-stop-9.htm