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View Full Version : Battlefield Tour Story Submission Thread



TrustyJam
08-05-2019, 05:06 PM
This is the official submission thread of the battlefield tour stories concerning everything regarding the battle of Antietam.

Before anyone submits anything, you should read the call for battlefield researchers thread for examples of what we're looking for (minor and major interactive points) at: https://www.warofrightsforum.com/showthread.php?6290-A-call-for-Battlefield-Researchers!

Both minor and major interactive point scenes should consist of no more than 4 sentences and major interactive points should contain no more than 5 scenes (in chronological order).

The accepted stories will be listed in the OP of this thread under different headlines in order for people to easier see if a story they'd like to submit has already been so.

The only posts that will be kept in this thread are those with links to sources included the rest will be deleted in order to keep the submission thread as clean and tidy as possible. It is allowed to question the historical accuracy of a submission but only if counter sources are posted while doing so.

The top contributors of properly sourced stories will be promoted to "Battlefield Researchers", a position where we rely on you to a greater extent than the rest of the community when verifying submissions. We intend to work closely with the battlefield researchers when the production of the battlefield tour mode kicks off and the stories start to get implemented into the tour mode.

Here are a few additional guidelines for submitting your story:

- All sources should be listed and numbered, when a source is used in a written text there should be added number of the source after said text like so(2)

- Please only post the content of a single interactive point (minor or major) per post (you are allowed to post as many posts here after each other as you'd like unlike the rest of the forum).

- Please also post the time at which the story takes place as well as where it takes place (if it's something related to a specific place (which all combat actions of course are) above the first scene of the story. :)

- Lastly, please try to only speak of the events that happened there up until (and during) the battle and not what happened in the later years. This is tied to the overall design of the tour mode which we will get into at a later date when we have a working prototype to show.

Thank you to everyone helping us add more stories to this mode than we could ever do by ourselves. We look forward to be reading your submissions! :)



Accepted Submissions


Union Perspective

Morning

Major Points

Noon

Afternoon

Major Points

Major Point: 9th New York "Hawkins' Zouaves"
Locations relative to skirmish maps: The top of the ridge of Burnside's Bridge, and A.P. Hill's Counterattack (as well as anything in between)

Scene 1: 9th Forms Up
After crossing the Antietam through Snavely’s ford around 2pm[1][10], The 9th New York “Hawkins’ Zouaves” under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Kimball formed into line of battle alongside the rest of Fairchild’s Brigade (the 89th NY and 103rd NY) on top of the ridge west of Burnside’s Bridge[2]. 9th NY would wait until the entire 9th Corps had gotten into position. During the wait Private John Whitney of Company B would describe “The Ninth lay exceedingly low, many of the shell striking in front of them and ricocheting over their heads before exploding; others, more unfortunately, striking and bursting in the ranks, killing and wounding half a dozen men at each discharge.”[3] General Isaac Rodman would inform the 9th New York to deploy skirmishers and to advance around 3:30pm to the 9th’s excitement.[3]

Scene 2: The 9th Charges Alone
The 9th New York moved forward at the double quick ahead of the rest of the brigade. The 9th stopped at the slope of a hill west of Branch Ave, and fired back at the rebel lines on a stone wall that overlooked the Harpers Ferry Road. To the surprise of the rebel brigades of Kemper and Drayton the Hawkins’ Zouaves pushed forward shouting their war cry “ZOO ZOO ZOO!” and drove them off the wall.[4] Private David Thompson of the 9th NY Company G who was captured during the attack would later recall, “The mental strain was so great that I saw at that moment the singular effect mentioned, I think in the life of Goethe on a similar occasion-the whole landscape for an instant turned slightly red.”[5] The 9th NY was now all alone on top of the hill that overlooked the Harpers Ferry road due to the rest of the brigade turning their attention left to deal with the oncoming onslaught of General AP Hill’s Division.[6]

Scene 3: Rodman Mortally Wounded
General Isaac Rodman, commander of the 3rd division of the 9th corps, realizing that his Division was about to receive the brunt of Hill’s assault rode down his line to warn the brigade commanders to change fronts. As he was passing by Fairchild’s brigade near the 9th New York, Rodman would be struck by a bullet through his left lung inside a cornfield mortally wounding him. General Rodman would succumb to his lung wound on September 30th, 1862 in the town of Sharpsburg.[7] Due to Rodman’s untimely wound, General Orlando Wilcox, commander of the 1st Division of the 9th Corps, attempted to take command of the 3rd Divisions situation and fall back.

Scene 4: 9th Forced Back
Lieutenant Colonel Kimball seeing that the 9th was in a fantastic position overlooking the Harpers Ferry Road that was not in any danger refused the order by Wilcox’s staff to fall back.[8] General Wilcox himself would ride over and order the ninth to fall back just as fresh rebel brigades formed up to begin their attack.[8] Kimball finally obeyed the order due to the now dire situation and began to pull the ninth back. Kimball would tell General Wilcox “Look at my Regiment! They go off this field under orders! They are not driven off! Do they look like a beaten regiment?”[9] The 9th would fall back in good order to the bank of the Antietam creek for the remainder of the battle. Of the 373 men present for duty that day the Hawkins’ Zouaves suffered 54 killed, 158 wounded, and 28 missing. Captain Adolphe Libaire of Company E would recieve the Medal of Honor for picking up the regimental battle flag and leading the charge on the stone wall.[10]

Sources
[1] https://www.battlefields.org/learn/m...pm%E2%80%931pm (https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/antietam-burnsides-bridge-september-17-1862-12pm%E2%80%931pm)
[2] https://www.battlefields.org/learn/m...sault-330-dark (https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/antietam-final-assault-330-dark)
[3] https://archive.org/details/hawkinsz...rich/page/n147 (https://archive.org/details/hawkinszouaves00whitrich/page/n147)
[4] https://archive.org/details/hawkinsz...rich/page/n149 (https://archive.org/details/hawkinszouaves00whitrich/page/n149)
https://archive.org/details/hawkinsz...rich/page/n151 (https://archive.org/details/hawkinszouaves00whitrich/page/n151)
[5] https://jarosebrock.wordpress.com/ma...-final-attack/ (https://jarosebrock.wordpress.com/maryland-campaign/antietam/the-final-attack/)
[6] https://archive.org/details/01728301....edu/page/n317 (https://archive.org/details/01728301.3375.emory.edu/page/n317)
[7] http://antietam.stonesentinels.com/m...-isaac-rodman/ (http://antietam.stonesentinels.com/monuments/individuals/general-isaac-rodman/)
[8] https://archive.org/details/01728301....edu/page/n321 (https://archive.org/details/01728301.3375.emory.edu/page/n321)
[9] https://archive.org/details/01728301....edu/page/n323 (https://archive.org/details/01728301.3375.emory.edu/page/n323)
[10] http://antietam.stonesentinels.com/m.../9th-new-york/ (http://antietam.stonesentinels.com/monuments/new-york/9th-new-york/)
https://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist...9thInfMain.htm (https://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/infantry/9thInf/9thInfMain.htm)

Confederate Perspective

Morning

Major Points

Location: Dunker Church Plateau
Scene 1: Wide shot (I Corps Attack, appx. 5 to 6 AM)

As Union General Joe Hooker looked south about a mile from the Union picket line, the only landmark plainly visible through the early morning fog and artillery smoke was a small whitewashed brick building atop an open plateau[1]. The white house, though mistaken by many Union soldiers as a schoolhouse, was a church - Dunker Church - and the plateau was decked with Confederate guns under the command of Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson, who had four batteries crowded into place with a clear line of fire on everything north and east of plateau.[2] Hooker made Dunker Church his tactical objective for the morning, meaning to drive off the Confederate batteries there and secure the conversion of Hagerstown Pike and Smoketown Road with Doubleday’s and Rickett’s Divisions. In total, Gen. Hooker's attacking force numbered roughly 8,600 strong while Gen. Jackson had approximately 7,700 men. Jackson understood that to lose Dunker Church Plateau would render the Confederate position all the way to Nicodemus Heights, from which Confederate batteries under Gen. Jubal Early would fire into the flank of Federal forces moving south out of the North Woods, totally untenable and so he was prepared to hold here at all costs.[2]

[1] Antietam, South Mountain, and Harpers Ferry: A Battlefield Guide by Ethan S. Rafuse, pg. 33
[2] Landscape Turned Red by Stephen W. Sears, “To the Dunker Church” loc. 3105



Scene 2: Dunker Church (exterior of building)

In 1851, Mr. Samuel Mumma, owner of the nearby Mumma Farm, donated this plot of land to local farmers to build a church. The German Baptist Brethren, known as Dunkers for their practice of baptism by total immersion, constructed this church in 1852 and the congregation consisted of about a half-dozen local families by 1862. During the battle of Antietam, Dunker Church, sometimes mistaken as a schoolhouse on account of its simplicity, was a point of reference easily visible to soldiers on both sides and is referenced in the after action reports of Generals Hooker and “Stonewall” Jackson.

[1] https://www.nps.gov/anti/learn/histo...nkerchurch.htm
[2] Landscape Turned Red by Stephen W. Sears, “To the Dunker Church” loc. 3105



Scene 3: Confederate Artillery Placement

Confederate Col. Stephen D. Lee, under the command of Gen. “Stonewall” Jackson, had four batteries of artillery to hold this crucial point on the Confederate left. Col. Lee’s batteries here, in cooperation with the fourteen guns under command of Captain “Gallant” John Pelham arrayed on Nicodemus Hill to the northwest, would be able to inflict a murderous crossfire on Federal forces approaching out of the North Woods[1]. It was Union Gen. Joe Hooker's objective to sweep these guns off of the plateau as soon as possible, but it required sending Doubleday and Ricketts Divisions across essentially open ground to do so. Unfortunately for Hooker, his assault was largely uncoordinated and Lee's batteries were instrumental in decimating Rickett's Division as it approached Dunker Church.

[1] Antietam, South Mountain, and Harpers Ferry: A Battlefield Guide by Ethan S. Rafuse, pg. 33
[2] Landscape Turned Red by Stephen W. Sears, “To the Dunker Church” loc. 3137
[3] ibid., loc. 3256

Major Point: 1st Texas Infantry "Ragged Old First"
Locations relative to skirmish maps: Skirmish in the East Woods, Dunker Church, and Miller's Cornfield (plus any surrounding areas)

Scene 1: Skirmish the night before
After settling into their assigned position south of Miller's Cornfield upon arriving to Sharpsburg[1]. The 1st Texas along with their brigade waited patiently for the Union host to make a move across the Antietam creek, come September 16th they got their chance. Joseph Hooker of I Corps was ordered by McClellan at 2pm to cross the creek to either "attack and if possible turn the enemy left flank,"[2] this movement caused the Texans to form up into line of battle to face the oncoming federals with their line stretching from the southern end of miller's cornfield to the East Woods.[2] The battle was joined while the darkness was gathering, giving the Texans only a chance to fire when they saw the enemy's rifle flash, alerting artillery from both sides to fire into the fight. Though small in scale, this confrontation set the stage for the upcoming battle in the morrow and alerted Lee to McClellan's plan.[3]

Scene 2: Encamped Behind Dunker Church
Due to the skirmish in the East Woods, Thomas Jackson allowed John B. Hood to take his division to the rear with the promise to come when called upon.[1] Upon leaving their position, they were replaced by the brigades of Lawton and Hays. In the West Woods, they were able to get much needed rest but had to wait till daybreak to get rations.[4] Come the first light of September 17th, 1st Texas would have trouble trying to sleep with the battle heating up north of their position. Hood, watching the battle from his position and anticipating the heed for reinforcements, formed up his men for battle, interrupting their breakfast.[1][4][5]

Scene 3: Hood's Counterattack
[7am]With the call for reinforcements received, Hood's command left the shelter of the trees and formed up in the field between the East and West Woods, south of Miller's Cornfield. 1st Texas was situated in the middle of William T. Wofford's Texas Brigade with the Hampton's Legion left and 18th Georgia on the far left flank and 4th right the 5th Texas on the right flank in that order.[2] Angry about losing their breakfast and sleep, the 1st Texas let out the infamous rebel yell and double quicked to the front, passing survivors of Hays' and Lawton's shattered commands. The 1st stopped just south of the cornfield and let loose a volley that stunned the advancing Iron Brigade in their tracks before starting to retreat through the corn. Sensing the weakness in the Federal attack, 1st Texas pursed the fleeing yankees despite Lt. Col. Philip A. Work's orders to hold firm.[2]

Scene 4: Slipping the Bridle
Compared to the other regiments in their brigade, 1st Texas never had great discipline, and this would be their undoing.[2][7] Their aggressiveness led them to be 150 yards ahead of their brigade which made them virtually isolated. Unknowing to the Texans they were headed straight towards Anderson's brigade of Pennsylvania Reserves lying in prone to their front and another regiment to flank, backed up by a federal battery packing double canister.[1][6][7] Once the Pennsylvanians could see the legs of the Texans move toward them and at 30 yards they fired their volley, sweeping the ranks.[1][2][7] Despite being in a pincer and outnumbered, 1st Texas tried to hold their ground, picking up the flag each time it would fall with 8 flag bearers being killed in succession.

Scene 5: Uneasy Return
[7:30am]Upon reporting the dire situation to Work by cuffing his hands and yelling, Major Matt Dale was instantly killed by a minie ball and fell down dead. Seeing no hope in the fight, Work ordered a retreat to the rear but in the confusion lost not only their famous Wigfall flag but their battle flag aswell. Of the 226 men of 1st Texas who went into the corn, only 40 would emerge after the fight, this would be a casualty rate of 82.3 percent, the highest suffered by any regiment, on either side, of the entire war.[1][5][8][9] Two companies would be totally wiped and four out of five would be shot just in under 20 minutes of fighting, 1st Texas went in as a regiment and came out with only 4 squads of men.[7] Though suffering tremendous casualties, 1st Texas was able to stabilize the confederate line and save Lee's army from being split in two.

[1]https://antietamscornfield.com/2016/06/05/the-1st-texas-infantry-in-the-cornfield-slipping-the-bridle/
[2]https://www.historynet.com/savage-skirmish-near-sharpsburg-september-98-americas-civil-war-feature.htm
[3]Landscape Turned Red by Stephen W. Sears, "We Will Make our stand Here" p. 176
[4]Landscape Turned Red by Stephen W. Sears, "To the Dunker Church" p. 197
[5]https://notevenpast.org/texans-antietam-150-years-ago-today/
[6]http://antietam.aotw.org/maps.php?map_number=2
[7]Landscape Turned Red by Stephen W. Sears, "To the Dunker Church" p. 201
[8]http://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?unit_id=601
[9]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Texas_Infantry

Noon

Afternoon

Tyler28256
08-05-2019, 05:19 PM
Major Point: 9th New York "Hawkins' Zouaves"
Locations relative to skirmish maps: The top of the ridge of Burnside's Bridge, and A.P. Hill's Counterattack (as well as anything in between)

Scene 1: 9th Forms Up
After crossing the Antietam through Snavely’s ford around 2pm[1][10], The 9th New York “Hawkins’ Zouaves” under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Kimball formed into line of battle alongside the rest of Fairchild’s Brigade (the 89th NY and 103rd NY) on top of the ridge west of Burnside’s Bridge[2]. 9th NY would wait until the entire 9th Corps had gotten into position. During the wait Private John Whitney of Company B would describe “The Ninth lay exceedingly low, many of the shell striking in front of them and ricocheting over their heads before exploding; others, more unfortunately, striking and bursting in the ranks, killing and wounding half a dozen men at each discharge.”[3] General Isaac Rodman would inform the 9th New York to deploy skirmishers and to advance around 3:30pm to the 9th’s excitement.[3]

Scene 2: The 9th Charges Alone
The 9th New York moved forward at the double quick ahead of the rest of the brigade. The 9th stopped at the slope of a hill west of Branch Ave, and fired back at the rebel lines on a stone wall that overlooked the Harpers Ferry Road. To the surprise of the rebel brigades of Kemper and Drayton the Hawkins’ Zouaves pushed forward shouting their war cry “ZOO ZOO ZOO!” and drove them off the wall.[4] Private David Thompson of the 9th NY Company G who was captured during the attack would later recall, “The mental strain was so great that I saw at that moment the singular effect mentioned, I think in the life of Goethe on a similar occasion-the whole landscape for an instant turned slightly red.”[5] The 9th NY was now all alone on top of the hill that overlooked the Harpers Ferry road due to the rest of the brigade turning their attention left to deal with the oncoming onslaught of General AP Hill’s Division.[6]

Scene 3: Rodman Mortally Wounded
General Isaac Rodman, commander of the 3rd division of the 9th corps, realizing that his Division was about to receive the brunt of Hill’s assault rode down his line to warn the brigade commanders to change fronts. As he was passing by Fairchild’s brigade near the 9th New York, Rodman would be struck by a bullet through his left lung inside a cornfield mortally wounding him. General Rodman would succumb to his lung wound on September 30th, 1862 in the town of Sharpsburg.[7] Due to Rodman’s untimely wound, General Orlando Wilcox, commander of the 1st Division of the 9th Corps, attempted to take command of the 3rd Divisions situation and fall back.

Scene 4: 9th Forced Back
Lieutenant Colonel Kimball seeing that the 9th was in a fantastic position overlooking the Harpers Ferry Road that was not in any danger refused the order by Wilcox’s staff to fall back.[8] General Wilcox himself would ride over and order the ninth to fall back just as fresh rebel brigades formed up to begin their attack.[8] Kimball finally obeyed the order due to the now dire situation and began to pull the ninth back. Kimball would tell General Wilcox “Look at my Regiment! They go off this field under orders! They are not driven off! Do they look like a beaten regiment?”[9] The 9th would fall back in good order to the bank of the Antietam creek for the remainder of the battle. Of the 373 men present for duty that day the Hawkins’ Zouaves suffered 54 killed, 158 wounded, and 28 missing. Captain Adolphe Libaire of Company E would recieve the Medal of Honor for picking up the regimental battle flag and leading the charge on the stone wall.[10]

Sources
[1] https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/antietam-burnsides-bridge-september-17-1862-12pm%E2%80%931pm
[2] https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/antietam-final-assault-330-dark
[3] https://archive.org/details/hawkinszouaves00whitrich/page/n147
[4] https://archive.org/details/hawkinszouaves00whitrich/page/n149
https://archive.org/details/hawkinszouaves00whitrich/page/n151
[5] https://jarosebrock.wordpress.com/maryland-campaign/antietam/the-final-attack/
[6] https://archive.org/details/01728301.3375.emory.edu/page/n317
[7] http://antietam.stonesentinels.com/monuments/individuals/general-isaac-rodman/
[8] https://archive.org/details/01728301.3375.emory.edu/page/n321
[9] https://archive.org/details/01728301.3375.emory.edu/page/n323
[10] http://antietam.stonesentinels.com/monuments/new-york/9th-new-york/
https://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/infantry/9thInf/9thInfMain.htm

Here is a quick map i drew up to help put it in perspective.
Dark blue and light red = 9th's attack
Light blue and dark red = 9th's withdraw
I'm still working out finding close to the exact location Rodman was mortally wounded, and it will be added soon.
https://i.imgur.com/zngwHwU.png

Painting of the 9th's attack on the stone wall with Captain Libaire holding the regimental flag.
https://i.imgur.com/3a0gIms.jpg

Saris
08-08-2019, 03:58 AM
Major Point: 1st Texas Infantry "Ragged Old First"
Locations relative to skirmish maps: Skirmish in the East Woods, Dunker Church, and Miller's Cornfield (plus any surrounding areas)

Scene 1: Skirmish the night before
After settling into their assigned position south of Miller's Cornfield upon arriving to Sharpsburg[1]. The 1st Texas along with their brigade waited patiently for the Union host to make a move across the Antietam creek, come September 16th they got their chance. Joseph Hooker of I Corps was ordered by McClellan at 2pm to cross the creek to either "attack and if possible turn the enemy left flank,"[2] this movement caused the Texans to form up into line of battle to face the oncoming federals with their line stretching from the southern end of miller's cornfield to the East Woods.[2] The battle was joined while the darkness was gathering, giving the Texans only a chance to fire when they saw the enemy's rifle flash, alerting artillery from both sides to fire into the fight. Though small in scale, this confrontation set the stage for the upcoming battle in the morrow and alerted Lee to McClellan's plan.[3]

Scene 2: Encamped Behind Dunker Church
Due to the skirmish in the East Woods, Thomas Jackson allowed John B. Hood to take his division to the rear with the promise to come when called upon.[1] Upon leaving their position, they were replaced by the brigades of Lawton and Hays. In the West Woods, they were able to get much needed rest but had to wait till daybreak to get rations.[4] Come the first light of September 17th, 1st Texas would have trouble trying to sleep with the battle heating up north of their position. Hood, watching the battle from his position and anticipating the heed for reinforcements, formed up his men for battle, interrupting their breakfast.[1][4][5]

Scene 3: Hood's Counterattack
[7am]With the call for reinforcements received, Hood's command left the shelter of the trees and formed up in the field between the East and West Woods, south of Miller's Cornfield. 1st Texas was situated in the middle of William T. Wofford's Texas Brigade with the Hampton's Legion left and 18th Georgia on the far left flank and 4th right the 5th Texas on the right flank in that order.[2] Angry about losing their breakfast and sleep, the 1st Texas let out the infamous rebel yell and double quicked to the front, passing survivors of Hays' and Lawton's shattered commands. The 1st stopped just south of the cornfield and let loose a volley that stunned the advancing Iron Brigade in their tracks before starting to retreat through the corn. Sensing the weakness in the Federal attack, 1st Texas pursed the fleeing yankees despite Lt. Col. Philip A. Work's orders to hold firm.[2]

Scene 4: Slipping the Bridle
Compared to the other regiments in their brigade, 1st Texas never had great discipline, and this would be their undoing.[2][7] Their aggressiveness led them to be 150 yards ahead of their brigade which made them virtually isolated. Unknowing to the Texans they were headed straight towards Anderson's brigade of Pennsylvania Reserves lying in prone to their front and another regiment to flank, backed up by a federal battery packing double canister.[1][6][7] Once the Pennsylvanians could see the legs of the Texans move toward them and at 30 yards they fired their volley, sweeping the ranks.[1][2][7] Despite being in a pincer and outnumbered, 1st Texas tried to hold their ground, picking up the flag each time it would fall with 8 flag bearers being killed in succession.

Scene 5: Uneasy Return
[7:30am]Upon reporting the dire situation to Work by cuffing his hands and yelling, Major Matt Dale was instantly killed by a minie ball and fell down dead. Seeing no hope in the fight, Work ordered a retreat to the rear but in the confusion lost not only their famous Wigfall flag but their battle flag aswell. Of the 226 men of 1st Texas who went into the corn, only 40 would emerge after the fight, this would be a casualty rate of 82.3 percent, the highest suffered by any regiment, on either side, of the entire war.[1][5][8][9] Two companies would be totally wiped and four out of five would be shot just in under 20 minutes of fighting, 1st Texas went in as a regiment and came out with only 4 squads of men.[7] Though suffering tremendous casualties, 1st Texas was able to stabilize the confederate line and save Lee's army from being split in two.

[1]https://antietamscornfield.com/2016/06/05/the-1st-texas-infantry-in-the-cornfield-slipping-the-bridle/
[2]https://www.historynet.com/savage-skirmish-near-sharpsburg-september-98-americas-civil-war-feature.htm
[3]Landscape Turned Red by Stephen W. Sears, "We Will Make our stand Here" p. 176
[4]Landscape Turned Red by Stephen W. Sears, "To the Dunker Church" p. 197
[5]https://notevenpast.org/texans-antietam-150-years-ago-today/
[6]http://antietam.aotw.org/maps.php?map_number=2
[7]Landscape Turned Red by Stephen W. Sears, "To the Dunker Church" p. 201
[8]http://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?unit_id=601
[9]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Texas_Infantry

Images that correspond with the 1st Texas
https://i.imgur.com/DMsljFC.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/TIU7RrG.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0htw3Vl.png

Redleader
03-01-2020, 02:46 PM
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 (https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/antietam-burnsides-bridge-september-17-1862-12pm%E2%80%931pm)

[2] https://www.battlefields.org/learn/m...sault-330-dark (https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/antietam-final-assault-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/photosmultimedia/tour-stop-9.htm