A Bloodletting at Burnside Bridge | History Traveler Episode 253
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- As the fighting at the Battle of Antietam shifted to the south from places like the Cornfield and The Bloody Lane, the Union 9th Corps under General Ambrose Burnside was sent in to attack the right flank of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. But standing in their way would be a small group of Georgians guarding a bridge that later go on to be called Burnside Bridge.
This episode was produced in partnership with The Gettysburg Museum of History. See how you can support history education & artifact preservation by visiting their website & store at www.gettysburg...
Check out @VloggingThroughHistory to see the other side of the collaboration that we did at Antietam.
Battle maps in this series provided courtesy of @AmericanBattlefieldTrust . Check out the full battle map here: • Antietam: Animated Bat...
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- The Dunker Church: Antietam's Epicenter of Violence (w/ GARRY ADELMAN!) History Traveler Episode 249: • The Dunker Church: Ant...
- "Dead on the Field": Walking Antietam's Bloody Cornfield | History Traveler Episode 248: • "Dead on the Field": W...
- Where the Battle of Antietam REALLY Started History Traveler Episode 247: • Where the Battle of An...
- The LOST ORDER That Led to ANTIETAM!!! | History Traveler 245 Lost Order: • The LOST ORDER That Le...
- The Terminator of Antietam at THE BLOODY LANE | History Traveler Episode 251: • The Terminator of Anti...
All drone flights conducted by a Part 107 licensed pilot outside of the park boundaries
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Your Antietam series has been a masterpiece. Thanks for your hard work! I had the honor of taking a guided tour of the battlefield led by then Princeton Professor James McPherson (about 15 years ago). It was a truly memorable experience and your series serves as a wonderful refresher on this pivotal day in US history.
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The actual view that Toombs had over Burnsides bridge when you are actually standing there is unreal. It is basically a sheer cliff overlooking the bridge and the surrounding roads leading to it. I was blown away at how commanding a position that was and makes you understand how so few troops could hold off so many, for so long.
Yes. Until you have stood in the Confederate positions on the hill, you don't realize how dominating the terrain is at the bridge. The Antietam battlefield is a fascinating place to visit.
@@michaelmelen9062 I have been to a ton of battlefields (havent been to Gettysburg yet as when I went up to see Antietam, Wilderness, Fredricksburg etc the weather was really bad in PA so I didnt want to risk it as I had driven all the way from Atlanta) and Antietam is my favorite so far. The rolling hills in that part of MD, the way the town is basically still the same (Cant even find a gas station in it open after like 7 lol) and that battlefield are just truly remarkable. I then looped through the Shennandoah Valley on my way back to Petersburg which is beautiful drive. Chickamauga is another good visit.
@@marinewillis1202 Sounds like a great trip! Appomattox is another interesting site. I live close enough to take day trips to Gettysburg, and it is worth a several days' visit. The battlefield guides are excellent (and free), and there are two or three each day at different places on the battlefield.
@@michaelmelen9062 oh it was. I decided to it for my bday a few years ago. My dad and I had always talked about doing it so I did it as sort of in memory of him as we never got to. Drove from Atlanta to Petersburg in one day. Then hit Cold Harbor, Fredericksburg, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Antietam and the Valley over the course of several days. Just flew by the seat of my pants with no reservations, just stopped and got a room when i needed one. Funny story about that was trying to find a hotel leaving Antietam. There is literally NOTHING in any direction for 40 miles from that town. I loved the Town of Fredericksburg but the actual battlefield is not really there anymore. The stone wall on Maryes Heights is basically in the middle of a neighborhood so I felt a little weird wandering around in front of peoples houses lol
@@marinewillis1202 you’ll like gettysburg whenever you get a chance to make it there… the place is very well preserved and a great town.. I love every chance I get to go
Can’t imagine what it felt like to have to cross that bridge knowing you weren’t going to make it. How very frustrating it had to be for the Union to keep going only to be pushed back.
It’s such a beautiful spot just so hard to imagine the death that happened there.
👍😊Great video as always.
Definitely a rough spot on Sept 17, 1862.
Hasn't this bridge been rebuilt
That sycamore tree in the corner on the Union side is a witness tree. Imagine if it could talk, the stories it might tell.
I know!
Great video again JD! Your Antietam series is gold. I took a tour with a certified guide with a group from Addressing Gettysburg last year. When we got to the Burnside Bridge we stood overlooking the bridge from the Confederate side. The guide knew I had a personal connection to the story, so when it got to the two 51sts he stepped back and allowed me to tell the story. I told the story, and at the end I said, “My ancestor Henry Lentz of Company F of the 51st PA was killed trying to take that bridge.”
Oh wow!
Great report. People tend to foget the geography and topography that played into so many of these battles, and those locations were not as trimmed back as today. BTW, thank you for traveling where I am no longer able to travel myself. I've been blessed having gone many places, but there are far more I'll never see first hand due to my health. Trust me, you are providing not only information but a service to people like me. Blessings. Keep traveling.
Terrain is everything. Glad to share the experiences. Thank you for watching.
Another good story added to this great series. Can never get enough of the Civil War. Thanks.
Thanks!
I found out recently that my great great grandfather fought in the 50th GA Inf, Co.A. He fought and survived each battle they were in and was one of the soldiers that surrendered at Appomattox! It was very interesting to see the ground that he fought on!
I can't overstate how much I absolutely love your Antietam series. It's so hard to top your Gettysberg, but I think you've done it! Thank you for taking the time and teaching us history!
Thanks 🙏🏼
Great stuff JD. I can't even imagine being told "You know that bridge that everyone is dying while trying to cross? You're up next"....crazy.
Nightmare.
Such a shame that lives were cut short.
I worked summers on a dairy farm just outside of Sharpsburg during the late 1960's. Burnside Bridge was still a public road and I tramped these battlefields a lot back then. It's changed a lot but the Park Service has done a great job retaining the atmosphere of the day
Almost all of the locations you used for the video look so peaceful today, it's hard to imagine how bloody and brutal it was during the battle. Thanks JD for keeping our history alive. As always - - - God, Family, Country.
Your Antietam series is so engaging. I’m learning so much.
Glad you enjoy it!
Such a peaceful scene today where there was so much carnage. I’ve always enjoyed that area. Your videos have been amazing, your work is spectacular.
Thank you very much!
An abysmal Battle. Illuminating. Remarkable American history.
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Great Video JD!! I couldn’t even imagine having to cross that bridge under such withering gunfire. I can’t blame the men of 51st Pennsylvania for their demands. Stunning video quality as always. Keep up the great work 🇺🇸
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Burnside with those glorious side burns!!!
Loved this narrative on the Burnside Bridge. And the capture of it. The flanking movements . And especially humorous was the PA 51st’s wanting whiskey allotments given. Amazing what motivates men. 😮
My great-grandfather was with Cobb's Legion. at Burnside Bridge. He lost part of a leg from artillery shrapnel in the Devil's Den at the Battle of Gettysburg. He then played in the Army of Northern Virginia band, until surrendering at Appomattox. He was 78 and my great-grandmother was 28, when my grandmother was born!
Read about, and imagined "Burnside Bridge" crossing for years, your video made it so clear, image will be indelible. I cant imagine the bravery of these young guys walking into an almost certain death. Seeing the bridge from the confederate position was awesome, Thanks again
Your videos are absolutely fantstic ... They are filled with detailed history, cover amazing sites and battles, and the filming is unsurpassed ... I can't thank you enough for your vision, detail, and effort in bringing this valuable material to the viewing public ...
Many of us are unable to make the journey to these amazing sites, yet with through your kindness we are able to visually visit these historic locations. Thank You -- again ...
Thanks! That means a lot to me.
As I have said before on the Antietam series. I just retired from state service at the Maryland prison system just few mim up Sharpsburg pike and have been to those battlefield so many times I can't count. As many times I went to Burnside Bridge on lunchbreak from training or whatever, I always pondered why didn't the union army flank way out around and come in and hit the Georgians from behind? Maybe they couldn't I don't know enough about that and haven't read anything on it. But standing there starring at that bank I felt eerie every time at the death that was dealt out there
Quite the battle indeed. I also appreciate the perspectives from both sides of the bridge. Great work, JD, thanks brother.
I love the way the videos come together. The low key music and the cutting. Great touches.
Thank you very much!
Wow. The heights at the other side of the bridge are insane. Seeing that and still trying to cross that bridge is a whole heap of courage.
Can't even imagine.
I was at Antietam a couple days ago. While looking at the witness tree at Burnside Bridge I ended up eating a gnat and then I revisited your Antietam series of videos and saw you do the same thing, I feel your pain.
im so glad i found your page and its crazy seeing a place you grew up your whole life and still get to call sharpsburg home so much history in one town
Love that place! Hope that you continue to enjoy the channel.
These videos are tkaing me back to the time I spent there as a kid. Now i want to go back when I can really appreciate it a lil more
Well done JD. The commander of that area of the battlefield took advantage of a river crossing to canalize the enemy into a kill zone. Nothing has changed, except the speed of the enemies advance in modern times.
Agreed. When you stand on those heights, seeing what they were charging is absolutely stunning.
the bridge was open to automobile traffic in the early 1960's, I distinctly recall trying to touch the wooden planks that cap the sides from the backseat of a 1958 Pontiac. Well done series, I am local and lucky enough to visit the battlefield whenever I wish. Very pastoral setting, amazing vistas almost unchanged from September, 1862.
Thx so much!!! No markers for the CSA anywhere??? We appreciate your candor and knowledge of these battles!
We were at Antietam and U really did a Great Great Job!
Thanks Again 😊
What courage to go towards what for most of them would be their death. I imagine at Burnside's bridge back then there probably weren't trees for cover. Thanks for your hard work on this series. Looking forward to more!
Appreciate that. Pretty amazing place.
Thanks for the great video. My partner and I have been walking the Snavely Ford path for exercise recently, and you do a great job of laying out the areas of attack and defense. Thanks.
I have been hearing about Burnside Bridge ever since I was little. But the Cornfield was where it was really out of control.
Pretty nasty.
Two of my Confederate ancestors fought at Burnsides Bridge at Sharpsburg They were part of the 20th Georgia Infantry Regiment part of Toombs brigade
I see a lot of parallels between this action and 82 years later on Omaha Beach.
Then had to leave the (woods, stone wall - landing craft) and get across the (bridge - beach), many knowing they would not survive, and take those (hills - bluff). In both cases the mission was accomplished by shear bravery and strength of numbers. So, with Veterans Day just two days ago,To:
These civil war soldiers (both sides because the average GI is not interested in politics but rather keeping faith with the comrades with whom they were serving)
My fellow Vietnam vets who didn't get the recognition they deserved
And to all other veteran, "Thanks for your service"
Stopped by there a few years ago from Illinois. Walked across this bridge. Unbelievable feeling to think what happened there. One of the neatest historic spots in the country IMO. Really enjoyed your video. Didn’t have a guide while I was there.
Agreed. Thanks!
This is a fascinating look at Antietam! Greatest work!
Many thanks!
You always have the best music paired with your videos. Well done, you put alot of work into these. It doesn't go unnoticed 🤘
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Another great video JD. When I visited, I was mesmerized and just stood on that bridge to try and imagine the tactics of the day. Impossible.
Another quick footnote, that large sycamore tree on the east end was a young tree at the time and witnessed the battle. Incredible to think about. Thanks again!!
A witness tree!!
Absolutely LOVE your civil war series’. I’m proud to say that I’m a fellow Missourah-ian(Missourian) equally intrigued in history. Your video editing skills are on point and when coupled with your informative narrative makes your videos ‘must see TV’!! Keep the great videos coming JD!
We’ve visited Burnside Bridge. It’s an amazing area
Absolutely.
Good protein. Thanks for love history and sharing. We have to keep it alive
Throughout this entire video, my thoughts drift back to a scene from the old TV show, Hell on Wheels. Cullen Bohannon has an encounter with someone that was part of the Union attempt to cross the Burnside Bridge. It was a great scene because someone studied their history before writing it. Rare for Hollywood :)
Finally an informative serie about Antietam, thank you for the education. Massive respect for the men who fought here
I was visiting that iconic bridge just before the pandemic, I wish I could know more about it !
Thank you for sharing!
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I’ve been to Burnside bridge. Unbelievable steep drop to the bridge from the Confederate side. Crossing that bridge took unimaginable bravery!
"The only reason we left? We ran out of ammunition.." -Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount, He'll on wheels.)
Great work man!.
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I visited that bridge when me and my father did a two week long vacation of all the battle sights.
Thank you sir another great history lession.
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Another great explanatory and coverage of a significant conflict of the Battle of Antietam.
I could almost hear the cries and commands of both armies and the firing of their muskets and long rifles as you walked along both sides of Burnside Bridge. 🤜
The cold calculation of the enemy running out of ammunition before you run out of men.
Rough.
@@TheHistoryUnderground Antietam was a slugging match. It reminded me of the battle of Borodino where it was likewise, a slugging match. Combined casualties from both Russian and French armies were in the neighborhood of 70,000 in ONE day. Antietam was no Borodino, but the casualties inflicted in such a short time were just as gruesome. Ironically, both battles took place in early September.
Hey J D,
Even swallowing a knat, coughing and a gaging, you didn't miss a beat. That's dedication to the work at hand. Throw in a few spider webs and some branch water and you had a quick meal on the go. LOL
Ha! Thanks!
I’ve been looking forward to this part of the series. Wonderful job! Thank you!!!
Thanks 🙏🏼
Gnats gotta love'em
Your videos are awesome. I was just there in September. Very powerful place.
Glad you like them!
If I remember correctly, Walker and GT Anderson's brigades were supposed to support/fill in with Toombs if there was a push on the bridge, but they were quickly flank marched all the way to the left (northern) flank and wound up at the 'West Woods'.
As always GREAT JOB!!!
Loved that you included the gnat swallow 😝
Watching this series makes me want to revisit Antietam. When I was there it was impossible to get a perspective of what happened. Excellent work sir. Thanks
This was really good. I really like how to show the actual spots troops were at in perspective to the bridge. Well done and thanks JD
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Subscribed. Absolutely enjoy your delivery, you’re doing a great job!
Thank you very much! I really do appreciate that.
I would have had third thoughts of crossing that bridge. Great video JD.
As I approach old age with a lifetime of great memories to look back on, I shudder to imagine those young men marching to their death and attempting such a herculean endeavor.
What must their thoughts have been? Your viewers who have military experience will no doubt know the answer but to the rest of us, truly incomprehensible.
One of the few mentions made of the odds at the bridge; 24-to-1. The handful of Georgians held off an entire U.S. Corps for hours until AP Hill could arrive from Harper's Ferry, change the odds to 6-to-1... good Southern odds for a win.
I’m finding myself really enjoying your videos. This is the second.
My father was a Civil War buff and while we lived in Virginia, while he was in the navy, we visited many of these battlefield sites. But that was around fifty years ago.
These two videos of yours about the battle of Antiteim/Sharpesburg I’ve seen have brought it back to life for me.
going on a bike ride on the C&O trail. This is one of the stops I hope to see
The courage to cross that bridge......
Definitely took grit.
@@TheHistoryUnderground I've never been to Antietam..but its on the list. Thank you for the video.
We were there this may and it was nice just to step on the bridge
Your videos are so well made and presented, always fascinating and informative, with little Easter eggs of humorous side notes thrown in.
Also that large tree as you cross over from the union side to the Confederate side is a witness tree
Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Ah the infamous wet gap crossing, a challenge for any army. Surprise, speed and traffic organization are fundamental to success or so they say. I didn’t realize the ridge was so close to the bridge.
I didn't realize it either until I went there. It's right on top of that bridge.
@@TheHistoryUnderground Yeah I always visualized it as a more gradual slope with the Confederates shooting at like 100yds or so. The rebels were right on top of those poor guys! It was a choke point like Thermopylae.
Thank you JD, you are an awesome story teller.
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Really enjoyed this video. Love the angles you used and you really make history come alive. Burnside Bridge is so iconic. Thank you for doing it justice.
This is incredible coverage of Antietam ~WELL DONE!
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That hill beside the bridge is bigger than it looks on camera btw! Very steep and high where they were on top of that hill. When I visited I took the walking ramp bc I would’ve fell going down that haha
Another outstanding History lesson taught by JD. Thak you. Well done as usual.
Loved this,Thank You
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for this my third great grandfather was with the 8th OVI they were there under Sumner the 8th lost 50% of their strength that day
Thank you very much for this series. I'm finding it very informative.
The path along the creek, looks exactly like the trail along Wilson's Creek at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield.
Definitely need to go there at some point.
I had similar thoughts, Randy. Spent much of my youth playing & riding bikes around that park. Growing up next to it was the beginnings of my interest & love for history.
Another impeccable presentation.
Thank you
Thanks!
Thanks JD! The usage of maps makes much easier for to image what happened… Great video again! 🫶🏼💖💪🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Impressive as always, and I am so glad you did not edit out the gnat. Thank you for producing such videos.
Ha! Thanks.
They should put up a whiskey barrel as a monument to the 51st Pennsylvania lol 😆
😅
Somebody eats a gnat I give thumbs up. That’s the rule.
Another awesome episode, having never been to the battlefield myself, it’s great to basically have a virtual guided tour of the battlefield in the way that is really engaging and entertaining. Thank you, again!!!
Sir that was a brilliant video well in the very ground and place where death was certain for so many men that tried to cross,it is unbelevable what they did with so much conviction and loyalty to face the enemy . thank you so much for such for your work and approach on ACW History.
Thanks! I really appreciate that.
So loving your Antietam series JD. What an awesome job!
Glad you like them!
They had the best beards in the civil war era!!
100%
12,500 Union troops vs 500 Confederates….and JD almost gets taken out by a gnat! LOL. But seriously, excellent Antietam series!
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Outstanding.
Cheers !!
Many thanks!
As a young boy my Dad had Life books that covered many wars from the French/Indian wars, Revolutionary War Civil War on down but my favorite was always books on the Civil War it just fascinated me the colored battle maps Two of my favorite Generals are Sheman and Stone Wall love History enjoy all of your videos
Very good explanation of South Mountain.
My 2nd GGF's 6th NHVI regiment was active in the failed/2nd attempt to take Burnside Bridge. However, he was a POW at Belle Isle on 9/17/1862, the result of being captured at 2nd Bull Run that Aug 29th. In fact, he wouldn't be exchanged until nearly one week after the Battle of Fredericksburg (Dec 13, '62). So, his capture got him out of two major battles, which could've been good news for me since I descend from his youngest son, born long after the war. 😉
I just came across your channel, fantastic work! G'day from Australia :)
As always thanks for posting yet another excellent video from you and for providing us with history unlike any book one could read! I've learned much from your videos and can hardly wait to see what you post in the future!
great job presenting this