Category: Antietam

Antietam – Burnside Bridge

September 15, 2026September 13, 2026 BD No Comments

In the mid-morning to early afternoon, the Union concentrate near the lower Antietam bridge. Across the river, three Confederate batteries and approximately 600 soldiers from the state of Georgia were on the slopes looking down at the enemy. Staring at the heights and trying to figure a way across the bridge and the river stood the 9th Corps containing around 13,000 soldiers. Throughout the morning, the Rebels were continuing to shoot at the Union across the river.

Author’s picture of Burnside Bridge – April 2015 –

Against all the confusion, and the four attacks through Noon, the 2nd and the 20th regiments from Georgia continued to hold off the 9th Corps of the Union. However, around 1 p.m., regiments from the 51st Pennsylvania and 51st New York marched out of the cover of the trees and made a charge against the bridge and were successive.

The battle of Antietam was mainly a draw for both armies. However, soldiers were buried from the Union and the Confederacy within the National Cemetery. Not all soldiers were recognized as they were buried since ids and markers weren’t known at that time. Some soldiers were found with their family bibles or letters in their knapsacks. However, if the name was not known, they were labeled unknown soldiers. Luckily, some remains are still found as recently as thirty years ago and are reinterred with their brothers.

It was the bloodiest day in United States history, with a combined tally of 22,717 dead, wounded, or missing of Confederates and Union soldiers.

Antietam, Artillery, Confederate, Maryland, Union

Antietam – Bloody Lane

September 14, 2026September 13, 2026 BD No Comments

As the northern portions of the battlefield ease, the concentrate of the Confederacy takes their position along the Sunken Lane. This farmer’s road was used so often that it sank into the terrain. Between the Mumma’s Farm and the Sunken Road, both forces would command their soldiers to most certain death. The Confederate troops were in line from the Dunker Church to the Lane, while the Union Troops made a half semicircle formation from the North Woods through the East Woods and towards the Sunken Road.

Terrain of the Sunken Road – The Bloody Lane –

One of the most famous generals of the Confederacy was near Dunker Church under the command of General Stonewall Jackson. To prevent Union sharpshooters, the Rebels set fire to the Mumma farmhouse. The rebels were positioned along the lane and they ducked down to not be seen. They waited for the Union soldiers to attack and not fire till they “saw the white in their eyes”.

Courtesy of the Author – Irish Brigade – Sunken Road –

One of the most known brigade of the location is the Irish Brigade. The brigade consisted of the 63rd, 69th, and 88th New York. They were led by the emerald green banners. They started the day with 1000 soldiers and officers. At the end of the day, over 600 were killed and or wounded. This flag below was one of the banners.

Green Ensign of the 1st Regiment (69th N. Y. Volunteer Infantry), Irish Brigade

Their fighting war cry from the 69th New York was the following: “Faugh a Ballagh” – Clear the Way!

Antietam, Artillery, Confederate, Gettysburg, Irish Brigade, Lost Orders, Maryland, McClellan, President, Sunken Road, Union

Antietam – Morning Phase

September 13, 2026September 13, 2026 BD No Comments

After three small battles at Crampton, Fox, and Turner’s Gap, the Union and Confederate army converged on the biggest battle of the Maryland Campaign. Both armies moved towards this little town. Confederates called it the battle of Sharpsburg, while the Union called it the battle of Antietam. With the Rebel forces divided with some of it attacking Harpers Ferry and capturing the Union garrison, the other half is here preparing for battle against most of the Union forces. Even before the battle began, here are the facts:

Union soldiers numbered 84,000 with approximately 244 cannons
Confederate soldiers numbered 55,000 with approximately 148 cannons

This picture that is located in front of the Antietam’s Visitor Center shows the aftermath of the battle. It shows the cannon ball damage to the Dunker Church, and those soldiers killed on the field.

Courtesy of the Antietam National Battlefield wayside markers

On September 17th, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War began. Three phases of the morning, afternoon, and early evening occurred with significance in each time frame. The morning action that was between 5 to 9 a.m. happened on the northern part of the battlefield that included the West Woods, North and East Woods, and the Cornfield. When the fighting eased around 9 a.m., the Confederates retreated towards the West Woods.

There was over 8,000 casualties that were either killed or wounded. This fighting occurred on 24 acres of land. Some regiments of both armies were cut to pieces in less than 30 minutes. As an example, the 12th Massachusetts brought 334 soldiers to the morning fighting. As the fighting eased, less than 100 soldiers remained. It was the highest casualty rate of any Union regiment at Antietam.

Antietam, Artillery, Confederate, Gettysburg, Maryland, McClellan, President, Union

Lost Orders No. 191

September 6, 2026September 3, 2026 BD No Comments

Confederate General Robert E. Lee began the first invasion of the North on September 4th, 1862. They moved across the Potomac River and traveled into Mary-land and towards Frederick. As they crossed the Potomac, the Union was on their tails from being centered outside Washington D.C. They were now in enemy territory. Even though the farmlands were rich and green with food, they moved at a snail pace. As they approached Frederick, Maryland on September 9th, portions of the army were captured in town in the picture below.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress – Confederates walking through Frederick, Maryland – Sept. 1862

The signage of Jacob Rosenstock’s Rosen’s Dry Good and Clothing store is the clue. This location was on Patrick Street in the downtown Frederick on September 12, 1862. This is the only known picture of Confederates marching in columns of fours.

As the soldiers arrived into the city, Confederate generals gathered and conversed about the next move. Having cigars near the fire was a common thing for the leaders to do. Somehow, though, after the Confederates have moved to the west towards Boonesboro and Harpers Ferry, was that the orders were left on the ground. Lee wanted to crush the Union garrison at Harper’s Ferry, so the orders had the army divide and hopefully accomplish the objective.

The Union was about a day behind the Confederate soldiers. Around 12 p.m. on September 13th, portions of the 12th Union Corps arrived into Frederick. As they moved towards the town, portions of the regiments walked through old campgrounds that were still smoking from the previous army.

Courtesy of the Monocacy National Battlefield – Frederick, Maryland

In one of these campgrounds, Corporal Barton W. Mitchell of the 27th Indiana Volunteers discovered cigars wrapped in a piece of paper lying in the grass. He handed the paperwork of the important document up the line of command. As the paperwork continued to go up the line of leadership within the Corps, it was read by the following:

Sergeant – John M. Bloss
Regimental Commander – Colonel Silas Colgrove
Aide to Camp – Samuel Pitman
12th Corps Commander – Alpheus S. Williams
General of the Union Army in 1862 – George McClellan

George McClellan was overwhelmed with happiness since he knew where the Confederates direction and objective. He yelled out in glee, “Now I know what to do!”.

Antietam, Confederate, Frederick, Gettysburg, Lost Orders, Maryland, Monocacy, President, Union

Maryland Campaign 1862

September 1, 2026August 30, 2026 BD No Comments

The start of the 164th anniversary of the Antietam/Maryland Campaign begins. Remembering the soldiers trekking through the wilderness northward to give farmers some time to recover from warn-torn Virginia would have been a sight to see. Multiple battles were fought throughout Virginia in 1861 and 1862, and the Confederate Army needed to give their citizens a brief break. This would be Confederate Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the North.

Courtesy of the American Civil War webpage – Topographic map of Harpers Ferry and Loudoun’s Heights

The Confederate army containing approximately 55,000 soldiers traveled across the Potomac River on September 4, 1862, into the vast lustfulness of Mary-land. On their heels were the Union under the commander of General George McClellan and his army of around 84,000 soldiers at his disposal. Lee’s goal was to move into Pennsylvania, but the Union had other plans. The Union garrison that was within Harper’s Ferry was close enough to Virginia that they may threaten the supply lines and telegraph system that would be supporting the Confederate advances.

Confederate forces surrounded the town and captured the Union garrison stationed there. Overall, the Union forces surrendered 73 artillery cannons, 13,000 rifles, and approximately 12,000 soldiers. The commanding officer of the Confederacy at Harper’s Ferry was General Stonewall Jackson. His victory was one of the greatest of his storied career and resulted in the largest surrender of Union soldiers during the war.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress – General Stonewall Jackson

Three other battles occurred in Mary-land prior to the battle of Antietam that happened on September 17th. They were the battles of Crampton, Fox, and Turner’s Gap which are also known as the Battle of South Mountain. These battles happened only three days before the Antietam. The battle of South Mountain halted the Confederate invasion of the North, and began for General Lee to concentrate his forces around Antietam.

Antietam, Confederate, Gettysburg, McClellan, President, Union

Battle of Antietam – 7th Michigan

July 27, 2026August 10, 2026 BD No Comments

The Battle of Antietam was on September 17th, 1862, marking this year as the 164th anniversary of the battle. Soldiers in battle today have dog-tags with their name, rank, and possibly a location of what unit they served with. However, in the 1860s, this was not on the minds of soldiers. They would usually write letters and leave them on them. When they passed, the letters would tell the future person that if they were killed in battle, here’s who they would have to contact. One of these such soldiers is Captain Allen Zacharias of Company K within the 7th Michigan.

A little background about this soldier is very interesting. Even though he was a native of Washington County, Maryland, he moved to Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan. When he was fighting within the Peninsula Campaign, he wrote a short autobiography on a piece of paper which he kept with him. On the other side of the note he wrote:

Friend: If you find my body lifeless upon the field, bury it decently, mark its resting place, and inform my friends in the regiment and my father. Do this and you shall be liberally rewarded and have the gratitude of my friends.

He would survive the Peninsula Campaign and move with the 7th Michigan towards Antietam. Here, sadly, his fate would change and he knew he had little time left after getting shot. When he was lying on the ground between the West Woods and Dunker Church, Capt. Allen Zacharias wrote a note to his family:

Dear Parents, Brothers and Sisters: I am wounded, mortally I think. The fight rages around me. I have done my duty, this is my consolation. I hope to meet you all again. I left not the line until nearly all had fallen and the colors gone. I am getting weak, my arms are free, but my chest is all numb. The enemy trotting over me, the numbness up to my heart. Goodbye all. Your son, Allen.

(Courtesy of The Red Book of Michigan; a Civil, Military, and Biographical History by Charles Lanman)

In fact, Capt. Zacharias was mortally wounded at Antietam. When soldiers found him, he was taken to a hospital in Hagerstown and died on December 31st. His letters to his family were sent to his father. When he passed away, several family members from Maryland were there with him, and he would pass away in the same county in which he was born.

His family story is unique. He had two brothers that also served in the Civil War, one within his own company.

His first brother was Alexander K. Zacharias. He would enlist with Company K in the 7th Michigan in August 1861 along with his brother, Allen. He would survive Antietam.
His second brother, Private Melville Zacharias, would enlist in Company M, of the 8th Cavalry. He was captured in November 1864, and became a prisoner of war.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress – April 26th, 1865

The steamer Sultana had a max capacity of 375 passengers, but during the explosion, over 2,300 soldiers were on board at the time. Over 1547 lives were lost, with soldiers from Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Virginia heading north on the river. Both brothers somehow ended up on the Sultana on April 27th, 1865 when the ship exploded. Allen’s first brother, Alexander, survived the explosion, while Melville perished. There were prisoners from Andersonville and Cahaba gaining their freedom back, only to lose their lives on the mighty Mississippi.

Antietam, Detroit, Michigan, Union