Battle of Sharpsburg (or the Battle of Antietam) - Burnside Bridge

The third phase of the Battle of Sharpsburg was around noon. The Union's left flank was commanded by General Burnside who gathered his men to take the Lower Bridge that crossed Antietam Creek. This bridge became known as Burnside Bridge of obvious reasons. The men protecting the Burnside Bridge (let's just call it that for now) were men of Brig. Gen. Robert Toombs that numbered only between 400 - 700. The thousands of men that Burnside had could easily wipe out General Toombs' brigade - but the only problem was that once again, the Confederates held a strong devensive position that was on a hill above the bridge. Why Burnside's men never forded Antietam Creek the was no more than three feet, is still somewhat of a mystery. Burside saw the bridge and they were going to take it. Like at Bloody Lane, Burnside tried to rush his men across the bridge to attack, but the small brigade of Toombs hailed bullets down on the Union and the were shut down.

Eventually, Burnside finally crossed the bridge and beat back the defending Confederates. Again, the Union had victory within its grasps. There was one problem though. When Bursnide pushed his way across the bridge and then up the hill, he was on his way of capturing the whole Southern army. What he didn't realize was that a couple days before, General Jackson, left A.P. Hill's brigade at Harper's Ferry where Jackson had captured. They were ordered to march two days after Jackson left, this was to make sure they secured the fort. Hill's men dressed in new Union army uniforms and marched south to where the battle was taken place. In the nick of time, A.P. Hill arrived to save the day for the South. When he saw Burnside going after the rest of the broken Confederate army, Hill hit their flank and sent Burnside's men retreating back down the hill and right in front of the bridge that they captured. The Union was unable to once again, capitalize on a fleeting opportunity.

To go back to the beginning of the battle of Sharpsburg: Beginning of the Battle of Antietam