Monday, November 20, 2017

Burnside Bridge, then and now


It was a good morning for volunteering at Antietam today.  I spent a little time on the Union Attack trail which takes the visitor along the approach of the Ninth Corps toward Antietam Creek and to Sharpsburg beyond.  One of the icons of the battlefield, if not the Civil War, is Burnside Bridge (also known as Rohrbach, or Lower bridge.

In the days following the September 17th, 1862 battle, photographer Alexander Gardner brought his camera to the battlefield to record some of the most recognizable images of the war, including the bridge.



This morning I took my camera to Gardner's position to record what the scene looks like 155 years later.  The view is from the point of view of the Ninth Corps, and as you can see that unlike today there was no cover at all for the Federals as the slope was clear cut.  Also notice the very young sycamore tree at the end of the bridge, which is now the much beloved "witness tree" of the Battlefield.



Come enjoy the view.


From just north of Boonsboro...

Mannie

2 comments:

Todd Berkoff said...

Ranger Mannie, where did you go? You posted some great pics of the battlefield last fall, but we haven't heard from you since. Are you still volunteering at Antietam? What's new at the battlefield? Hope all is well.

Todd Berkoff said...

Hi Mannie, any updates to your life on the Mall or at Antietam? Are you still volunteering at Antietam?