Burnside Bridge

The popularity of English style stone arch bridges in 19th century America is reflected in the Antietam creek crossings of Western Maryland. Between 1823 and 1863 fourteen such bridges were built. Of these, nine stand today. Five were built by one man, John Waver, including one among the cornfields outside Sharpsburg. It was in these fields in September of 1862 that Union forces under McClellan stopped Lee’s invasion of the north. More lives were lost during the battle of Antietam than on any other single day of the Civil War. The casualties were nine times greater than the American loses of D-day in World War II. One area of heavy fighting was John Waver's bridge over the creek. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside led Union troops over it in the face of heavy fire and later retreated across it. It has since been known as Burnside Bridge. The countryside surrounding the battlefield remained rural over the years and appears today very much as it did in 1862. In 1890 Congress named it a National Battlefield. It is one of the best-preserved Civil War battle sites.

Map

References:

Antietam National Battlefield, National Park Service Pamphlet; "Antietam's Ageless Bridges", Baltimore Sun Article; www.nps.gov/anti/