Burnside Bridge

During the Battle of Antietam the Confederates prevented a Union corps from crossing Burnside Bridge for three hours, which allowed time for reinforcements to arrive.

Burnside Bridge was originally known as Rohrbach’s Bridge or the Lower Bridge. It was built in 1836 by John Weaver for $3,200 and is located about a mile south of Sharpsburg, Maryland. The three-arch limestone bridge takes travelers over Antietam Creek.

At the September 17, 1862 Battle of Antietam, Burnside  Bridge was the scene of a spirited contest between about 500 Confederate riflemen positioned on the west side of the creek on a bluff overlooking the bridge and the Union Ninth Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside. Burnside’s objective was to cross the creek and attack the vulnerable right flank of the Confederate army. Although Union forces greatly outnumbered the Confederates, favorable terrain and strong defensive positions established by the southerners prevented Burnside from carrying the bridge for three hours. About 500 Union soldiers died or were wounded in a series of attacks. After its capture, Burnside took another two hours to cross his corps and prepare it for an attack. These delays allowed time for Confederate General A.P. Hill’s Light Division to arrive in the late afternoon from Harpers Ferry. His subsequent attack checked Burnside’s advance.

As a result of Burnside’s determined attempts to cross the bridge, after the battle the structure was called Burnside Bridge. It continued to carry vehicular traffic until 1966 when a road and new bridge were built to divert traffic from Burnside Bridge. Today the site is administered by Antietam National Battlefield and is used as a footbridge.