Customer Reviews

Burnside's Bridge: The Climactic Struggle of the 2nd and 20th Georgia at Antietam Creek

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In the Introduction, the author states "....the full story of this tenacious struggle for possession of Burnside's Bridge has never been told until now. The accomplishments of the Georgia defenders have been overlooked by historians who have, in turn, underestimated the significance of their actions on the outcome of the action that day." For example, Russell Wiegley wrote "At the end of the day, the final Federal charge, across the Antietam near the right of the Confederate position over the Rohrbach Bridge--hereafter Burnside's Bridge--and up the adjacent hills, missed turning Lee's right and cutting his road to the Potomac only because Powell Hill and the Light Division arrived from Harpers Ferry at the last desperate moment." (1) Other historians such as Emory Thomas have written similar comments.(2)

The author provides an excellent background review of the commanders and Georgia soldiers. Several officers had attended military colleges plus had experience in the Mexican and the Indian Wars. Several units, such as the 2nd Georgia, had a nycleus of soldiers from militia units such as the Columbus Guards of Muscogee County.

This well researched work is not a gneral account of the Antietam Battle, but concentrates on the fighting in the Rohrbridge sector; thus the reader is not distracted by the critical events taking place on General Lee's left or center. Union General George McClellan ordered General Burnside's IX Corps to cross Antietam Creek, turn Lee's right flank and attain Lee's rear area. General Toombs' 2nd and 20th Georgians defended Rohrbach's Bridge and by noon this "....relative handful of tough Georgian Rebels" had repelled five bloody attacks and accomplished their mission in holding the army's right flank.

AT 1:30 P.M., with ammunition running low, the battered Georgians had to retreat and by 3:00 P.M. the sixth Federal assault captured the bridge. Now only General Toombs' and Colonel Benning's forces could stop McClellan from sweeping to Sharpsburg and gain the rear of Lee's army. In late afternoon, the surviving Georgians, with the help of General Maxcy Gregg's newly arrived South Carolinians, counterattacked and stopped Burnside's IX Corps. Hill now arrived, joined the fighting and helped drive the IX Corps back to the Antietam Creek; however, the text notes that Colonel Benning wrote concerning the counterattack that "none of [Hill's troops] had any part in first breaking the line."

On page 150, the author notes that "Despite two improbably successes on the same day, Toombs, Benning and their Georgians would not receive due recognition in the post war years." Defending the Burnside's Bridge all morning and then the late afternoon counterattack by Toombs and Benning all played a very significant role in reversing the tide of battle and ended McClellan's chance to defeat Lee.

Finally on page 153, the author writes "Fewer than 300 Georgia defenders preserved Lee's vulnerable right flank and rear for most of the day, and bought time for Lee to reposition troops from his right to his left and for Hill to arrive."

For those interested in Civil War history, this short work places the fighting on Lee's right flank at Antietam in proper perspective. Had Toombs, Benning and the Georgians not held Lee's right and then not successfully counterattacked, McClellan would have deteated the Army of Northern Virginia before Hill arrived.

(1) Wiegley, Russell; A GREAT CIVIL WAR: A military and Political History 1861-1865; p-153

(2) Thomas, Emory; ROBERT E. LEE; p-262

"Burnside's Bridge" breaks through the absence of research in this part of the battle of Antietam and attempts to paint a factual picture of what happened in that small area of the battlefield. The author begins by giving a history of the two regiments (20th and 2nd Georgia). After this he gives an in-depth history of the leader of the two regiments, a man by the name of General Toombs. The author stresses the importance of researching the mysterious General Toombs, due to the fact, historians have over looked this man because many considered he was only a small part of the Confederacy. Half way through the book the author begins to talk about the bridge and what happened at the battle of Antietam. Armed with the many facts Mr. Tucker (the author) tells the complete story of what happened when the Federal army charged the bridge five times.

Even though this is a breakthrough book there are some weaknesses that appear within the book. The first weakness is the fact the book is only 154 pages long (154 pages + 43 pages of sources). Within these 154 pages the author does not approach the battle of Antietam until page 67 and than leaves the bridge at page 137, which allows him only 70 pages to deal with the actual events around the bridge. The second weakness is the fact the reader has to have a basic knowledge of the battle of Antietam. In fact, the author never gives an explanation of what was going on in the other parts of the battlefield. This is compounded with the fact the author only shows one map of the battlefield and this map is only dealing with Burnside's bridge. Finally and what I feel to be the weakest part of the book, is the manner in which the author presents the material. Mr. Tucker has researched this topic so much he attempts to push every fact into the story and thus sacrifices the readability of the book. In other words, when the author finally has the reader turning the pages to read more, he slows you down to a snail's pace by bombarding you with items such as a colonel's biography or a solider's letter home.

Even with these weaknesses the book is still a major piece of work for this subject. What this book will do is cause more historians to use it as a stepping stone and thus cause even greater research in the area. After all, every subject has to have a first book written about it. This reviewer only wished the author had expanded the book and attempted to centralize the facts on the everyday soldiers of the two regiments instead of constantly bowing to the immortal General Toombs.

Pros: 1) Groundbreaking research in the area of Burnside's Bridge 2) Very in-depth research by the author

Cons: 1) Lack of Dramatic effect causes poor readability 2) Author only spends 70 pages on what really happened at the bridge 3) Reader has to have knowledge of the battle of Antietam

this book is well researched,documented and fascinating history at its best. It doesn't get any better than this! The personal profiles of the many soldiers involved give you a much clearer picture of the closeness involved of the participants.From the generals colonels and down the chain of command to the lowest ranking private, this is a story well told thru the eyes and ears of the combatants.The holding action of the 2nd and 20th georgia regiments at rohrbach's bridge that day should go down in the annals of history's bloody battles as an equal to the dramatic stuggle of the 101st airborne at bastogne,the fighting withdrawal of the 1st Marine division at the chosen reservoir in Korea and the dramatic battle of the brave defenders at the alamo,as well as the stand at camerone,mexico of the gallant foreign legion.I highly recommend this book to all civil war and military history buffs everywhere.Mr.Tucker cannot be praised enough! Thank God someone has finally stepped forward and carried on the torch to tell the story of these brave men.THANK YOU MR.TUCKER!

It is a hot Wednesday on the 17th of September 1862. You have been fighting and marching for days with the Army of Northern Virginia. It is at the end of the first campaign by General Lee across the Potomac. A bid to win a decisive victory and gain recognition and independence for the South. General George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac is in hot pursuit of Lee's forces. Many have already escaped back across the Potomac but others are scatter all over the Maryland country side. Lee after conferring with his officers decides to make a stand and fight. Basically it will buy time for his troops in Maryland to collect and make a fighting withdrawal across the Potomac. For McClellan it is a race to destroy most of Lee's Army.
You are hot and thirsty as you march though the small town of Sharpsburg. You are directed down the Lower Bridge Road. After reaching the bridge it is hurry to prepare rifle pits and defensive positions to guard the stone bridge. There are fewer then 300 Georgian troops from the 2nd, 20th and 50th Georgia infantry to defend the Lower Bridge(Soon to be forever called Burnside's bridge) from the impending attack by the Federal IX Corps. You soon hear the firing to the north. A Desperate battle by both sides starts. The rattle of muskets and the roar of artillery intensifies. The Battle is started at the Cornfield. It will soon spread to both the East and West Woods. At the apex of several roads, just south of the Cornfield a desperate fight rages around Dunker Church. South of the Church is a sunken road used by the Confederates as a make shift trench. It will soon be called the Blood Lane. Soon you know the Union Army will come for the bridge.
Capture of the bridge by the IX Corps early in the battle would lead to the imminent destruction of Lee's Army. It was critical to hold the bridge for the Confederates.
Colonel Holmes places you (part of the Burke County Sharpshooters) and the rest of the best riflemen in the 2nd Georgia Infantry, at the most vulnerable sector at the west end of the bridge.
To stop the IX Corps you are armed with the .577 Enfield rifled musket. A deadly weapon with greater velocity and accuracy then the .69 caliber smoothbore musket carried by other soldiers around you.
You know soon the IX Corps artillery will send shot and shell screaming at you as their soldiers fire and will race screaming to take the bridge.

This book bears all the hallmarks of Tucker's other works: poor scholarship,weak editing, stilted prose, and contents that don't live up to the title - only 70 pages of this 250 page book even deal with Burnside's Bridge.