Sharpsburg

I badly injured my index finger, so I have not been posting much other than the pre-published monument posts. However, a few weeks ago I journeyed down to Sharpsburg. You know, where A.P. Hill won eternal glory. :) I thought I’d take a break from Gettysburg and share some of the better pictures I took at Sharpsburg. You can click on them to enlarge. There are also some links to some extra pictures within the text.

Enjoy.

If for some reason you’d like to use any of the images, you may as long as you give a simple credit (a link back here would be super). Same goes for the Gettysburg pictures, by the way.

125th Pennsylvania Infantry

This is my favorite Civil War monument at Sharpsburg. It is located on Confederate Avenue behind the Dunker Church.

The soldier featured on the monument is Color Sgt. George A. Simpson. He was killed at Antietam, shot through the temple. His blood stained the regimental colors. (Detail of the statue here and here.)

This regiment was organized just six weeks before Antietam and this is where it saw it’s main service. It was mustered out after the battle of Fredericksburg.

The Maryland State Monument

(A more detailed view of the Maryland monument is here.)

This monument is located along the Hagerstown Turnpike near the Dunker Church. It was dedicated on May 30, 1900. It features several excellent bronze relief plaques. (An example of the bronze reliefs include the Charge of the 2d Maryland on Burnside’s Bridge.)

The Dunker Church

Of course, if you go to Sharpsburg, you just have to take a few pictures of the Dunker Church, right? (Here is a closer view of the Dunker Church.)

(Otherwise people will say “Dude, where’s the Dunker Church pics?”)

We have to get the government to appropriate some money to bury those power lines like they did along the Emmitsburg Road at Gettysburg.

Ohio Monument

I figured being from Ohio and all, I had to photograph the Ohio monument. This monument actually honors the 5th, 7th, and 66th Ohio Regiments. (They were also at Gettysburg and each have monuments located on Culp’s Hill.)

The monument isn’t all that noteworthy except it features the 7th Ohio’s fighting rooster and the 5th Ohio’s owl. The 7th Ohio’s Gettysburg monument does not feature a rooster, but the 5th Ohio (known as the Cincinnati Regiment) kept the theme going by including an owl on their monument in Pardee Field.

There are actually several other Ohio monuments, but the only other one I photographed this time was the 8th Ohio at Bloody Lane. I like the inscription. It is much better than the “Erected by the State of Ohio” inscriptions on many of Ohio’s monuments at Gettysburg.

34th New York Infantry

This monument, located near the 125th Pennsylvania’s memorial, looks suspiciously like the 150th New York’s monument on Culp’s Hill at Gettysburg. Monument copyright violation? The 150th’s monument was dedicated in 1889, while the 34th’s was dedicated on September 17, 1902. The Regiments came from Dutchess County (the 150th) and Herikmer County (the 34th).

It would be interesting to discover if there was any relationship. Anyone know?

20th New York Infantry

This regiment was known as the “Turner Rifles.” It is located near the Visitor Center and was erected in 1910. It is an interesting monument: a flag draped obelisk with an interesting and well-executed bronze relief on the front.

There are several New York regiments that have monuments at Sharpsburg, including the 14th Brooklyn and the newer monument to the Irish Brigade (detail of the relief on their monument located at the Bloody Lane).

Located near the 20th Infantry’s monument is the New York State Monument which was dedicated in 1919. It’s tall.

124th Pennsylvania Infantry

The monument to the 124th Pennsylvania. Like the sister 125th Pennsylvania, the 124th Infantry was only in service for six weeks before being thrown into the cauldron at Sharpsburg. It was commanded by Colonel Joseph W. Hawley.

For their monument, they chose a bronze sculpture of an infantryman. The monument was dedicated on September 17, 1904. It is located at the intersection of the Hagerstown Pike and Starke Avenue. A nine-month regiment, it mustered out after the battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863.

128th Pennsylvania Infantry

The monument to the 128th Pennsylvania features a stone statue of an infantryman advancing.

Here is a picture of the monument in it’s entirety. Like the 124th and 125th, this was a nine-months regiment. It’s main battles were Sharpsburg and Chancellorsville. (The 51st Pennsylvania Infantry has a monument that is somewhat similar. Here is there marker near the Burnside Bridge.)

The lighting was not perfect on many of the monuments, but the brilliant blue sky (it cleared off while we were there) made for some excellent azure backdrops. The monuments look good highlighted against the sky.

137th Pennsylvania Infantry

Located near the monument to the 128th on “Cornfield Avenue” is the monument to the 137th Pennsylvania. This regiment was in the Sixth Corps. The monument features a statue of a soldier at the position “Handle Cartridge.” Here is a detail of the monument.

The 137th’s monument was also dedicated on September 17, 1904.

The Flag Bearer

This was probably the best and most striking shot of the day (so if you’re going to enlarge just one picture, I’d recommend this one). This is the monument to the 132nd Pennsylvania Infantry in the Bloody Lane. (Here is the entire monument.)

Nearby is the monument to the 130th Pennsylvania Infantry and the monument to Companies A and I of the 5th Maryland Infantry. It contains a good inscription: “Can their glory ever fade”?

Other Pennsylvania state monuments include the 4th Pennsylvania Reserves (Mansfield Avenue).

3rd Pennsylvania Reserves

Near the 4th Pennsylvania Reserve monument on Mansfield Avenue is the monument to the 3rd Reserves. This monument features a soldier doffing his hat, cheering the victory won (I’d assume that’s what he is cheering for anyway).

11th Connecticut Infantry

This one is located on a knoll near the Burnside Bridge. It is older than most of the Pennsylvania monuments featured, being dedicated on October 8, 1894.

Also located near Burnside Bridge is the monument to the 21st Massachusetts Infantry which suspiciously looks a lot like the monument to the 7th New Jersey’s monument in Excelsior Field at Gettysburg.

Burnside’s Bridge

And then of course, one has to take pictures of the Burnside Bridge. It is absolutely mandatory. Even more mandatory than taking pictures of the Dunker Church, I assume.

For more views of Burnside’s infamous bridge, click here, here, and here.

There are many more monuments and landmarks at Sharpsburg than I just featured here, but this will give you a taste. It is an awesome battlefield.

Tags: antietam, battlefields, photography, sharpsburg