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.

and then Hill came up

Today is the 145th anniversary of the battle of Sharpsburg — known as the bloodiest day in American history and probably the finest moment of A.P. Hill’s 23 year military career.

Hill began the Maryland Campaign rather inauspiciously. On September 3, he was arrested by Jackson. In his report of the Maryland Campaign, Hill noted “The march was without incident of importance until arriving at the ford opposite the Warrenton Springs.”

It markedly was not “without incident,” and at the time of his report Hill and Jackson were still bickering about that march. ¹ What seems to have happened was this: Hill disregarded Jackson’s customary rest stops and so Jackson halted Hill’s lead brigade.

Hill stomped over to Jackson. He presented Jackson with his sword, and sneered at him. “If you take command of my troops in my presence, take my sword also.”

“Put up your sword and consider yourself in arrest,” Jackson retorted.

And so Hill went into Maryland this way: “march[ing] on foot with the rear guard all the day through Maryland, an old white hat slouched over his eyes, his coat off and wearing an old flannel shirt, looking mad as a bull.” During this time, Maxcy Gregg also incurred the wrath of Jackson, as did courtly Dixon Barnes, one of his regimental commanders. ²

Henry Kyd Douglas was an aide on Jackson’s staff who wrote a book called I Rode With Stonewall Jackson after the War. He states that he was summoned by Hill who told him: “It is evident a battle is at hand. I do not wish anyone else to command my division in an engagement.” Douglas then, supposedly, interceded on Hill’s behalf with Jackson. However, it happened, Hill was restored to command of his famous Light Division before Harper’s Ferry. ³ A soldier recalled that “donning his coat and sword he mounted his horse and dashed to the front of his troops, and looking like a young eagle in search of his prey, took command of his division to the delight of all his men.”

Hill was given responsibility for handling the surrender at Harper’s Ferry. Rather peevishly, Hill noted that “I granted General White the most liberal terms, and regret to report that this magnanimity was not appreciated by the enemy, as the wagons which were loaned to carry off the private baggage of the officers were not returned for nearly two months, and not until repeated calls had been made for them.” McClellan, who repeatedly refused to answer Hill’s inquiries (preferring to deal through Lee himself, apparently), finally returned the twenty-seven wagons and teams with an endorsement to Lee: “furnished by General A. P. Hill at Harper’s Ferry in September last for the transportation of private baggage belonging to certain paroled officers of the U.S. Army passing to within our lines. In so doing I desire to express my appreciation of the courtesy thus extended to these officers and to request that you will convey the same to General Hill with my thanks for his action in the matter.”

Left behind by Jackson to see to the paroling of the enemy and final disposition of the Ferry, Hill was not at Sharpsburg in line of battle on the morning of September 17, 1862. Instead, he was 17 miles or so away. Hill received an order at 6:30 AM from Lee to come to Sharpsburg. He was moving by 7:30. (Thomas’s Georgia Brigade stayed behind at the Ferry “to complete the removal of the captured property.”)

The day was hot and the pace of the march was killing. Hill, it is said, drove the Light Division at the point of his sword; almost certainly he was seen riding up and down his lines mounted on either of his two splendid mounts — the gray Champ or his black charger Prince — wearing a red “hunting shirt,” exhorting his men onwards.

This march — which would later play such a big part in the history of the Army of Northern Virginia — was barely mentioned by Hill in his report. A few anecdotes survive. A frightened lieutenant found behind a tree had his sword broken over him. Hill also apparently also stopped at the Potomac crossing to smack a mouthy teamster with his sword when the man told Hill to mind his own business after Hill told him to stop mistreating the mules.

When Hill arrived on the battlefield at 2:30, Army of Northern Virginia tradition states that Lee embraced Hill — the only such a show of emotion by the commanding general during the War.

Henry Kyd Douglas - the same who claimed to have interceded on Hill’s behalf — was talented with the pen. He wrote later that,

But then, just then, A.P. Hill, picturesque in his red battleshirt, with 3 of his brigades, 2500 men, who had marched 17 miles from Harpers Ferry and had waded the Potomac, appeared upon the scene. Tired and footsore, the men forgot their woes in that supreme moment, and with no breathing time braced themselves to meet the coming shock. They met it and stayed it. The blue line staggered and hesitated, and hesitating, was lost. At the critical moment A.P. Hill was always at his strongest.

Hill put it more simply. “My troops were not in a moment too soon,” he wrote proudly in his report. William Allan noted later, “his arrival was not less opportune to Lee than was that of Blucher to Wellington at Waterloo, nor was his action when on the field in any way inferior to that of the Prussian field-marshal.” ⁴

Going on with his account of the battle, Hill wrote:

The enemy had already advanced in three lines, had broken through Jones’ division, captured McIntosh’s battery, and were in the full the of success. With a yell of defiance, Archer charged them, retook McIntosh’s guns, and drove them back pell mell. Branch and Gregg, with their old veterans, sternly held their ground, and, pouring in destructive volleys, the of the enemy surged back, and, breaking in confusion, passed out of sight.

The three brigades of my division actively engaged did not number over 2,000 men, and these, with the help of my splendid batteries, drove back Burnside’s corps of 15,000 men.

Hill’s attack was launched into the corps of his old friend Ambrose Burnside. After the battle, Hill was supposedly asked if he knew the Burnside who his Division had slammed into with such force. “Ought to. He owes me $8,000.00.” Whether Burnside owed his friend Hill a loan or not, they definitely knew each other from West Point where they were classmates and partners in various mischief in the form of “senior pranks.” ⁵

After the battle, Hill issued an official order congratulating the Division:

You saved the day at Sharpsburg and at Shepherdstown. You were selected to face a storm of round shot, shell, and grape such as I have never before seen. I am proud to say to you that your services are appreciated by our general, and that you have a reputation in this army which it should be the object of every officer and private to sustain.

Hill’s opportune arrival probably saved Lee’s Army and prolonged the War another two years plus. It certainly also had another big impact on the War: it is probably the act that earned Hill a corps command following the death of Jackson.

1. This was the ugliest internal squabble in the history of the Army of Northern Virginia. Hill believed Jackson was keeping a “blacklist” against him. Jackson — after Hill badgered him enough — eventually preferred charges — or rather a single charge, Neglect of Duty, of which there were 8 specifications. The feud culminated in Hill’s calling Jackson “a slumbering volcano” in a letter to Lee. After this, Lee supposedly called both of his feuding lieutenants to his headquarters and there was a private meeting, but what was said is speculative. [↩]
2. Barnes was arrested for allowing his men to pick apples. Hill restored him to command before the battle after Barnes volunteered to go into the fight as a private: “General Gregg, I order you to give Colonel Barnes his sword and put him in command of his Regiment.” Barnes was mortally wounded at the head of his regiment and died two days later. [↩]
3. The veracity of some of the stories told in Douglas’ memoirs are questionable; he seems to have occasionally embellished or even downright created fabrications. Therefore, this story is somewhat suspect. What more likely happened was Hill simply sent a note to Jackson asking to be restored to command for the Campaign and Jackson, knowing Hill’s quality as a fighter, decided to put the bickering aside when battle was imminent. [↩]
4. Allan was an Ordnance Officer under Jackson. [↩]
5. Burnside was soon promoted to command of the Army of the Potomac. It was not the best move of the War. [↩]

Sharpsburg

Someone emailed me and asked where <em>Cold Mountain</em> and <em>Gods and Generals</em> were on my top 20 movie list. To be honest, neither came close to making the final cut. <em>A Few Good Men</em> did. But not GG or CM.

As for the latter, I really didn’t like <em>Cold Mountain</em> at all. I thought it was gratuitously violent. I am not much for foul language or sex scenes. I didn’t find any of the characters very appealing and felt zero emotional attachment to any of them. To me, a movie succeeds if I feel involved, attached. <em>Cold Mountain</em> didn’t do anything for me at all. I plain, flat-out didn’t like it.

As for <em>Gods and Generals</em>, you know … I tried so hard to like it. Its rare we Civil War buffs get a real Civil War movie about battles and history and the generals who fought. <em>Gods and Generals</em> was a huge disappointment. It covered too much of the War and skipped too much important stuff. It focused far too much on Jackson and neglected to show his evil, fight-with-everyone side. It made hideous historical mistakes — and it was terribly cliched. The movie completely lost me when they chose to mutilate Jackson’s last words. Dr. Hunter McGuire, Jackson’s surgeon, carefully recorded what Jackson said while he lay dying. We have a very accurate record. There was no excuse for the contrived tripe they had Jackson say instead.

[And. Yes, I'm a <em>bit</em> bitter also about how Hill was protrayed. In my opinion, <a href="http://suvcw.org/ny/archive/encampment01/gettysburg.htm">Patrick Falci</a> should have played Hill, and Hill's rank at Chancellorsville shouldn't have been messed up, AND it was stupid to cut out "Order A.P. Hill to prepare for action" from Jackson's final words.]

Anyway, the Civil War battle I think they could make an outstanding, <em>Gettysburg</em>-style movie about is Sharpsburg. Sharpsburg lends itself well for a few reasons. First, its a battle you can pretty easily break down into parts — there are three major phases to the battle. Second, its a battle with fascinating characters. Third, it was an extremely important battle just like Gettysburg — both politically and in men’s lives. Plus, the Sharpsburg battlefield is nearly pristine and is studded with less monuments than Gettysburg. It would be the perfect place to shoot a movie.

I’ve been to Sharpsburg several times. Next to Gettysburg, its my favorite battle to study. Its a beautiful battlefield, probably better preserved than even, say, Gettysburg. I imagine only Shiloh or maybe Chickamauga in the west rival it. But its also a very small battlefield compared to Gettysburg. Cramped. Its hard to believe how much carnage happened in such a small area.

Sharpsburg is a fascinating story. Working backward, you could focus on A.P. Hill (yeah, you knew there was an ulterior motive … not my fault A.P. Hill was the Southern “hero of the day” to quote a certain sell-out washed up metal band) coming up at the nick of time versus his old classmate, Ambrose Burnside who owed Hill $8,000 and the difficulty the Federals had taking the bridge. In the center, you could focus on “Greasy Dick” Richardson or the Irish Brigade versus John B. Gordon — who suffered six terrible wounds on that warm September day. At the Dunker Church, you could focus on Jackson or on Hood’s men versus the Iron Brigade or you could focus in on Hooker or any number of interesting Union generals. Just pick one.

On the high level command side — gosh, you have Mr. Audacity, Robert E. Lee. If any battle proved that Robert E. Lee had guts of steel and was a gambler at heart, Sharpsburg probably is it. Why he stood and fought … beyond me. Either he was completely audacious or he just had total and utter contempt for his opponent McClellan. Probably a bit of both.

I’d also like to see McClellan protrayed. You could also work in that great story about how Hill and McClellan pursued the hand of the same girl in the antebellum period. What a great story. This was a “Brothers War.” I’d like to see a nod given to the fact that things weren’t quite as easy being the commander of the Army of the Potomac as they are made out to be sometimes by historians. In other words, I’d like to see a somewhat fairer version of McClellan than just the common view of historians that he was slow and incompetent. I actually think McClellan was a complicated individual and has gotten a mostly bum rap. After all, although he didn’t beat Lee, McClellan actually did better than Burnside and Hooker. [Then again, maybe that isn't saying much.]

So the 150th reunions are coming up. SI want a Sharpsburg movie. Made like <em>Gettysburg</em>. No boring love stories. Keep the politics mainly out. Tell the story of the battle, the command decisions. Someone out there with some writing ability, get to work. Write a Sharpsburg screenplay. Don’t make it have to be me.