The Sunken Road at Antietam

Antietam is known as the bloodiest day in all of American History.  It is a large battlefield located in Maryland where Robert E. Lee’s Confederate forces were stopped on their way to Washington in 1862.  Lee attempted to invade the North a total of three times during the Civil War.  The first was stopped at Antietam, the second at Gettysburg, and the third at Monocacy.  I enjoy visiting Antietam because it really isn’t that far away and it is a nice change from Gettysburg.  This picture was taken when I arranged a trip for the Boy Scouts to tour the battlefield.  Our tour guide (my Uncle Herbie) took us right up the sunken road that played an important role in the battle.  There are multiple sunken roads that have earned fame from Civil War battles.  For example, the sunken road at Fredericksburg was what gave the Confederates the extra cover that they needed to defend Mayre’s Heights from the Union forces.  So why exactly would a sunken road be so important?  First of all, a sunken road works as a natural trench line.  Troops can move in with little to no work required and they are given a lot of cover.  Often on each side of the road there is also a fence, which provides even more cover.  It is also easier to hide and surprise your enemy when necessary.  However, there are a few downsides to being in a sunken road.  First of all, even though you are protected from two sides, there are two other sides left uncovered, and if flanked by an enemy, there could be devastation.  This leads to the next downfall, usually the sides are somewhat steep and it can prove difficult to move a couple thousand men out and over a fence all at once.  The sunken road at Antietam saw some of the fiercest fighting of the battle and it ended in hand to hand combat when it was overrun.  Reports say that you could walk across without touching the ground and that the blood pooled in the middle.  During the battle, my ancestor was at Burnside’s Bridge, where his unit was one of the first to cross Antietam Creek and puncture the Confederate line.