e creek of Antietam runs
obliquely to the source of the Potomac, and empties into that river six
miles above Harper's Ferry. The Confederate lines were, on the 15th,
drawn up in front of Sharpsburg, Longstreet being on the right of the
road from Sharpsburg.

In this place the creek is crossed by four stone bridges, and three of
these were strongly guarded by the Confederates. Burnside's army corps
was stationed on the Sharpsburg Turnpike, directly in front of bridge
No. 3. The preliminary deploy occupied the 16th of September, an
artillery duel enlivening the time before the battle. Burnside lay
behind the heights on the east bank of the Antietam and opposite the
Confederate right, which, Swinton says, it was designed he should
assail, after forcing the passage of the Antietam by the lower stone
bridge. The part assigned to General Burnside was of the highest
importance, for a successful attack by him upon the Confederate right,
would, by carrying the Sharpsburg Crest, force Lee from his line of
retreat by way of Shepherdstown. Swinton says this task should have been
an easy one, for the Confederate forces at this point had been drawn
upon to recruit the left where Hooker had made his furious assaults.

There was left in the right wing of the Confederate army but a single
division of 2500 men under General D. R. Jones, and the force actually
present to dispute the passage of the stone bridge did not exceed 400.
These troops were under the direction of General Robert Toombs, and this
engagement made his reputation as a fighter and was one of the most
brilliant and memorable of the Civil War. It was one o'clock before
Burnside charged. General Lee, in his report of the battle, said:

In the afternoon the enemy advanced on our right, where
General Jones' division was posted, who handsomely
maintained his position. General Toombs' brigade, guarding
the bridge on Antietam Creek, gallantly resisted the
approach of the enemy, but his superior number enabling him
to extend his left, he crossed below the bridge and assumed
a threatening attitude on our right, which fell back in
confusion. By this time, between 3 and 4 o'clock P.M., A.
P. Hill, with five of his brigades, reached the scene of
action and drove the enemy from the position they had
taken. The bridge was defended with two regiments of
Toombs' brigade (2d and 20th) and the batteries of General