---
title: Burnside's Bridge at Antietam Battlefield: Site of General Burnside's disastrous decision
author: Zeete
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21515/burnsides-bridge-at-antietam-battlefield/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
updated: 2026-01-09
---

# Burnside's Bridge at Antietam Battlefield: Site of General Burnside's disastrous decision

_Authored by Zeete_

## Image File

[![Burnside's Bridge at Antietam Battlefield: Site of General Burnside's disastrous decision](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/21515.jpeg)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/21515.jpeg)

## Image Caption

Burnside's Bridge at the Antietam Battlefield (also known as Sharpsburg Battlefield near Sharpsburg, Maryland). So-called because Union General Ambrose Burnside wasted countless numbers of Union soldiers' lives trying to cross it during the [Battle](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/battle/) of Antietam on 17 September 1862, when he could easily have done otherwise.

Photograph by Zeete, 2021.

## Cite This Work

### APA
Zeete. (2026, January 09). Burnside's Bridge at Antietam Battlefield: Site of General Burnside's disastrous decision. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21515/burnsides-bridge-at-antietam-battlefield/>
### Chicago
Zeete. "Burnside's Bridge at Antietam Battlefield: Site of General Burnside's disastrous decision." *World History Encyclopedia*, January 09, 2026. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21515/burnsides-bridge-at-antietam-battlefield/>.
### MLA
Zeete. "Burnside's Bridge at Antietam Battlefield: Site of General Burnside's disastrous decision." *World History Encyclopedia*, 09 Jan 2026, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21515/burnsides-bridge-at-antietam-battlefield/>.

## License & Copyright

[Original image](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Burnside%27s_Bridge,_Sharpsburg,_MD.jpg) by [**Zeete**](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Burnside%27s_Bridge,_Sharpsburg,_MD.jpg). Submitted by [Joshua J. Mark](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/JPryst/ "User Page: Joshua J. Mark"), published on 09 January 2026. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon a work even for commercial reasons, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.