ECW Podcast: Antietam’s Lower Battlefield (with Bert Dunkerly)
Explore Burnside’s Bridge and beyond with Emerging Civil War historian Bert Dunkerly, discussing his recent book “The Lower Battlefield of Antietam: The Forgotten Front of America’s Bloodiest Day.”
The Emerging Civil War Podcast is hosted by Chris Mackowski. This episode is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world’s largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at civilwartrails.org
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Bert, enjoyed the podcast. Like you, I have walked that area many times, primarily because of my work on Jacob Cox (doctoral dissertation and two biographies). In that regard, I thought your comment that he and his Kanawha Division hadn’t done much fighting was too dismissive of the fact that three days earlier he led his men into a significant morale-boosting victory at South Mountain. Yes, Reno was killed, but Cox had proved himself there. The fact that McClellan knew him and of his many victories in western Virginia earlier in the war also illustrates that he was quite capable (thanks to Chris for noting his overall successful war record). My other point was that you emphasized how alone the 9th Corps felt when, on the verge of victory, they were pushed back. As you know, little Mac had promised reinforcements once they crossed the bridge — and of course they never came. Cox, who was one of Mac’s admirers until that day, wrote his wife a few days later that if the reinforcements had come, they could have defeated Lee. And most historians agree, even those in the little Mac fan club.
Your comments about Burnside and Cox not having worked out a working relationship was apt, but of course they had only met a few days before, so it had to be difficult.
In sum, thanks for the talk and I will have to pick up the book. Hope you and others will also read “Citizen-General: Jacob Dolson Cox and the Civil War Era.” Gene Schmiel
Out of curiosity, do you know the location of Cox’s missing reports that he talks about in Appendix A of his memoir? I’m specifically looking for Cox’s dispatches to McClellan dated July 4, 6, 10, and 17, 1861. I contacted Oberlin College, which holds the Jacob D. Cox Papers, as well as the National Archives. Neither could locate them. I also searched the digitized McClellan Papers online, without success. Having done so much research on him, I thought you might know some other archive that holds his Civil War papers?
Thank you Gene. In saying they hadn’t fought much I meant in large battles with the Army of the Potomac, so good to clarify that yes, they fought well at South Mountain. Yes, Burnside and Cox were new to each other and under very difficult circumstances. We should always keep those kinds of things in mind. Thank you for your thoughts.