About Me

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I am a lifelong student of military history with particular interest in the Battle of Antietam. I work for the federal government in Washington DC and have two young adult children who I love very much. I currently volunteer at Antietam and devote much time to the study of this battle and the Maryland Campaign. I enjoy collecting notable contemporary quotations by and about the men of Antietam. Since 2013 I have been conducting in depth research on the regular artillery companies of the Union Army and their leaders. I hope to turn this into a book on this subject in the future. My perspective comes from a 28-year career in the U.S. Army. Travels took me to World War II battlefields in Europe and the Pacific where American valor ended the tyranny of Nazism and Empire. But our country faced its own greatest challenge 80 years earlier during the Civil War. And it was the critical late summer of 1862, when Robert E. Lee launched the Maryland Campaign. It is an incredible story of drama, carnage, bravery, and missed opportunities that culminated around the fields and woodlots of peaceful Sharpsburg MD. So join me as I make this journey South from the North Woods.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

"Give it to 'em! Drive em! Take anything on my place only drive 'em! Drive 'em" William Roulette


Here is a short video that I shot at the Roulette Farm looking south toward the Sunken Road. It was taken during the Irish Brigade hike at Antietam National Battlefield on March 14 2009. This is the route taken by much of William French's division of Sumner's Second Corps. Union soldiers from near this position may very well have heard these words of encouragement by Mr. Roulette as he emerged from his cellar that morning. The quote is found in Unfurl Those Colors by Marion V. Armstrong (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2008). Other photos of the hike will appear in a future post.

5 comments:

  1. Jim,

    Where exactly is the Sunken Road and which way does it run from your camera view. I see the tower and I'm guessing the tower is on the Sunken Road. The Sunken Road then is over the crest of hill we see then?

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  2. Is Sunken Road beyond the crest of the hill to the left in the video? Which way does it run from the stone tower?

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  3. Where is the Sunken Road in the video? Just beyond the crest of hill to the left? Which way does it run from the stone tower?

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  4. Lyle
    My camera is pointed south. The tower on the left is the eastern end of the Sunken Road and it runs from left (east) to right (west). Because of the nature of the terrain, you don't clearly see the Sunken Road along its entire length but it is there. I hope this helps. Thank you for your question.
    Regards
    Jim

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  5. Apologies for the multiple comments. It was slow to register with the system. Now I know. Thanks for the response though; enjoyed the video. The topography there is amazing and not what you you think while reading about the battle in some book. From reading though (I just read the Sears book) the Federals attacked the Sunken Road down a slope, if I'm not mistaken. So I guessed that on your video the road was behind the crest of the hill you filmed towards.

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