Near Sharpsburg in Washington County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

D.R. Jones' Division, Longstreet's Command

D.R. Jones' Division, Main Tablet image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Swain, February 9, 2008

1. D.R. Jones' Division, Main Tablet

Inscription.
(Main Tablet):
C.S.A.
D.R. Jones' Division, Longstreet's Command
Brig. Gen. D.R. Jones, Commanding.
September 17, 1862.
About 7.30 a.m., Col. Geo. T. Anderson's Brigade moved from Cemetery Hill to the left near the Dunker Church.

The Federal Batteries beyond the Antietam continued their heavy fire, which was answered by the Confederate guns.

Five companies of the 11th Georgia Infantry reinforced the right of Toombs' Brigade opposite Snavely's Ford and, about 1 p.m., Toombs was driven from Burnside Bridge and Snavely's Ford, by the Ninth Corps, which crossed at those points and, about 3 p.m., advanced upon Sharpsburg. At that hour Toombs was slowly falling back to the Antietam Furnace Road west of this point.

(Second, continuation, tablet):
Kemper's Brigade and J.S. Brown's (Va.) Battery were on the high ground about 650 yards west, Drayton's Brigade was on Kemper's left.

Walker's (Jenkins') Brigade held the stone mill and house on either side of the Sharpsburg Road and the southwest slope of Cemetery Hill.

Garnett's Brigade held the south and southwest slope of Cemetery Hill with its left resting on the Boonsboro Pike. The right of the advancing Federal line was held in check by Garnett and Walker and the massed Artillery on Cemetery Hill

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and the high ground west of the Sharpsburg Road. Kemper and Drayton were driven through the town and, the right of the Division having been turned, Garnett and the Artillery were withdrawn. Walker yielded some ground but did not abandon Cemetery Hill. Upon the advance of A.P. Hill's Division on the Federal left and rear, the Brigades of Toombs, Kemper, Drayton, and Garnett reformed on the Antietam Furnace Road, took position on Hill's left and, advancing with his Division re-occupied, substantially, the ground from which they had been driven. The entire Division remained on the field until the night of the 18th, when it recrossed the Potomac.

Erected by Antietam Battlefield Board. (Marker Number 369.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Antietam Campaign War Department Markers series list. A significant historical date for this entry is September 17, 1862.

Location. 39° 27.194′ N, 77° 44.361′ W. Marker is near Sharpsburg, Maryland, in Washington County. Marker is on Branch Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Located at stop 10, the Final Attack, of the driving tour of Antietam Battlefield, in a cluster of Confederate tablets. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Sharpsburg MD 21782, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 10 other markers are within walking distance of this

Second, Continuation Tablet image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Swain, February 9, 2008

2. Second, Continuation Tablet

marker. A different marker also named D.R. Jones' Division, Longstreet's Command (here, next to this marker); Longstreet's Command (here, next to this marker); Ninth Army Corps (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Ninth Army Corps (a few steps from this marker); 28th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (a few steps from this marker); The Fate of the Army (within shouting distance of this marker); “It Is A.P. Hill” (within shouting distance of this marker); Brown’s (Wise), Virginia Battery (within shouting distance of this marker); The Advance Was Made With the Utmost Enthusiasm (within shouting distance of this marker); “Forever Free” (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sharpsburg.

Also see . . .
1. Antietam Battlefield. National Park Service site. (Submitted on March 24, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

2. D.R. Jones' Division, Longstreet's Command. Jones was an 1842 graduate of West Point. (Submitted on March 24, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

3. David Rumph Jones. Jones was the brother-in-law of Col. Henry Kinsburg, of the 11th Connecticut Infantry. When the 11th Connecticut attempted to seize the Lower (Burnside) Bridge, Kinsburg was

D.R. Jones' Division, Longstreet's Command Marker #1 image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, September 19, 2015

3. D.R. Jones' Division, Longstreet's Command Marker #1

mortally wounded by troops commanded by Jones. (Submitted on March 24, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

4. David Rumph Jones. David Rumph Jones (April 5, 1825 – January 15, 1863) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. (Submitted on October 8, 2015, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)

D.R. Jones' Division, Longstreet's Command Marker #2 image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, September 19, 2015

4. D.R. Jones' Division, Longstreet's Command Marker #2

Confederate Tablet Cluster at Stop 10 image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Swain, February 9, 2008

5. Confederate Tablet Cluster at Stop 10

From left to right are Drayton's Brigade (No. 347), Jones' Division, Sept. 15-16 (No. 368), and the two tablets of Jones' Division, Sept. 17 (No. 369).

D.R. Jones' Division, Longstreet's Command Markers<br>Third and Fourth from the Right image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, September 19, 2015

6. D.R. Jones' Division, Longstreet's Command Markers
Third and Fourth from the Right

Major General David Rump Jones (1825-1863) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott

7. Major General David Rump Jones (1825-1863)

At Antietam, his division held the right flank of the Army of Northern Virginia when the Union IX Corps attacked. The strain of campaigning aggravated a longstanding heart condition and Jones died in Richmond, Virginia the following January. He is buried there in Hollywood Cemetery.

D.R. Jones' Line image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Swain, February 9, 2008

8. D.R. Jones' Line

Looking north on Branch Avenue. In the background on the left is Cemetery Hill. Garnett's Brigade defended on the east side (toward the center), with Jenkins' Brigade covering the south slope and the ravine. The cannon on the right side of the road approximate the position of Captain Brown's Wise (Va) Artillery. The battery was engaged from this position, dueling with Federal batteries on the east side of Antietam Creek, until around 1 p.m. when withdrawn to safer ground to the west.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 29, 2017. It was originally submitted on March 24, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,195 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 24, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 3, 4. submitted on October 8, 2015, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. 5. submitted on March 24, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 6, 7. submitted on October 8, 2015, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. 8. submitted on March 24, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.