This wartime view of the bridge is taken from the perspective of the second Union assault on the bridge. After the failure of the attack of the 11th Connecticut, Nagle's brigade spearheaded by the 2nd Maryland and the 6th New Hampshire made a dash toward the bridge along the road leading to it that ran along side the creek. Unfortunately, this left their left flank exposed as they cut right across the front of the Confederate troops positioned on the heights across the creek. This assault didn't last long; it quickly crumbled under the fire poured from the other side of the creek, and beat a hasty retreat to the other side of the rise from which view 1 was taken. A second attack by the same brigade came to the same end.

As can be seen from this photo (which was taken on September 21st, only four days after the battle), the post-rail fence along the road survived the battle. Unlike simpler rail lenses which could be easily knocked over, these lenses proved to be major obstacles: they provided no cover, were difficult to climb, and were extremely difficult to tear down as demonstrated by the fact that they remained standing even in areas where the fighting was most severe. The hazard they represented is illustrated no where better than Gardner's photographs along the Hagerstown Turnpike (one of which is the opening photograph on this document's home page); all of the dead men lying strewn along the fence were probably killed trying to climb over it. If Gardner had been able to make it down to this region sooner (before the burial detail was complete), these fences would have also been lined with corpses.