The monument is also known as the Gordon's Brigade, William's Division Tablet. Gordon's brigade hierarchy was 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, XII Corps. The marker is on the right or east side of Dunker Church Road if traveling north. The monument is 181 feet from the intersection of The Cornfield Avenue. There are two markers located here, this one, No. 55, and one to the left of it, No. 36. To the rear is a farm and various farm houses, all built after the battle. During the war, this was an open field of nothing. These Union tablets are included in the Antietam Campaign War Department Markers marker series. The markers are made of cast iron with a concrete sub structure. The tablets are 12 square feet, black, with white, raised letters. This tablet reads:
U.S.A.
Twelfth Army Corps,
Gordon's Brigade, Williams' Division
Brig. Gen. George H. Gordon, Commanding.
Organization.
2nd Massachusetts Infantry,
3rd Wisconsin Infantry,
27th Indiana Infantry,
13th New Jersey Infantry,
107th New York Infantry,
Zouaves D'Afrique, Pennsylvania.
September 17, 1862, No. 2.
Immediately after the withdrawal of Gordon's Brigade to the East Woods, after being relieved by Sedgwick's Division, it was ordered to the support of that Division in the West Woods.
The 13th New Jersey and 2d Massachusetts advanced into this road. --The former north and latter south of this point.-- where the encountered such a destructive fire from the enemy that they were compelled to retire to the East Woods. Later in the day, the 13th New Jersey advanced into the woods west of the Dunkard Church and took position on the right of Greene's Division.
Between 1896 and 1898 to commemorate the Battle of Antietam, September 16-18, 1862, the War Department erected tablets describing Confederate and Union actions of the battle. These tablets contribute to the National Register under Criterion A and are within the period of significance, 1800-1899. The monument is classified as contributing structure number TAB-055.
From the nomination form:
In the 1880s, interest in visiting and memorializing battlefields by aging veterans was on the rise. The first indication of this increase in battlefield visits was in 1888 when a macadam road bed and sidewalk system was constructed by the War Department from the cemetery and battlefield site to the Antietam railroad station in Sharpsburg.
A Congressional Act passed in 1890 authorized dedication of the park. Field surveys of the battlefield by the War Department recorded the progression of the battle of both Union and Confederate armies, through tablets constructed in 1896-1898.
Both the Antietam National Battlefield Site and National Cemetery were transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service in 1933. In 1934, the battlefield was less than 50 acres; it has greatly increased to a present acreage of 3,199 acres. With the authorization of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the Union and Confederate War Department Tablets were listed on the National Register on October 15, 1966, with a confirmation National Register form updated and approved by the Keeper on February 10, 1982.
During the 1996 LCS survey, Determinations of Eligibility (DOE) were completed on the war tablets. This was unnecessary, as the tablets were listed on the National Register by means of the act.
Short Physical Description
Union Tablet No. 055 is a 35” x 47” cast-iron painted tablet that is 1/2" thick with a 1" raised border, which is set on a metal a 3-1/2" diameter post. A historical description of the troop’s movement is cast into the tablet.
Union Tablet No. 055 is located on the east side of Old Hagerstown Pike, near Cornfield Avenue and by Union Tablet 036.
Long Physical Description
The cast text on Union Tablet No. 055 states: "U.S.A. / TWELFTH ARMY CORPS. / GORDON’S BRIGADE, WILLIAMS’DIVISION./ BRIG. GEN. GEORGE H. GORDON, COMMANDING./ ORGANIZATION./ 2D MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY,/ 3D WISCONSIN INFANTRY,/ 27TH INDIANA INFANTRY,/ 13TH NEW JERSEY INFANTRY,/ 107TH NEW YORK INFANTRY,/ ZOUAVES D’ AFRIQUE, PENNSYLVANIA./ SEPTEMEBER 17, 1862. NO. 2. / IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WITHDRAWAL OF GORDON’S BRIGADE TO THE/ EAST WOODS, AFTER BEING RELIEVED BY SEDGWICK’S DIVISION, IT WAS ORDER-/ ED TO THE SUPPORT OF THAT DIVISION IN THE WEST WOODS.
"THE 13TH NEW JERSEY AND 2D MASSACHUSETTS ADVANCED INTO THIS/ ROAD, THE FORMER NORTH AND THE LATTER SOUTH OF THIS POINT, -- WHERE/ THEY ENCOUNTERED SUCH A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE FROM THE ENEMY THAT THEY/ WERE COMPELLED TO RETIRE TO THE EAST WOODS. LATER IN THE DAY, / THE 13TH NEW JERSEY ADVANCED INTO THE WOODS WEST OF THE DUNKARD/ CHURCH AND TOOK POSITION ON THE RIGHT OF GREENE’S DIVISION."
My Source
1.
NRHP Nomination Form
2.
Stone Sentinels
3.
Virtual Antietam
4.
Historical Marker Database
5.
The Battle of Antietam on the Web