The monument to Confederate Brigadier General William Starke at Antietam is in Philadelphia Brigade Park. (Philadelphia Brigade Park tour map) This is one of six “mortuary cannons” placed on the Antietam battlefield to honor six generals, three Union and three Confederate, who were killed or mortally wounded at Antietam.

From the monument

Brigadier General
William E. Starke
C.S.A.
Killed Here

William Starke was born in Brunswick County, Virginia in 1814. He was a cotton broker in New Orleans and Mobile. Starke became lieutenant colonel of the 53rd Virginia Infantry at the start of the war, and later in 1861 became colonel of the 60th Virginia. He was promoted to brigadier general on August 6, 1862 for his actions in the Seven Days battles.

Stark briefly commanded a Louisiana brigade, and temporarily took over command of Jackson’s old division when its commander, General Taliaferro, was wounded at Second Manassas.

Brigadier General Starke commanded the Stonewall Brigade at Antietam. The division’s new commander, Brigadier General John R. Jones, was stunned by the explosion of an artillery shell and left the field. Starke again took over the division as senior brigadier.

Starke led a counterattack of the division against the Union 1st Corps during the morning fighting and was wounded three times. He died within the hour.

Starke’s body was returned to Richmond. It was buried in Hollywood Cemetery next to his son, who had been killed two months earlier at the Battle of Seven Pines.

Location of the monument to William Starke at Antietam

The monument at Antietam to Confederate Brigadier General William E. Starke is in Philadelphia Brigade Park off the Hagerstown Turnpike. (39°28’42.4″N 77°44’54.9″W)