The marker for Fairchild’s Brigade of Rodman’s Division is on the east side of Branch Avenue. (Branch Avenue North tour map)

From the marker:
U.S.A.
Ninth Army Corps
Fairchild’s Brigade, Rodman’s Division
Col. H. S. Fairchild, 89th New York Infantry, Commanding.
Organization.
9th New York Infantry (Hawkins’ Zouaves),
89th New York Infantry, 103d New York Infantry
September 17, 1862.
On the morning of the 17th, Fairchild’s Brigade moved from its position southeast of the Burnside Bridge, down the left bank of the Antietam, which it crossed at Snavely’s Ford about 1 P.M., and forced the right of Toombs’ Brigade from its position on the high ground above the ford and, moving up the right bank of the creek, formed line on the left of Willcox’s Division a short distance northwest of the bridge. About 3 P.M. the Brigade, under a heavy fire of Artillery from Cemetery Hill and the adjacent heights, advanced from the ridge 450 yards east of this, reached the open fields west and gained the high ground about 400 yards northwest of this point, forcing the Brigades of Kemper and Drayton through the streets of Sharpsburg. Its position being endangered by the advance of A.P. Hill on its left and rear, it was withdrawn by the ravines to the Sharpsburg Road and thence to the bank of the Antietam near the Burnside Bridge.
No. 66.

This view faces east from Branch Avenue across the fields of the Otto farm. Antietam Creek is on the other side of the ridge in the distance.
