“Desperation Along the Harpers Ferry Road: D.R. Jones Defends Against the Final Attack” – Lucas Cade

When the Union IX Corps Divisions of Orlando Willcox and Isaac Rodman stepped off just after 3:00 p.m. on September 17th, David R. Jones’ Confederate Division was all that stood between Lee’s battered army and possible annihilation. A force less than one-half the size of the Union attackers, Jones’ men faced long odds on the rolling hills south of Sharpsburg. Jones and his men are often an afterthought due to A.P. Hill’s later arrival that turned the tide of the battle to the Confederates. We’ll examine just who these men were, their fighting condition, and how they contributed to the eventual Union repulse.
This presentation was part of the Antietam Institute's 2024 Fall Conference held at Shepherd University, Sept. 27, 2024.
Lucas Cade - A native of Marietta, Georgia, Lucas developed an early interest in the Civil War. He received a BS in Secondary Education/History from Troy State University and a MS in Economic Development from the University of Southern Mississippi. He moved to Washington County, Maryland and has enjoyed a 35-year career in business development within the electric utility industry. Lucas has been a long-time advocate of battlefield preservation and has been active in the American Battlefield Trust and its predecessors for more than two decades. A certified guide at Antietam National Battlefield, Lucas lives in Winchester, Virginia with his wife, Julie.