ANTIETAM.
One summer morning a daring band
Of rebels rode into Maryland.
Over the prosperous, peaceful farms,
Sending terror and strange alarms,
The clatter of hoofs, and the clang of arms.
Fresh from the South, where the hungry pine,
They ate like Pharaoh’s starving kine;
They swept the land like devouring surge,
And left their path to its furthest verge,
Bare as the track of the locust scourge.
_Unknown._
Harper’s Ferry had fallen, and Lee was gathering his army on the west
bank of Antietam Creek in Maryland. When we reached the east side of
the creek, we caught up to the main army under General McClellan on
the 16th of September, just at sunset. We found the rebels to be well
posted behind the top of the ridge on the other side of the stream.
The two armies now stood face to face, for McClellan’s army was camped
on the east side of the hills on the west branch of the Antietam. Our
division was soon among them, and busy getting our supper, while we
could see the smoke from the campfires of the opposing forces, where
they too were preparing their evening meal.
What a beautiful sight it was after nightfall! The thousands of glowing
campfires upon both hillsides made a picture upon my memory that time
will never efface. After our weary march it seemed good to be here in
camp, even though I knew a battle was to be expected the next day. I
remember how peaceful and quiet everything seemed, and the cheerfulness
of the men around me, showed how they enjoyed the welcome rest, and how
little they thought of the conflict before them.
The 17th of September dawned fair and pleasant, but what a storm of
death took place that day! The battle began at dawn and lasted until
dark. The loss of life was terrible; the loss to the Union army alone
was more than fifteen thousand men. We held the field, but on that
narrow strip of ground between the Potomac river and Antietam Creek lay
many thousands of brave men, while their comrades were so worn out with
their terrible exertions that they could hardly find strength to care
for the wounded or bury the dead.
Our regiment being on the reserve, supporting a battery, our loss
was not heavy. On the 18th our corps relieved the ninth (Burnside’s)
corps at the lower bridge. On the 19th we expected another battle,
but the enemy had retreated during the night. We pursued them through
Sharpsburg, capturing many prisoners and several pieces of artillery.
We went into camp and excepting a two days raid to Leestown, remained
quiet until October 30th, when we started for Harper’s Ferry and
crossed the river into Virginia once more.
[Illustration]