The following map is based upon one issued November, 1894, by the
"Antietam Board." This in turn was based upon the so-called "Michler" map
from the office of the U. S. Engineers, which, while correct in the main,
has many errors of detail, and it is not likely that all of them have yet
been discovered by the Board. Indeed, one object of the Board in issuing
the map, was to invite criticism and corrections from the soldiers and
others.
The positions of the troops cannot be shown with anything like accuracy
and clearness on so small a map, and are omitted excepting a few needed to
illustrate the narrative, but it may be said in a general way, that just
before Gen. Mansfield was wounded, the Union forces, under Hooker, were
pushed out of "the great cornfield" and the East Woods. The 12th Corps,
(Mansfield's), with some help from the remnants of the 1st Corps
(Hooker's), stopped the advance of the Confederates under Hood, and in
turn drove them back to West Woods.
At the time Mansfield was wounded, Major Robbins' command in East Woods
was the extreme right of the troops of the Confederate left wing
(Jackson's) _actually engaged_. Their line ran, with many turns and
several intervals, from the woods through the great cornfield to the
northern part of West Woods. Not many men in either army were firing their
muskets at the moment Mansfield was shot, but the two or three thousand on
each side, who were engaged, were very fiercely contending for their
positions.
[Illustration: Battlefield of Antietam]
Footnotes:
[1] Sept. 17, 1891.
[2] The brigade [Crawford's] had reached a point close to the Hagerstown
pike, with the left almost touching the Dunker Church. The brigade was
within 50 yards of the turnpike, ready to cross over and into the woods
lining the road on the opposite side. These woods were filled with
Stonewall Jackson's troops; and their sharpshooters in the foliage were
picking off officers. * * Notwithstanding the hazard, Gen. Mansfield,
instead of sending a staff officer to direct the movement of the troops
toward the point intended by him, rode forward himself and gave personal
directions, wholly in a matter of detail (the alignment of a single
regiment that was making an effort to dress on its colors), and when
engaged in that unimportant duty of detail for a corps commander, was shot
from the woods and almost instantly killed.
[National Tribune, Washington, D. C., Nov. 16, 1893.
[3] These three organizations were virtually one. The 1st Regiment, after
serving three months in 1861, re-organized as the 10th, to serve till May,
1863, when it was again recruited and re-organized as the 29th, to serve
three years more. The 10th Battalion was that portion of the 10th Regiment
which was not discharged in 1863. Excepting eight weeks in the fall of
1861, the regiment or battalion was in "the field" during the entire war,
and for more than a year afterward.
[4] The map does not show this new or "Keedysville road." It now runs
directly past Michael Miller's gate to Sam Poffenberger's, thence up Sam's
old lane to the woods, there turning west enters the Smoketown road, where
the right of the 10th Maine fought--near =M= on the map. The lane from M.
Miller's to Morrison's has been closed, and also that part of Sam's lane
which was in East Woods.
[5] Samuel Poffenberger's. Erroneously marked Dunbar's Mills on the old
maps.
[6] Crawford's brigade, 46th Penn., Col. Knipe; 10th Maine, Col. Beal;
28th N. Y., fragment, Capt. Mapes; 124th Penn., Col. Hawley; 125th Penn.,
Col. Higgins; 128th Penn., Col. Samuel Croasdale (killed.)
[7] That is, to bring the men "into line"--the position they should be in
for fighting; since while in mass, only Companies I and G could fire their
muskets, while a fairly well aimed bullet from the enemy would be almost
sure to hit one or more of us.
[Illustration]
[8] The 10th Maine went into battle with 21 officers, and 276 men with
muskets.
Loss. 3 officers and 28 men killed and mortally wounded.
5 officers and 35 men wounded.
0 prisoners.
Total killed and wounded 71, or 24 per cent. of number engaged.
[9] A regimental division is two companies; C and F in the present case.
[10] He named an officer and regiment of Hooker's Corps, both of which I
forgot before the day was ended.
[11] Sergt. Joe Merrill, Co. F; Private Storer S. Knight, Co. B; Private
James Sheridan, Co. C.
[12] Doctor Francis B. Davidson, of the 125th Penn., met the ambulance
near Line's house and turned it in there, and there the General was
treated and died, as everybody knows.
[13] An out-cropping spur of limestone ledge, common all over the field.
[14] These were, as we understand, the 128th Penn., a new, large regiment,
and the fragments of the 28th N. Y. and 46th Penn. I have not definitely
learned _exactly_ where the last two were while the 10th Maine was
fighting, but we saw very plainly the 128th Penn. upon the Croasdale
Knoll.
[15] Law's brigade and Wofford's or "The Texas" brigade.
[16] Garland's brigade was in the woods a short time, and a few men from
some Confederate command were in the extreme northern edge when Tyndale
approached it.
[17] Dear old "Jim" has long since "passed over to the other side," and I
cannot tell why he made such a strange report, nor why he didn't let me,
his Adjutant, know about it and have a copy to file away.
[18] History 1st-10th-29th Maine regiment, May 3, 1861, to June 21, 1866.
Stephen Berry, Publisher, Portland, Me.
[19] Memorial of Gen. Mansfield, United States Army, Boston, T. R. Marvin
& Son, 1862.
[20] Now Lt.-Col. of Engineers, U. S. A.
[21] Quotation from Major Robbins.
Transcriber's Notes:
Passages in italics are indicated by _underscore_.
Passages in bold are indicated by =bold=.
The misprint "return-turning" has been corrected to "returning" (page 20).