Chapter IV.ANTIETAM.
One summer morning a daring bandOf 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.
One summer morning a daring bandOf 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.
One summer morning a daring bandOf rebels rode into Maryland.Over the prosperous, peaceful farms,Sending terror and strange alarms,The clatter of hoofs, and the clang of arms.
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.
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.
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 rebelsto 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 fifteenthousand 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.