Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1863-09-03
A DAY AT ANTIETAM.
BArrLx-FrELD OF ANrrErAM.l
July Is, 1863. (

10 tks Editor Of fks Boston Jerrnal:
The army Is on the march to-ds.
toward Hafper's Ferry. Instead o
keeping pace with the columns. hsv'
turned aside for 9 visit to the field o
Antietsm. The battle was fought OF
the 18th of September. last year
Ten months have passed. The leaves
Of autumn have fallen, the SHOWS ol
winter, and the rains Of summer. II
will be interesting to take look at the
Geld, to note bow far time has repaired
: the dssoIasion-hqE zlar nature, with
its ceaseless round q change It's
growth snd decay ofleaves, fruits,
and flowers, has repaired the waste Of
war.
TIE HOSPITAL CEkETERY.
On 9 by-rosd lesding from Benevola
to Sharpsburg. two miles east Of the
battlefield, came Unexpectedly upon
the cemetery, where rest the remains
Of those who died in the general hos
pital. II is 6 small enclosure taken
from clover field. Between it and
the road is shady grove of oaks-old
trees that have swayed in the winds Of
hundreds OF winters. The shade on
this summer morning is calm, deep and
holy. From the field there is the odor
OF clover blossoms. There is not
wsnfing the hum Of bees and the songs
Of birds to lend charm to the hour
The paiing is neatly whitewashed
which surrounds i've ocusecrsted spot.
There are hzedred and ffty-nine
graves. each with its rounded, white
head board, and rude lettering. with
name, company aud regiment Of
the dead. A loving heart, a
faithful hand has planted rose bush
above ,be dust Of Prescott Remic, Of
Company G, End Massachusetts,. II is
fresh and green; its roots are creeping
down to the cot1iu lid, and will draw its
nourishment from the mouldering form
beneath. Another year and the Grim
son flower will bloom With rarest beau
ty and richest fragrance.
Lilies are ia flower above the re-
mains of Eli Shafer, Of the ed New
Hampshire, and all around are the
Geld daisies, fresher and fsirer than
those by the wayside and in the fields.
So nothing is lost 10 death. Beauty
veappears. The liites will fade and
witber 10 turn, and become food for
other forms of lie. The eternal round
of things will 90 on tiil the last when
Vime shall become eternity.
In the centre Of the enclosure is o
wooden monument with these inscrip-
tions:
Erected in memory Of the Union
soldiers who died OF wounds received
in defense Of their country, at the bat
tie of Antietam. Sept. l7th. 1852
'Antietam General Hospital, U. S.
A. B. A. VANDERBILT, Surgeon in
charge
The land that is not worth our death
is not worth living for.'
Il am the resurrection and the life.
He that believeth in me. though he
were dead, yet sbsIlhe live
rHE RIGHT WING.
Passing on to the turnpike | came TO
the farmhouse occupied at the time Of
the bsttte by Mr.. Joseph Poffeaburger,
eew the residence Of bis nephew
Here was the centre Of our right wing.
Pofeuburger's koase is on the east
side Of the turnpike, fronting west.-
Behind the house is high, smooth
ridge Of land, in blooming clover now,
but freshly resped of wheat at the
time Of the battle. The Rebels oecu-
pied this ridge in the morning. but
Hooker pushed them back. There he
planted Eve batteries. which thundered
through the day. l well remember
the attempt of the Rebels in the after.
noon to regain this ridge, how they
came down into the corn6eld, west Of
the turnpike. under cover Of the fire ol
Gheir batteries. Hooker, Dana, Sedg.
wick, Hartsuff, Richardson, Mansfield
all general officers, had been carried
from the field wounded. Howard was
here on the ridge near Poffenburger's
barn, in command. 'GIve them the
heaviest FIRE possible said he. How
those thirty pieces opened. Crash
crsshl crash! How those gray masses
waved, reeled. staggered, swsyed, tc
and fro, and then fedl
What scene there was In Poffen,
burgers door yard, two noble horse.
killed By cannon shot, piercing ths
neck Of one and shooting to atoms th.
head Of the other. There, under th.
psilings of his garden fence lay th,
dead Of the Pennsylvania Reserves
You could have driven . stage coacI
through the west gable Of the hous
where shell had ripped an opening
Over In the feld. the west side of th
turnpike, dead men IN gray were thick
" fallen, and still further ont, along th
narrow lane which runs southwest fror
the turnpike in front Of Poffenburger'i
they were as thick as leaves Of autumn
How the storm howled through thes
woods-fercer than November blasts
A tornado which wrenched off th
trunks Of oaks big enough for ship
Eelson. riving and spliniering lik
tbunderbolts.
There is mound OF stones and
rude head board, the resting place I
Lieut. Col. Stottson. Of the 69th Me-
York, lying where be fell, among Il
limestone iedges within half q doze