The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-31
Incidents OF AnfietaIn.

e We take the following incidents of Il
, battle of Antietam from 1.-THE Field, Il
Dungeon, and the Escape" by A. D. Ricl
ardson: .
{ Ny co1yfTeTe and myself were within
Y few yards of Hooker. It was a very he
. place. Wecould not distinguish the nping
= Of the individual bullets, but their CON
D bined and mingled hum was like the dil
of great Lowell factory. Solid shot snt
D shell came shrieking through the air, bu
over cur heads, rs we we're on the extrem,
: front oJ'
Hooker-common-plsce before-the mo
ment be heard the guns, ioomed up int
gigantic stature. His eye cleaned with
the grand anger of battle. He seemed &c
know exactly what 10 do, to feel that be
was master of the situstion, and TO impress
every one else with the fact Turning to
one of his staff, and pointing to spot near
US, he said:
"Go and tell Captain - to bring his
battery and plant it there at onceI"-
The lieutenant rode away. After giving
one or two further orders with great clear
ness, rapidity, and precision, Hooker's eye
turned again TO the mass of rebel infantry
in the woods, and he said to another officer,
with great emphasis:
acc and tell Captain = to bring his
battery here Instantly
Sending more messages 70 the various
divisions and bstteries only single mem
Der of the staff remained. Once more
scanning the woods with his eager eye,
Hooker directed the aid:
go and tell Captain - to bring that
battery here without one seconds delRy
Why, my God, how he can pour it into
their infsntryp 10
By this time several of the body-guard
had fallen from their saddles Our
horses plunged wildly. A shell ploughed
the ground under my rearing steed, and
another exploded near Mr. Smslley, throw
ing great clouds of dust over both OF US.
Hooker lesped his white horse over q low
fence into an adjacent orchard, whittier we
gladly followed. Though we did not move
more than thirty yards, it took US compsr-
atively out of range. ~
The desired battery, stimulated by three |
successive messages, came up with smoking
horses, at q full run, was unlimbered in the
twinkliDg of an eye, and began to pour
shot into the enemy. In 3 few seconds |
they began to waver. Through the smoke |
we could see their line sway to and fro;
then it broke like thaw in q great river. |
Hooker rose in the saddle, and in voice Of |
thunder, exclaimed:
"There they go. Forwsrdr
Our whole line moved on. It was now |
near dark. Having shared the experience
of lighting Joe Hooker" quite long
enough, turned towards the rear. Fresh |
troops we're pressing forward, and strag-
glers were ranged in long lines behind
rocks and trees. -...,
Riding slowly along a grassy slope as 1
supposed quite out of range, my medita-
tiOns were disturbed by cannon ball,
whose rush of air famed my face, and
made my horse shrink and rear almost up
right. The next moment came another be-
hind me, and by the great blaze of fire
of rails, which the soldiers had built, saw
it Ticochet down the slope like foot ball,
and press right through a column of our
troops in blue, who were marching stesdi-
ly forward. The gsp which it made Was
Immediately closed up
Men with litters were grouping through
the darkness, bearing the wounded back
to the smbulsnces.
At nine O'Clock / wandered to a farm
house, occupied by some Of our pickets.-
We dared NOT light candles, rs it was with
In range of the enemy. The fAmffy had- Iiz
left it. tied my horse 70 an apple tree,
and lay down upon the psrlor floor with
nv saddle for pillew. At intervals during
the night we heard the popping of musket-
~, and at the first glimpse of dawn the
picket officer shook me by the arm.
"My friend" said he, "yOu had better
90 away as soon as you cam this place Is
getting rather hot for civilians"
rode around through the field, for shot
and shell were already screaming up the
narrow lane. .....
Thus commenced the long, hotly-contest-
ed battle of Antietsm. Our line was three
miles in length, with Hooker on the right,
Burnside on the left, and great gap in
the middle, occupied only by artillery
while Fitz John Porter, with his fine corps,
was held in reserve. From dawn until
nearly dark. the two great armies wrestled
like athletes, strsining every muscle, los
ing here, gaining there, and st many points
lighting the same ground over and over
40 sin. It was a fierce, sturdy, indeeisive
conflict.
Five thousand spectators viewed the
strugsle from a hill comparatively out of
range Not more than three persons we're
EtrQCk bu6fo eAo i
and his staff occupied another ridge half
mile in the rear.
0By Heaven It was goodly sight to see
For one who had no friend or brother there"
No one who looked upon that wonder
full psnoramA can describe or forget it.
Every hill and valley every eornheld,
grove and cluster of trees was hercely
fought for.
The artillery was uncessing; we could
often count more than sixty guns to the
minute. It was like thunder and the
musketry sounded like the Patter OF rain
drops in an April shower. On the great
field were riderless horses and scattering
men. clouds of dust from solid shot and ex-
plodiRg shells, long dark lines Of infantry
swaving to and fro, with columns of smoke
rising from their muskets, red flashes and
white pufJ from the batteries-with the
sun shining brightly on all this scene OF
tumult, and beyond it, upon the dark, rieh
woods and tho clear blue mountains south |
Of the Potomsc.
Arrangements have been made Tor the |