The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-10-01
rho AntIetam National Cemetery.

ter of general interest to tho loyal peo-
ple of tho nation. Impelled by desire
to give u correct understanding of tho
condition of affairs in nconnection with
tho National Cemetery Mt Antietam,
and to correct some misapprehensfons
relative thereto, is my apology for tres
passing upon your columns.
In the August number of Hd1pcrt8
AfdgGEine appeared an article on Ma
tional Cemeteries" giving an account
OF tho inception, progress and compile
tion of most of tho prominent national
cemeteries III the country, except that
of Antietam, which was briefly referred
to aS follows:
We believe some preliminary action
has also been had with reference to tho
establishment OF n cemetery at Antie-
tam, but we are not sufficiently advised
of the facts to speak of them Mt length.
Tho facts, however, appear 10 be about
as follows: Some time In 1865, we think
during the spring, Maryland made an
appropriation to purchase and inclose
certain grounds, embracing part of
the battlefield of Antietam, to be held
hereafter us National Cemetery, and
we believe she has since invited the
other States that lost troops Mt Antie-
tam to join with her in removing the
dead of Antietam thither, and in grad
ing and somewhat ornAmenting the
grounds. This, it will be seen, II car
ried on to completion, will give us only
n duplicate of Gettysburg, and we OBJ
ieCt to it because IL involves only State
action, not national, as the subject de-
serves"
The history of this undertaking, in
brief, is as follows: At its January ses-
sion, 1855, the General Assembly of
Maryland passed an net Incorporating
tho Antietam National Cemetery. The
first meeting of the Trustees named in
this Act was held in Hngerstown on
the 25th day of May, 1865, when an or
ganization of Board was effected. The
present grounds of the Cemetey were
selected by Governor Bradford, of Ma
ryland, for "the burial and final resting
place of the remains of the soldiers who
fell in the 'battle OF Antietam," and
contain in nll ten acres, autifully sit
unted on rising ground, and located
about the centre of the rebel lines as
they were formed during tho battle.
Anumber of the States, whose troops
participated in the battle, have made
appropriations towards the carrying
on and completion of this great and
worthy undertaking. Among others,
our own gallant State mt the late session
nfits Legislature, appropriated the sum
of 81, ,672.l4.
The work on the grounds is rapidly
progressing, three sides OF it being en-
closed with 81 heavy wall of stone work,
which in some places at its base, is fine
and ten feet in thickness, and aver
aging two feet thick ut the top. The
whole wall is being capped with finish
ed stone coping, thus making complete
and finished piece of workmanship.
by "A resolution of tho Board of Trus.
tees, nnirOn fence is to be placed in front
of the Cemetery, and 1t Is also proposed
to erect II suitable portcr's lodge, and
such other buildings us may be required
or deemed necessary. Atthe late meet
ing of the Board, held III the city of
Baltimore, on tho 10th inst, u plan was
adopted i'll accordance with which the
grounds are to be laid out aud plotted.
The plan of the ground is trnpezium the
longest side fNcing upon tile Sharps-
burg and BoOnsbOrO' pike, OH the north
sido 10 feet, inches, the west line
measuring go feet, the south side 4Sl
foct, o inches, tho east 767 feet, inches.
Tho ground plan adopted Mt the late
meeting Ofthe Board, i'll the city of Bal
timOro, forms within tho walls of the
cemetery scmi-cllipsis, divided into
sections of different sizes to correspond
with tho number of the Union dead
from the various States. This ground
| plan commences about 1870 feet from the
entrance, thus leaving n large space In
front for the purposes of ornamental
tion, &c.
Tho Immediate grounds of the come
terry was the spot occupied by General
| Lee and his stntfdurlng the battle. In
the midst of tho cemetery and OH crest
Is n large natural rock of mnny tons in
| weight, on which Lee stood and from
whence he issued his orders until COM
pclled to retreat by the gallant charge
OF Rurnside'S division, which carried
the bridge over AntietHm Creek, since
known ns Burnside's bridge. Standing
upon this rock n person liNs fine view
OF the battlefield, which, from tho
1 ,.t,,
| which the right wing of the Union army
rested to Burnside's bridge on the left
| wing, is about two miles and a
half. Just in front, Mt distance
of two and n half to three miles is a
cleared spot on the summit of the
mountain where McClellan's signal
corps was stationed during the battle,
command of a large scope of country
| for more than twenty miles around.
OF all the battles of the war, Antie-
tam was one of the hardest fought and
| most indeciSiUc. This in the opinion OF
many In and out of the army, as we'll
around the vicinity of the battlefield,
was owing to tho apparent tfndifference,
| or to say tho least, the sympathy OF
Gen. Mcclellan with the leaders OF the
rebel army, either personal or political.
But, without intending to account for it,
| we OLl1y give 5L1e lhCLSs Leo anu us
army crossed tho Potomac ut the only
ford possible within n distance of many
miles of tho bMttle- field.
The battle had commenced Mt day
light, and mt o'clock A. NJ, Mcclellan
was reported as being still in bed, three
miles distant from the battlefield, and
churliShlya and Indignantly refused to
make his appearance until lie Ind fin
ished his slumbers. Again, he Ind not
less than II, 600 troops TO reinforce from
within five miles of tho battlefield, un-
der Con. Fitz John Porter, which lie re-
fused to order up, and which, If he had /,
would have prevented Leo and his
forces from crossing tho Potomac by
seizing nnd holding the fordS before re-
ferrcd to.
When il is remembered ut tho close
| of tho battle We had flanked tho enemy
and doubled. up his wings OH his centre,
and that in nn air line from tho only
ford Mt which the enemy could cross,
that we wero on the chord of
tho arc and tho enemy on tho
arc Of tho circle, IL is easiert to compre-
hend the advantage which was thrown
away by Mcclellan. but it is INSERTED
TINT he did not oven SO much us harnss
Leo in his retreat, but permitted him
with his heavy artillery aud stores to
cross at his ease comparatively. 1t is
we'll known, too, that Mcclellan re-
mnined for six weeks subsequent to the
battle in n stnte of inaction on tho fold
while Leo rctrnced his stops ut his leis-
uro over the sacred soil.
But pardon this digression from the
main subject in hand. Among all ma
tions It has boon customary TO erect
some token or mcnento to tho pAt riotic,
tho loyal and tho heroic; but the rreest