Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-06-21
BAITLEFIELD OF ANTIETAM.

correspondence CprlnBuelu hopuDilcdul
The field of Antietam is as fair and
open field as any General can hope for
in new country like ours, and Ger
tainly was as favorable for our own men
in many parts of the stage as for the
rebels, particularly in the extensive corn
field to the northeast of the bunker
Church, on whose eastern edge, near the
woods, that gallant veteran, Mansfield,
was killed, and in whose center, near
rock grown round with bushes, the brave
Crawford, of Mansfeld's corps, was so
badly wounded. This field, then in one
and planted with corn, but now in grain,
and divided, is bounded on two sides by
woods clear Of underbrush; on the third,
south, by the road to Keedysvile, which
branches off from the pike, opposite the
famous bunker Church-pretty well
scarred up during the conflict, but now
so repaired and thickly whitewashed that
its damages are entirely concealed.
The new National Cemetery, which
already contains or will contain 1000 to
5000 bodies, is laid out on swell which
commands view of as much of the bat
tlefeld as is cleared 1t is far better To-
Gated and planned than that of Gettys-
burg, and DR.. Augustin A. Biggs, OF
Sharpsburg, President of the Board of
Trustees, has shown great deal Of abil
ity in the discharge of his trust. Mr..
| Sherer, Agent Of the United States
Burial Department whose tents are in q
sunny nook under the shelter of the
eastern wall of heavy limestone blocks,
handsomely capped, which already en-
circles the cemetery, is doing all that
man can do to make his data reliable as
to the location of each coffin and the
identity of its contents-the body, bones,
or remains of Union officer or soldier.
Mr. Sherer says that the rebels supposed
at first that their dead were to be col
lected, transported and buried by the
side Of their loyal antagonists in this
cemetery. When their minds became
disabused of this idea, they we're so en-
ragged that they destroyed or dispersed
the head-boards of our Union dead at
Burkettsville, at the eastern entrance of
Champions Gap, so that many whose
remains were identified and designated,
through this barbarism are now, by ne
cessity, included among the unknown"
In the disposition Of the dead a grand
idea has been developed They are
buried in the form of an arch, each State
forming a stone or stones, as IT were, the
whole resting as upon bases, on the two
States of New York and Pennsylvania,
which lost the greatest number of troops.
In the center there is to be an elegant
monument, surmounted by the statue of
United States soldier or volunteer
This is to be encircled by gallery, about
thirty feet from the ground, which will
not only afford perfect view of the
battlefield, but of the whole Shenandoah
valley, as far as the eye can reach. In
the cemetery near its southwest ceSner,
is rugged, isolated mass or boulder Of
limestone rock, called Lees Stone,
from which that General is said to have
made his dispositions for the battle dur
ing whose continuance his headquarters
we're in fine red brick house on the
southwest corner of the diamond or
square in the center of Sharpsburg.
Before dismissing this subject of Lee,
tits we'll to add that here, if nowhere
else, he proved himself an able General,
or else he owed all to his subordinsles,
particularly Stonewall jackson. 1t is
well known that be never succeeded after
Jackson, his acknowledged right arm,
was Topped OF at Charlottesville, which,
fortunately, depleted his army Gifts best
man, just as its campaign OF 1862, against
Pope let the blood Of his best aud bra
vest, particularly about the Bull Run
field Of so many unhappy memories.
Here we are told, by one who claimed
to know, that Lee withdrew his forces,
under cover Of flag Of truce for the
burial of his dead. just as at Gettysburg
be used the cupola Of Pennsylvania Col
lege as his recohuoitering station. re-
naming there for hours, although the
Gag was flying above him which desigua.
ted it as a hospital This Tag claimed
and won for it immunity from our loyal
guns, which refrained from firing upon
Il on account Of the purpose to which the
building was assigned.
Looking north from the cemetery, over
barn whose rev roof is just visible
above an intermediate swell, the eye rests
upon a sunken lane or road, just desig'
mated BY It's parallel fences, known as
the Bloody Road" or slaughter Lane,
from the Numbers Of dead which were
piled upon it-in some places, II is said,
i've deep Southeasierly from the Gem
eterv, about two miles by the road, -
Burnside's bridge, situated IN one Of the
loveliesi scenes traveller could desire.