The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-03-28
2Uiscellaneous.
Battle of Autlet02lI,

From the Hagerstown tNId.) Torchlight
| The subjoined description of the battle OF An
| tietam was written by quite young girl, and
| is very creditable production from the pen OF
| one of her years:
| Autumn, south of Mason and Dixson's line,
| is the most delightful of all the seasons. The
| fields, covered with shocks of golden grain, the
| full bloom and maturing corn, orchards laden
| with fruit, and forest leaves turning to orange
| hue, all present TO the eye Nature adorned IN
| her lovliest garments. Upon such scene the
moon threw Its calm silver rays across the hills,
| wales and meadows OF Washington csunty, Md,
on the evening OF September l6, 1862. The hills
| around Palmyra farm were darkened with
| myriads of men, and the camp-fres shone like
| stars from out the surrounding darkness
| Standing on the porch OF the farm house you
| might hear and see what was too beautiful to
| be described. Looking around at your left, the
! hills where the Union troops were slun bering
| on their arms, you the brass band of the
army was softly playing the "Star Spangled
| Banner" At your right was camped the Con-
| federate troops ard from out the adjoining wood
| Dixie" came sweetly upon your ear. How
beautiful the country looked, so silent and calm,
nothil g heard except the "too hoo" of the owl,
or the occasional shout from the picket. How
| calmly the moon looked down on it all; did
she know that on the morrow this beautiful
country would be nothing less than vast
slaughter house? Did she know that yon little
creek would be transferred into a river of blood,
or that many of those brave men would be ly-
ing cold and stiff and still in death? Did she
dream it? No, she could not have known it, or
do you think she would have looked SO un-
moved Early next morning the "Battle OF
Antietam" was commenced by pickets playful
ly shooting at each other. Pretty soon the fir
ing assumed a closer and more conversational
tone as the angry clattering Of the musketry
prevailed. About half past seven o'clock this
hod cwallad tO q N OmiuOua and the hattie
CONNER ced in earnest. After while por-
tion of the Federal troops broke in confusion
and ran down the road. In few moments,
however, they were rallied, and returned to
their position, showing great steadness for the
rest of the day. The Confederate troops stood
as straight and firm a stone wall though un-
der a heavy fire of both artillery and musket-
ry, and yet they were defeated. During the
day q portion of Summers advance had pushed
forward nearly to the line of fence in front of
the bunker Church; but they seemed to be so
cut up and reduced in numbers that they took
shelter behind slope in the field, and only
kept up light skirmishing against the wood.
In the midst of the headquarters group, was a
small redan, built of fence rails, behind which
sat Gen. Fitz John Porter, who, with a tele-
scope resting on the top rail, studied the field
with unremitting attention, scarcely leaving
his post during the day. His observations he
communicated to the commander by mods,
signs, or in words SO low toned and brief that
the nearest by stander had but little benefit
from them. Mcclellan, lit is said) stood in
soldierly attitude, intently watching the battle,
and smoking with the utmost apparent calm
ness. Soon Franklin's corps, having arrived
on the field were ordered to fill gap between
Sumner and Hooker, occasioned by the rapid
advance of the latter, doubling back the enemy's
left. When they did fill the place, there was a
swell in chorus of the battle, so vast and volum-
inous that it seemed as if Heaven and earth
vibrated with the stunning roar, cannon and
musketry mingled in tonic out-ponring, that
exceeded in grandeur all tones that ever were
heard, except, perhaps, in war, Gettysburg, and
in nature, Niagara. The check of pulsation
rrcduced by this sudden noise was relieved by
an officer, who whispered, "Thats Franklin,
hear him" About o'clock in the afternoon
Gen. Burnside was ordered to advance upon the
enemy's right, across the old stone bridge, now
called "Burnsde's BRIDGE" over the Antietam,
and selected the 51st Regiment, N. Y. Volun-
teers, under Col. Potter, and the 51st Pennsyl-
vania, the whole under the command of Gen.
Sam. Sturges. and covered by Benjamins Reg
ular Battery of "a FOUNDER guns. After severe
fighting the bridge was passed, and the enemy
pushed back across the old forge road nearly
doubling up Lees lire Of battle on the right,
when he received re- endorsements under Stone
wall Jackson {fresh from victory at Harper's
Ferry and Maryland Heights.) The fighting
then became desperate on both sides, Burnside
asking for re endorsements to sustain him In
his position, which were not given him. Gen.
Sturges was driven back across the bridge with
great slaughter, and night closing in ended the
battle of Antetam with Burnside still in pos
session of the bridge. But after the battle what
sight among the PROSTATE mass of human be-
ings. You could see hands waving as if call
ing for assistance, and others struggling in the
agonies of death. Some soldiers seemed to die
calmly, and even cheerfully. 1t was said that
after the battle, when Mcclellan was going in
to the camp he saw soldier lying on the
ground who looked as if he were sleeping
Mcclellan ordered him to get up; he did not
move, and receiving no answer the General
took him by the shoulder, but dropped him in
stantly because he was corpse Thousands
of men were killed that day. A narrow road,
now called "Bloody Lane" was heaped with
great numbers of the slain. Several men were
killed in the act of getting over the fence, and
all through the battle they lay half over. All
| the dead and dying were gathered up and
buried in three huge bitches dug in the corn
field but most of the bodies were afterwards
removed to other burying places selected by
| friends, and many hundred Union soldiers lie
sleeping quietly between the mountains in An
tietam Cemetery, part of the old battle ground.
| OF all those men that fell and were buried on
| the field only two remain, and they are Con-
| federate soldiers unrecognized. May be they
| have friends in the South who yearly, when
| the day of decorating the soldiers graves come
around, wonder where their loved ones are ly-
ing, and weep to think that they have no tribute
| paid to their memory.