The National tribune., 1884-05-08
CRAM TON PASS,
And the Part Taken by tie 4th New Jersey in that
Engagement.

Engagement.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
General Towards account of the battle of
Burkettsyille or Cramptons Pass, as We call
it, in your issue Of March - was about cor
rect, so far as the final result was concerned,
and as he says the Formation of the troops for
battle was grand Ii is true also that the Yer
mont brigade bore an active part in the en-
gagement and did their duty on that occasion,
as upon all others, but my impression at the
time was that the troops who did the fighting
at the pass were Bartlett's Newton's, and Tor
bert's brigades of Slocum's division, and that
the troops on our left (Smth's division) had
very little opposition. Bartlett's and Newton's
brigades and the first line of Torbert's had a
warm time of it as they advanced, for the rob
els had q Weli-directed artillery fire our
front and an enfilading fire on our left flank
from a battery posted on the mountain in front
of where Smiths division was advancing. The
rebels were posted behind stone wall, and
about three hundred yards distant from our
boys, in an open field. General Newton
thought the distance was too great, SO he or
dered Torbert to charge forward with his sec
ond line composed of the Sd and 4th New Jer-
sey The order was given, and we bounded
forward with cheer. The other troops ceased
firing and we passed over them, and they i'm
mediately charged in our rear. The Johnnies
broke and took shelter behind another stone
wall near the base of the mountain, and here
again we had it pretty warm for while, when
General Torbert ordered his brigade, composed
of the LIST, I'd, Sd, and 4th New jersey, to
charge and drive them up the mountain. Colo
mel Hatch, with the 18th, led the charge, fol-
lowed Immediately by the rest of the brigade.
GAMING THE CREST.
! In charging, the 18th New Jersey, which was
on the left of the brigade, forced the rebel
right back almost on their the rebel center,
so that our line, as we drove them up the noun
/ tain, was in the form OF semi-crcle Slowly,
/ but determinedly, we pressed the enemy back,
! and as we neared the crest of the mountain the
4 fighting was desperate. The rebels opened with
/ grape and canister, killing and wounding
/ good many OF our boys, and among them our
/ adjutant a grape-shot passing clear through
| his body But it was no time 10 falter, and so,
/ with wild hurrah, we gained the crest, and
/ the Johnnies broke and fed down the western
1 slope into Pleasant Valley. AS we had no cav
AIRY we had to let them escape, as also large
I wagon train that was in sight. General Tor
/ bert was very conspicuous in the fight. David
/ Polk, company B, and Frank Sanders com
! pany I, each captured a stand of colOrs, and
we ran over another stand, which was picked
/ up by some regiment in our rear.
REWARD OF vALoR.
! For their conduct on this occasion the 4th
! New Jersey were presented with new State
flag containing a painting representing the
I regiment on a charge up the mountain and
/ containing the following inscription: Pre-
sented by New Jersey to her 18th regiment for
gallant conduct at Crappton's Pass, Md. Sun
/ day, September a. 1862" In our first charge
Samuel Hull company B, was killed. He was
1 a good soldier and Christian his prayer-book
was his constant companion, and he seemed to
! be murmuring prayer as he fell. Often, when
he would be detailed for fatigue on Sunday,
some of the boys would volunteer in his place,
knowing his reverence for the day. Just before
our final charge up the mountain our orderly
I sergeant-Jac0b Ostermann-said to the boys:
Give it to them, boys; they killed our good
old General Kearuey 8onr old brigade COM
mander). The words were hardly out of his
mouth before hs was wounded, but before the
sun went down he had the satisfaction Of
knowing that We had given it to them in the
very best style. Our brigade lost one commits
stoned officer killed and nine wounded, thirty
nine nom commissioned officers and priyates
killed and hundred and twenty-five
wounded-a total Of one hundred and seventy
four.
HEXAAfERs BATTERY.
On the 18th we marched to Antietam,
| and took position about 8 a. N. in front of the
bunker church, in an open field, where, as
General Howard says. there had been some
fighting, and We fixed bayonets at ole time to
charge the woods, but the order was counter
manded. Later in the day our brigade was
/ uiONtu d lew uunufeQ yards 1ufUner TO the IeIC,
On the left of the road leading to the church, to
support some batteries. While here the follow
ing incident occurred: We were supporting two
or three of our batteries when rebel battery
that was posted in the woods to the right (rebei)
of the church opened, and it was surprising TO
see how the shot and shell was sent over and
among us. The batteries that we were sup
porting had no show at ALL so they sent for
Hexamer's battery a, 1st New Jersey. Soon
he and his sturdy Germans appeared, and how
the boys did cheer him as he double-quicked
into positionl " I'll silence that battery or cut
down every tree in the woods" was his reply
to our boys. The other batteries ceased firing,
and HeXamer opened. For fifteen or twenty
minutes, as fast as he could fire, he sent his
shot and shell into and around that rebel bat
terry, and the limbs and trees crashed around
them at such rate that it sounded as if fifty
ax-men were at work. Soon the rebel battery
ceased to respond, and then what shout went
mp. Hexamer gave them ten or fifteen more as
reminders for their insolence, and then with
drew his battery amid the cheers of all who
witnessed the artillery duel.
A eomrade told the writer that after the
rebels fell back he saw the place which their
battery had occupied, and that several Of the
pieces were dismounted, and broken trees and
dead horses and dead artillerymen lay scattered
around, showing the deadly effect of Hexamer's
fire. After dark the writer with others was
sent on the skirmish line, and after cropping
orr way over and among dead and wounded
comrades we got into position, and l shall
never forget the piteous appeals OF the wounded
on that occasion. JOHN p. BEECH,
Sergeant Go. B, 4th n. j. V. V.