The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-07-09
"REMINISCENCES
OF TIE
MACBETH LIGHT ARTILLERY
BY ONE OF THEM.
No, 4.


dents of the battle of Sharpsburg, may not h
wholly an unintcresting prelude to this numbc
of our rccolections
AS the Macbeth was hurrying into the fight O,
the morning of that eventful day when it SCENE,
rs II heaven and earth had come together m,
attention was arrested by the dcmcanor of ,
youthful soldier who was being borne to the rea,
badly wounded. lie was weeping and one mirh
have imagined that the frighful wound had turned
his thoughts homeward and to loved ones there
and thus unnamed the soldier bov No doub
he was in great physical agony. lis thoughts
however, were not of self or home but of the
battle field our struggling men, and victory
The indomitable spirit of this youthful patriot
gave way to tears, because he was no longer
aolc to fight for his country. But his courage
rose superior to his physical suffering and it
was inspiring to hear him cheering the troops
that wero then hurrying by, saying Ego it, boys,
our men need you over there" Is it marvel,
GUS that Lees banner ioated victorious over so
many hard fought battle fields, when the Jovs
III his command were made of such polished
steel?
Artillery men do little picketing, carry no
baggage, and ride across streams These are
privileges that the infantry do not enjoy. We
usually hauled our baggage OIL our caissons and
ON the Timber chest, our guns On the
morning of the fight, when one of our caissous
was blown up, q bundle of blankets was sent
heavcnwards. Ike ISon who fell when the
explosion took place, rose just as the blankets,
under the force Of gravitation, were returning.
In the confusion of the disaster ne cried ont,
:'boys they arc shooting blankets at us = Many
OF us thought that it was something more solii
than blankets that was doing the damage.
We had one gun disabled before we reached
our first position and lost another between the
first anu second positions. Hence it is that the
Macbeth is referred to in the fficial rcports as
battery of four guns. 4 section of the Wash
ington Light Artillery received distinguished
mention in connection with the saving of our
center 1t fought well and mcrited all the
official notice il received but the Macbeth WAS
In front of it and nearer the enemy, and was
there after the section referred to had left the
fold.
Lieut.. Porter told the writer that VonSchor-
tel, acting rs gunner ut our seccad nostic--
out of three shots, divided two color bearers in
halves. 1t was while gallantly fighting at this
very hot place that young John Lyes, express
ing tho feeling of many another soldier, de-
cla-cd that he wished it was night.
In their official reports, tho Federal officers
say that Col. Barlow was wounded and Gen.
Richardson killed by canister. The Macbeth
was the only battery that fired gun ut this
position, AMI r;ost of our firing there was with
double shottcl canister. Suffering with nausea
and pnroxysm of pain from the blow up, | took
advantage of Il calm in the storm of battle and
retired from The field. As l passed along the
streets in the western suburbs Of Sharpsburg
saw the most horrible scene that witnessed
during the war: \ Confed crate soldier was
lying on the street with the top Of his head
shot off. 1t had evidently been done by Bcnja
minis guns on the Eastern side of the Antietam,
quito mile away. Ills b ood and brains were
scattered on the ground and hog was revellng
in them rs though the battle WAS for the speciol
benefit of hungry brutcs. On the crest of q
high hill just beyond this scene saw Gen.
Lee, almost alone, with his glasses to his eyes,
intently watching his ccn:cr that hal already
been broken without tho slightest apparent in
dication of alarm. The Macbeth had advanced
aud planted her guns in the gap and was main
t.ning the position with distinguished gal
lantry wholly unconscious that the eyes Of our
great chief was watching her action, or that so
much depended upon The hero efforts. I
doubt very much if there was another command
that fought from early morn to dewey eve
without relief. Reserves generally do the re-
lcving but it so happened that when it came
the Macbeth 5 time TO be relieved there was no
reserve. For every soldier in Lees army had
already smct the smoke of battle that day.
In some respects the battle of Sharpsburg
was the greatest of the war. For q brief
period of time have heard more rapid aud
terrific cannonalin%, hut when it is remcm-
bcrcd that the battle ragged from before sunrise
till after sunset, doubt if The incessant roar
of artillery at Sharpsburg was equalca on any
other battle field during the war. Every
minute after the two armies had warmed
up under the inspiration of the battle
balls were ploughing the ground OF
whizAing and shricking through the air, while
shells were exploding and scattering thci,
fragments here, there, and everywhere. Night
put an end to the terrible night and Lee ant
his men retired that night fully expecting j
would be renewed the next day with increased
fury. But morning came, and the day wor'
away without the firing of II hostile gun.
BY some, Sharpsburg is put down as draw
battle: while others claim it as Federal vic
tory. Excuse me for halting to examine tn
foundation on which these claims rest
Mcclellan assaulted Lees position on tn
17th Sept, 1862, and was hurled back wit