The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-07-01
ANTIETAM.
Comrade Round Thinks COL Higgins Claims Too
Much for the f25th PA.

scrIptIOn the regiment to which belonged the
34th n. " must have fought over nearly the
same ground. Now / do not wish to detraet
one iOta from the laurels won by the 125th Pa.
or its brave commander in this their maiden
battle, but when read Col. Higgins's report OF
his interview with Gen. Crawford on the night
after the battle, which says " He took me by
the hand and said, Colonel, am glad to see
you; l know what your regimegt did to-day
you were farther into the enemy's lines than
any other regiment in the Army of the POto-
mac / asked him why we were sent in the
woods without any support. he replied that ne
had understood that our troops were in the
woods, and he had sent our regiment to support
them. He had learned since that the 125th Pa.
was there alone doing all that fghting"-I say
that when / read that part of Col. Higgins's in
terview i was more than interested, and / felt
that the time had come for me to unlimber my
pen for action and to enter my protest against
the assertion of Gen. Crawford in defense of
my comrades who fell in that oak grove near
the bunker Church. So let il be known. now,
henceforth and forever, that the 125th Pa. was
not doing all the fighting alone down in those
woods west of the little church, nor were they
farther into the enemy's lines in that direction
than any other regiment in the Army of the
Potomac, Gen. Crawford to the contrary not
withstanding.
AS Cob Higgins has referred to Gen. German
several times in his article let me premise
what / shall say by stating that the regiment
to which l belonged had the honor of being in
his brigade, which was composed of the LIST
Mimi, 18th Mass. 34th and SD ~ Y, First
Brigade, First Division, Second Corps-a bril-
gade that was not excelled for fighting quail
ties by any in the Army of the Potomae-a
brigade some of the regiments of which had
withstood the havoc of the enemy's batteries in
every battle in which the Army of the Potomac
had been engaged, from the first Bull Run
down to that time, save possibly with one ex-
ception; and were Gen. German alive to-day
he would tell you that part of his old brigade
fought in those woods beyond the little church.
and that when they came to bury the dead it
was some of the veterans of his old brigade who
were found killed the farthest to the front.
But alas! the General has received his final
muster-out, and it is left to those who survive
him to vindicate the honor of those of his COM
mand who fell in those woods, where Gen.
Crawford said that the 125th Pa did all that
fighting alone.
And now TO the part taken in that engage
ment by the 34th N. Y, which was commanded
by Col. James A. Suffer, who now lives at Her
kimer, Herkimer Co., N. Y, and to whom
will refer those who wish to verify my state
ment. Early on the morning of Sept. IL we
moved out Of our camp, where we had biv-
ouacked the day and night before, and marched
in northwesterly direction until we came to
Antietam Creek, which we forded. After ford
ing the stream, and while we were marching in
four ranks along ridge going nearly west, a
rebel battery on our left flank nearly mile off
opened on US with shot and she'll. The COM
mand was Immediately given, by the left
hank-March." This brought Us in line of
battle facing the battery, and for which we
started in quick time. As We advanced, the
shot and shell came thicker and faster, occa-
sionally interspersed with pieces of railroad
iron. But neither shot nor shell, nor even
railroad iron, could stop US from going for that
battery, and when we had got within about so
rods of them they, thinking, perhaps, that dis
erection was the better part of valor, limbered
TO the rear on a double quick. After the bat
terry had been routed the regiment made half
wheel TO the right, and in executing this move
ment il brought our line of battle down to the
Hagerstown and Sharpsburg pike, at the Dun
ker Church. We crossed the pike, eight COM
panies of the regiment going to the right of the
church and two to the left of il, and went into
the oak grove spoken of by Col Higgins in his
article, and which is alluded to by some as the
west woods. There was no line Of battle that
connected with US on our left. We marched
into those woods some 20 or 80 rods and came
to a halt on a rise of ground. As the command
to halt was given we received q murderous
volley from the enemy, who lay concealed be-
hind ledge of rocks or stone quarry not more
that whitening fire was awful to behold, aud
our line seemed to go down like grass before
the mowers scythe. But those old veterans
stood like living wall amidst that terrible
carnage, and delivered their fire at the con-
cealed foe until they were fanked by a rebel
brigade coming around their left and rear; and
it was not until they had received the fire Of
this fanking column, which told them that
they were almost in the tolls of the enemy and
that their line of retreat was nearly cut of,
that they abandoned the line where they first
halted and received that mnrderous fire. When
they received that fire of the thanking column
they stood not upon the order of going, but
went at once, at go-as- you-please gait. can
not say what the loss in the regiment was, but
the loss in my own company was nine killed
and eight wounded out of 30 who went into
battle down in those woods near the little
church where Gen. Crawford said that the
125th was doing all Of that fighting alone. In
honor to the memory Of my brave comrades of
the 34th n. Y. who fell in those woods that
day as far TO the front as any who wore the
blue, l raise my protesting voice against the
assertion of Gen. Crawford. No, Col. Higgins;
as / said at the beginning Of this article, /
would not detract one iota from the laurels won
by the gallant l25th Pa. and its brave COM
mander in that battle, but don't claim all the
honors for your command for what was done
down in those west woods near the little church
on that day, but please pass the hOnors
around, for there is enough and TO spare to
give to every regiment, company and comrade
who fought in those woods.
i came across book some time ago entitled
Battles for the Union" written by Capt. Will
lard Glazier, of the Harris Light Cavalry, and
from which / wish TO give short extract. In
writing up the battle of Antietam, among other
things he has written l find the following, to
which / call your attention:
Richardson and French had the left, while
Sedgwick moved in columns of division in the
rear, deployed and advanced in line over the
cornfeld. Between his force and the nearest
division the space was so broad and the danger
Of being hanked so imminent that he executed
a movement TO prevent it by ordering the 34th
n. Y. to move by the left flank, thus extending
his front to its utmost limits. The movement
was performed under fire so scathing that
the regiment gave way, half their officers were
killed or wounded, their colors were shot to
pieces the Color Sergeant killed and every one
of their color guard wounded. Only 81 out of
all the brave men Of that regiment who entered
that baptism of fire for the sake of country
could ever afterwards be got together. Into
the fierce fame of this conflict went the 18th
Mass. with II officers and 600 men. 1t came
out with six officers and 134 men,"
Such is the record given by Capt. Glazier in
his book of two of the regiments of Gen. Cor
mans old brigade. Now do not say that all
of the statements of Capt. Glazier are correct,
but this do say, that the terrible loss that our
regiment sustained on that day we received in
the woods west of the little church, and will
also state what believe to be the facts in the
case, that after the 3lth N. Y. had been COM
aA m ratir from fInca IL