The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-10-02

shell and muSketry. We drove them back
over rocks. stumps of trees and open
ground until we were brought 10 a stand
still by flank fire which raked the entire
length OF the regiment. No troops could
tand long before such fire, and being
without support on our flanks. our Colonel
gave the order To fall back. just as we
Were recroSsing the pike, Sedgwick's troops
of Summers corps came up and relieved us.
ii ad those troops come on the grounds
twenty minutes sooner we could apd
would have held the position we had just
gained. As il was. we had penetrated fun
ther into the Confederate lines ON this part
of the field than any other onion troops
did that day. Other troops tried the task
afterwards but never succeeded i'm getting
acr oss the pike. Our loss here was fright
ful-5s killed and Ia wounded. or 232 ont
Of a possible 200. But showingwhat kind of
pluck there was in those young fellows.
they wheeled into line with Sedgwick' 5
troops and were ready in ten minutes TO
renew the deadly work again. The fight
ragged here with varied success for about
two hours. and the the loss on both sides
was awful.
Bloody lane presented CHASTITY sight, as
bridge, but no where on Antietam field did
the dead and diving lay 80 thick as around
the little bunker church. On this part of
the field fell the Union Generals Mansfield
Hooker, Richardson. Crawford and Hart
suff, aS did also the Confederate Generals
Stark. Rains, Douglass, Berksdale and
Lawton. Night closed the fearful slaughter
and ended the blOodieSt one days battle OF
the war.
On Thursday evening we visited the
National cemetery where 1850 Union SOL
! diers lie buried This is lovely spot on
the top of a knoll, overlooking almost the
| whole of the battle field. The Government
/ has expended s3OO.OOO in beautifying this
cemetery. and believe there is not on this
| earth more beautiful one. 1t is pitiable
to note that the ages marked upon fully
one-third of all the headstones in the Gem
etery are under 21 years. The oldest one
saw was but 32 years. Well you showed
4 the world what boys could do for home
and country! May you all rest in peace /:
the fervent prayer of loving comrade
You died in a noble cause, AT o'clock +
| NJ, we held our camp fire in the hall of IN,
| Antietam Post q. 4. r.. which was gener
! ously turned ever 10 us by that organiZa
! ton 1t was a business meeting. Our vet
eran Col Higgins was the presiding officer
and showed that he was well versed in par
| liamentary rules as well as in military tao
ties. Speeches were made by Messrs. Nc
Camant. Wallace, Simpson, Dawson. Hick
and Others. While Hicks speech did no
come up 10 the one he delivered here thre,
years ago, il was business one, straight
! forward ana easily understood.
Quite a delegation of ladies were presen
at the reunisn, accompanied by their hus
bands. fathers and brothers. and appeare,
to be as deeply interested in viewing tn
scenes upon the battle field and places a
wers the veterans themselves Among tn
ladies present / noticed the estima blc wifi
of Col. Higgins, Mrs. Hicks. Mrs. Irving
Mrs. Strong and others whose Names an
sorry do not remember. Itmay be inter
esting to the lady readers of this sketch {.
know that Mrs. J. ID. Hicks, Of Altoona
was pronounced the finest looking lad,
| present. Aftervisiting Keedysboro. Boons
boro and SmoketoW u. in Maryland: Bol
ivartown and Heights, in Virginia. an,
the noted places around. as Point Of Rocks
John Browns fort. the old stone Cath0li
| church up on the heights. said 70 be eight
years old, the remains Of the old arsena
AT the ferry, etc, we took the train nortl
at Harper. Ferry al $50 p. NJ. Septembe
18th, and started for home down the Cum
berland Valley, arriving at Harrisburg d
, O'Clock, \. NJ, the next day / will nov
I close this rambling letter by saying one
more TO my comrades one and all an,
friends always, "Bannath Lath.''
EMoN.