The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-21
THE SHARPSBURG FIGHT
Mr.. J. THOMPSON BROWN TELLS
SOME or MS EXPERIENCE.
lie Has just Returned From the Battlefield.
The Work That IL Being Done by the
United states Com I'm ission.

10 p ~
stanton. who, with General Heth, form
the commission appointed TO lay out the
lines and positions occupied by Inc Nail-
Gus troops that took part IN tnat me-
morable battle on September 10Th ana
called on Mr. Brown yesterday with
a view of securing, IT possible, SUM-
Information IN regard 70 nus ulp, an az,
was received by that gentleman IN H'H
usual cordial and aifabie manner. nav
inc been Informed Of the object OF my
can. Mr.. Brown laid before me the iol-
lowing interesting facts.
General Carman who at one time COM
mandcd the Thirteenth Infantry. New
Jersey is at present at SharpsDurg 10
collect the necessary material for tue
marking Il the battlefield, and the desi2-
Mating Of the positions Of the troops OF
both armies on the two days by iron
tablets / was sent for by the commits
sion 10 give the location Of the artillery
battalion during that battle. and the COM
miss!Oners seemed to be especially anX-
ious 10 learn the positions OF Parker's
Battery I'm front Of the Dunkard church.
il was the second time that / have been
TO Sharpsburg since the war and ] To-
Gated the six positions Of our battery,
taken during the engagement without
difficulty.
81 found General Carman one Of the
most afable and civil gentlemen that /
have met on any occasion. and shall long
remember his kindness and consideration
shown me on this octasion. lie IS an onl-
Ger and gentleman in the right place.
The cESrHE DID SoT ADVANCE.
In speaking of my trip reminds me
OF little incident which General Car
man told me, and which occurred near
the SPOT where. on that day our bat
tory lost tWeuty-Ono men and twelve
horses within 40 minutes. Gen. James a.
Walker ordered his brigade % advance
ana The right and left of his command.
which were lying down. did so promptly.
The centre, however did not move and
General Walker. beng DESTROYS OF learn
ing the cause Of the delay, spuwcd his
horse and in reaching the spot discovered
that the men were all dead so dense
had been the firing of the enemy
Another interesting little incident took
place on the evening of September nth.
when General stephen ID. Lee after the
har0 fight called for a volunteer section
to take the nciChbOrng hiU II was
my command 90 whose lot this under
taking fell and as senior Lieutenant. /
was In charge Of the same. After We
started out We passed the major of the
two batteries. who mad been unable to
lie asked me where ! was going, and
having been Informed Of the object Of
our expedition. he ordered me back, say
.ug hat he had not been able 10 hold
that position and that it would bee folly
| for my section TO attempt TO do so
merely asked him whether he was SUE
peri0r 20 General Lee. who had given
| the order and after receiving his re-
ply ia the negative, we continued our
march and held the h.ll
"ln speaking of this incident. ! aroused
General tarUan's curiosity, and he was
DESTROYS OF having that hin pointed out.
! / dld soon find what ] thought was that
memorable hin. but General Carman dif-
| fercf with me, saying that the hill point
| ed out by me was situated behind the
Federal limos. Vainly tried 10 correct
my views II was true; ] did not my
self remembD~ that We had Oh that d7v
! crossed the Federal lines and I'm e1dcav-
] Or.ng to locate The position % the hNl
| / referred 10 stone wall near by where
| two regiments of the two armies had
| been engaged in very stubborn flght
each regiment having taken that wall
| three different times
IRE FEDERAL TROOPS RFTREATFD.
General Carman well remembered that
little episode. and after rejecting for "a
moment he asked me what time in The
day Z took the him 100 question I told
aim between $3.50 -. Al and f.3o =. W..
lie then became convinced at once that
/ I had been correct in the location Of the
| hill and that by that time the Federal
! troops had retreated from their original
| lncs.
General Carmen is making a yer.
! thorough map of the battlefield ana u
WI ''' 49,. ,o,roc, tbsn maj ~ the
| hetfis of Gettvsbure. he has preserved
| what was known ~ that time as The
| Bloody Lane" and has condemned the
| property alongside of it ana Is rum
| ming over this property very fine
| Macadamzed road alongside of the lane.
| "Tho Identical fence which existed
| J.. t,'.-roU chesfniit fence and the
| rails are about eighteen inches apart
| from each other ON inns 'IiP
| counted ln one OF me pdilh'lH Oh W.
| fence tAlrtN-ci-hl hAilel hoi'S diln ~.
| is no tcll-nS now many nlil.l vi, ~
well for the density Oh ,ne pui III ''
and now piooly una. ,'s" LA i''J i,,.S,if fan
"GencIa CdIlian' Wmo W. W., ,iri,- t,t,oe
! the pa ne OF '.ai ~" -,...,i,- ~ iii.
si,a' my ~, '''....i-.,,, ,..b., ne ra.
h'l"' ana ]. wiz n .,..','. ,,.,,, him owe,
complele' nls WI e.,l ,,,,. $50 laid
| nearly the Whoic balii'-H'i'' "'' W. i
! special attention to tine section near III,
Dunkard church BE also spoke 10 me ol
! tho ,-orl, dome hv the two pieces Of artil-
| i-,.,. nth ,,o,o nlac.d i'm front the church
| i'iN ""''n "'ic i'.'' , p. ~ te.t No,
Wm e"t ,,l,cn nom Parl,er's battery, am,
| ~ ',,,.. orr,. poo,.el, n.optic net
are .lU' '',' So, ~ Ice ~, fis re,ort
| 10y "'",' an az, - tbo ,.o,,n,
~ '"D i,7"' q. ptot.s.l.,,, los, Id.
| nl'Dhti "4 Nl' - .',,,-,. ,.oa,s a.,
NE. ne va pi,'s 7o grti,.e service b,l
t1 .,,,.t,,,5 ,ith ue during tho fight
.,,.a ,,.hiI. ,o,5i,o a. his Duties the flta
TAI struck him. terribly hanging hi,
body. This fight was very bloody anC
we suffered great losses. ] -emenibe
that we hal not a single rammer left
had forty dollars Confederate none money li
my cloihes az ,ne ,liiiy' a"u o'.'l." ''''
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