The National tribune., 1896-05-07
TRACING THE LINES.
Field of Antietam After Thirty Years of
Peace.

=
the several commands at different hours of
the day on the 18th of September, 1862.
Many roads have been built in different
directions through the field, inclosed by
substantial fences separating them from the
| old farms, which are largely as they were
SO years ago.
But there stand the same old stone fences
that we either fought behind or carried on
that bloody day when more than 12OO0
men on the Union side went down. There
are TO be seen even the same worm-fences
that stood there, or at least the same sort
of fences mark the farm lines on the great
field. The same houses stand, with an
occasional addition to their number, and the
same ancient and moss-covered appearance
characterizes the village of Sharpsburg,
where the Confederate center had its base.
The old Quaker Church, on the right Of the
rebel line, is unchanged, save that the
ravages Of war; the shot-torn walls, and
the riddled roof have been repaired. The
quaint building has been used for church
purposes for a hundred years, except during
an interval of couple of years after the
battle.
We went along the whole length of the
ground occupied by the contending battle
lines, from left to right, over a distance of
tliit0 anu d nan iulieS, III ID WI
storm, that cut to the bone, and contrasted
sharply enough with that hot September
day of 1862 on which the mighty conflict
was waged from daylight till dark, under
cover OF which Lees preparations for retreat
across the Potomac were made, and success
fully made, right in the front of McClellan's
victorious army.
The field of Antietam is known as the
most magnificent spot in America for a
great battle; there is nothing like it among
all the battlefields Of the war. The rolling
hills, the open country, giving clean sweep
for the eye; the peaceful scene, the quaint
farmhouses and the "curios" of farmers
the ancient and Rip-Van- Winkle-like vii
lage, where whisky and war relics and local
craftsmanship are the chief indusiries-all
these l gathered into my mental treasury
during that windy drive of two hours, and
The memory of them shall remain there,
along with the imperishable recollections of
the famous battle a third of century agone,
so long as life shall endure.
L was extremely fortunate in having as
escort Robert w. Kerr 4th Ohio veteran,
and Col. Ezra A. Carman, of the War Depart
ment, an intelligent and studious officer, who
himself served in the battle, and who is en-
gagged in the important and interesting work
of tracing, marking, and mapping some of
the battleiields of the war, Antietam among
them.
The work here has been we'll and care
fully done. The large tablets which mark
the positions of the troops are hundreds in
number, and the historical descriptive mat
ter which has been placed upon them is full
and clear enough 10 give very excellent
idea, even TO a civilian, of the different COM
mands and their various operations at diff
ferent hours of that pregnant day on which
the fate Of the rebel attempt to invade the
North was decided adversely to the Army of
Northern Virginia.
We started on the left, where stands the
famous Burnside Bridge, looking just rs it
did during the battle. 1t was here that the
first fighting of our command was done in
the attempt to dislodge the brigade of
Toomb7, occupying the bluffs overlooking
the bridge. After a stubborn resistance and
two separate repulses of the assaulting COL
umns, the position was carried, and our
forces, with the exception of my regiment,
then the 18th Ohio, crossed the Antietam
and assembled to the rolling ground and open
fields, where the fierce struggle of the after
noon occurred.
traced our liue Of march readily. The
18th, acting rs 4 thanking force, was ordered
TO march down the east bank Of the creek,
and ford il near the Antietam Iron Works,
mile below, then TO follow the opposite
bank back to point near the bridge, where
the regiment took its position in the brigade,
and went still further to the front with the
general line On the occasion of my recent
visit L traversed the selfsame ground over
which my regiment marched in the battle,
following the line 10 its most advanced posi-
ton at the edge of 40-acre cornfield, where
the principal lighting of the day, on the left,
was done.
The brigade (Ewing's) consisted of the
18th, ODD and Both Ohio, the 10Th occupying
the extreme left of the army, with its flank
literally in the air." Our left had not
even wood, bill, rayine or fence TO
rest upon, and this fact with the attendant
danger of our flank being the more readily
turned by the threatened rebel assault from
that quarter. made it necessary to change
front under fire and face the 18th in direc-
,ion which brought its front at right angle,
to the brigade line at one period in the
fight.
1t was here that The famous assault of a.
j. Hills command was sustained by our
people. HUI, after capturing Miles at Har-
pers Ferry, had marched all night of the
'ohH w iSpNb 'bC hciu VI anu HIS
troops swung in upon McClellan's left Burn
side commanded the left wing of the army.
and Gen. J. ID. Cox the Ninth Corps about
the middle of that memorable afternoon, and
without even asking the floor, or being
recognized by the Speaker, commenced
shooting, and shooting like the very devil.
The battle here was fought in the 40-acre
cornfeld to which / have already referred,
and it was cOrn-cutting with n vengeance
Behind the exposed infantry positions of the
two armies the contendng artillery occupied
cogns of vantage on nights overlooking the
field, and poured in tons of hurting iron TO
add to the harvest of death which was being
reaped by The regiments OF foot graphing
with each other at short range in the corn
field. At this juncture in the conflict still
further reinlorcements for the Confederate
right came surging into the line of battle.
After the bloody repuse sustained by Lee
at the hands of Hooker on the right, the
Confederate commander had Withdrawn his
left to the cover of the woods and fences
about the Quaker Church and The village of
Sharpsburg and the conflict subsidized. 10 n
great degree, on that part of the field Then
il was that Lee threw a heavy body of
troops from his left TO his right, and these
columns confronted Burnsides thin lines at
about the same hour that A. p. Hill came
up from Harpers Ferry. The result was
that our extreme left was overborne by the |