The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-13
PER ON gin THE RANKS AT
ANTIETAM"
BEFORE THE. LOYAL LEGION
FIRST ME EEr1se OF THE MINNIE
sofa C0MMANDERY AFTER
THE SUMMER RECESS.
L, "REMINISCENCES
BY a Then Sergeant, Who Received
Minief Ball in HIS Breast
in the Engagement.

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Minnesota commandery, Loyal Le-
gion, held it's first meeting after the
summer vacation at the Ryan hotel
last evening. There was large at
tendance. and the members of the or
der seemed pleased to get together
again after an interval of four months.
Inc usual business meeting was held
preliminary to the dinner, at which
resolutions Of regret at the departure
OF Col. M. v. Sheridan from this de-
partment were passed. The command
cry also went on record as regretting
the removal of Gen. John r. Brooke
from st. Paul. Gen. Adams was au-
thorized to notify Gen. Brooke by let
ter Of this action Of the commandery.
Following the usual dinner Capt. W.
H. Harries, collector Of internal reve-
nue., read the paper Of the evening,
which was entitled "In the Ranks at
Antietam." Maj Wilkinson made
few remarks later, relating an incident
in connection with that battle. He
was wounded, and three years ago he
met the man who wrapped him in a
Blanket and carried him to the rear
"AAShA AiC liol pGSn wi. dSG,
who was a lieutenant in the regular
army and an eye witness of the battle
though not an actual combatant, spoke
briefly of his recollections of the fight
Gen. Wade sent a letter of regret at his
inability to be present. On motion of
Capt. Simonton vote of thanks was
rendered Capt. Harries, whose paper
in part was as follows
Nv
geant Of Company B, Second Wisconsin
Volunteer infantry really dates from period
three days before the battle of Antietam, but
this was owing to the fact that the vacancies
created by the casualties in the company at
the battle of South Mountain, Sept. IA, 1862,
were not filled until some days thereafter
So that instead of being on the right of the
company as first sergeant, 1 was in the ranks
as corporal, blissfully ignorant of the pro-
motion that was to follow.
What boy serving in the ranks in a
great battle may see of the conflict, Is neces-
sarily limited in It's scope, and my excuse
for the personal matters contained in this
paper is the fact that the members of this
commandery prefer that one should give his
own individual recollections Of the events
that transpired at the time.
The brigade in which 1 served at the bat
John Gibbon, Gen. Abner Doubleday COM
manded the division and Gen. JOS Hooker
the corps The casualties in the brigade dur
ing the twenty days preceding the battle of
So that the regiments were small at this
time, but they showed no signs of demor
| alization or lack of courage. Gen. Hooker
crossed Antietam creek on the afternoon of
the 10th by the bridge in front of Keedys-
vile and the ford below it. The Iron brigade
crossed at the ford. After crossing we turn
ed sharply to the left. feeling our way until
the skirmishers became actively engaged,
when we halted after dark and bivouacked
on the ridge, Doubleday's division resting
| with its right upon the turnpike. While get
int Un hpa rom
| mands given by the officers of the enemy's
troops. The combatants slept on their arms
that night, well knowing that the morning
| little. The night, was misty and chilly; there
| seemed to be. a cold sensation creeping up
| and down my spinal column. could not
| chunk of ice had been drawn up and down
| my back. 1 felt certain that there would
| be desperate fighting in the morning and
| that many Of my comrades would fail to
| answer at roll call when the morning sun
| had again sunk behind the western hills. l
realized that l might be among the killed.
When awake / would send up to the Great
! Throne above with my face turned to the
| sky inaudible petition that the Good Lord
| would in the coming contest be on our side
and to stretch forth his protecting hand over
me. I was as earnest the darkey in
| Charleston. S. c., when the earthquake there
| some years ago gave them such terrible
| shaking up. When he said ''Oh, Lord, come
| down and help us in this great time of trial.
| don't send your son. but come yourself; this
| am no place for boys" When we woke up
in the morning of the 18th, Doub:eday's divi-
| sion faced south from the Poffenberger farm
| and beheld beautiful landscape with gently
| rolling fields and woods, of which the prom
| inent point appeared to be the little Dunkard
| church with its brick walls covered with
| coating of whitewash, situated on the West
| side of the Hagerstown turnpike, and backed
| by the foliage Of the West woods.
| The field that was soon to be deluged
| in the blood of blue and gray was on the
| East side of the turnpike and between Doub
| leday's troops and the Dunkard church.
1t was not daylight when a staff officer
| came to our brigade and said we must move
| out of the place we were in, as we were
| right in range of a rebel battery
| The brigade moved out just as day was
dawning in close column by divisions. The
| Sixth Wisconsin leading, followed by the
| Second Wisconsin. Seventh Wisconsin and
| Nineteenth Indiana. l was in the first div
| ision of the Second Wisconsin. We were
| hungry, ragged and dirty. Before starting
| we pulled up our belts notch or two. AS
i no breakfast at all. this was an easy thing
| to do. The brigade marched towards the
| D. R, Miller house and after proceeding
| about ten rods, and before we We're deploy-
! ed, battery of the enemy opened fire on
u.s. This battery went into position on an
| elevation in front and to the right of u.s.
| When | saw the battery moving into place
| thought it belonged to our own forces. The
| first and second shell it threw exploded above
us, but the third. ,t which l think I, was va ~,
| rear rank of the last division of the Sixth
| Wisconsin killing two men and wounding
| eleven one of whom had both arms taken
off. AS passed to one side to avoid step
| ping on the killed, the voice of Col Bragg
| of the Sixth Wisconsin rang out Steady on
the right Sixth" We then deployed in
| line of battle, marching steadily forward,
and when we reached the cornield We halt.
ed and began firing at the enemy. We had
not been firing very long when a minnie
bullet struck me in the left breast. 1 at
once dropped my gun and started for the
rear going back as far as the Poffenberger
| farm where | laid down the side of
the house on this farm which was opposite
to that from which the enemy's shot
coming In a short time the ground about
me was covered with wounded. Here the sur
geon of our regiment slapped a handful of
lint on the wound, cut the shirt and wrapped
me with roll of bandages. While l was
living at this stone house a desperate at
| tempt was made by the enemy to capture
Battery B. of the Fourth y. s. artillery, at
tached to our brigade. This was Gibbons
Cant. J g. Campbell, who was severely
wounded when Lieut.. James Stewart assumed
command of the battery. The latter handled
his guns so we'll that when the battle was
over Cen Gibbon said to him that as long
as he had command of the brigade Stewart
should have command of the battery. Stewart
was then and remained thereafter for long
time second lieutenant, and it was difficult
sometimes to find a Junior lieutenant to as
sign to the battery with him, but it was done
and Stewart remained in command of the
battery The loss of the battery at Antietam
was one captain wounded and three sergeants,
four corporals and 81 privates killed and
wounded Twenty horses of the battery
Ono of