The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1898-10-15

was on the morning after the great tragedy
36 years ago. I see the stark dead as they
lay all up and down, see the mangled on
every side, hear the pleadings for water,
and above all, hear the name Of Christ
Jesus, mingled with that Of mother, two Of
the sweetest names that were ever sounded
by mortal man. heard a commotion in
the rear and when looked back saw an
other battle line coming through the corn
fed to our relief. The mammoth corn Is
nearly level with the ground by this time,
not all by shot and shell, but the tramp OF
troops, and the sweeping through OF
artillery and cavalry had helped do the
work. And surely these were green troops,
for they began firing while we we still be-
tween, and there was great danger OF us
being massacred by our own men after
having gone through nearly the whole
battle.
The officers of the advancing troops were
trying their utmost to restrain their ex-
cited men from firing their arms until they
had passed our line, but they would not
desist. The killed, wounded and missing
from our ranks had made US very few and
far between, otherwise the result Of this
calamity would have been terrible. We
were finally relieved, and in our haste to
get from between we lodged through the
relief column just wherever we could and
passed off of the bloody field in a go-as-
you.please style. In passing through the
cornfield to the rear, where we could more
distinctly hear the zip, zip of the bullets
which were swapping the trees nearby, an
awful terror came over me and felt more
like double quick than had at any time
during the day. Just here | saw one Of
the most awe-inspiring sights that I had
seen throughout the day. 1t was the gal
Looping into position of magnificent bat
terry of heavy artillery. 1t was on bluff
between the hay stacks in the moved field
and the wood, just to the right Of where
we entered the fight. l think that there
were II pieces to this battery, and each
piece had attached to it six beautiful large
horses, each nigh horse being ridden by
trooper. The commander Of troopers,
either Of cavalry or artillery, give their
commands to their buglers at their elbows,
all of whom were experts with the silvery
horn, and while that particular musician
was winding his silver instrument
methinks the sweet strains were touching
and kissing every sun-lit ripple all up and
down the historic Antietam. We pass on
back short distance and come to one
OF the field hospitals, and oh, wonderful,
wonderful sight; oh, heart thrilling spec
tacle! Beautiful ladies of the christian
commission were there with their sleeves
and their shapely white arms now all
crimsoned once with human gore, were
binding up great gaping wounds and
stanohing the crimson flow, which would
have soon weakened to such an extent that
the precious spirits of the braves would
have fled with it. Yes, the peerless angels
were there and the holy spirit of Christ
was in their noble hearts, and as the
wounded heroes were being carried back to
the rear from the CORY field, their hands
were the first to examine their wounds and
bind them up with more skill than even
the surgeons themselves. The youngest
readers of war history recollect how often
the lovable ladies of Christ's church, of all
denominations, were initiated into the
mysteries of surgery, and how trustingly
the poor, suffering hero submitted the |
painful wound to her care.
We marched to place OF safety inst
back of a woods in a ravine where those
who were present lay their weary bodies
down to rest. Some of us could account
for nearly all those who had been killed or
wounded, but there were several who, |
through fright, had fled from the field at
the beginning of the battle and who were
then skulking in the background.
Both before and after battle, sad and |
solemn thoughts come to the soldier Be-
fore the conflict they are Of apprehension !;
after the stlife there is a sense Of relief
the comrade who stood by your side in the |
morning never will stand there again, bring
inexpressible sadness. The soldiers, with
thoughts far away, were apprehensive that
the conflict of the day was but prelude to
another struggle more fierce and bloody in
the morning But, what means this perfect
hush throughout the battle field. Several OF
us 90 up to where we can see the bloody
fields, and as no more powder was being
burned and as the heavy cloud OF vapor
which had been already there was lifted up
we could see that the hush was caused by
flag OF truce from the enemy.
We afterwards learned that Lee was
beaten to stand still, at this point, and
the only salvation for his army was to
pretend to bury his dead, but really to slip
away under cover Of the shades of night
while the truce was a subterfuge. And
how well the Willy Lee deceived the trust
ing Geo. B. Mcclellan, history has long
since told You Lee did get away and in
route captures Gen. Miles and his whole
~ Al,