Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1899-06-22
TWO REFRESHING MAPS.
IuIlcd TO sweet sleep by the ROnr Of
Battle M Antietnm and
Gettysburg.

In recent address at Boston Hon.
Charles Francis Adams INDUCED in
these interesting "reminiscences: As |
have already mentioned, it was my for
tune at one period to participate in a
considerable number of battles-among
them none more famous nor more
fercely contested than Antietam and
Gettysburg. The mere utterance of
those names stirs the imHgination--vi-
sions arise at once of attack, repulse,
hairbreadth escapes, carnage and
breathless suspense. There was, in
deed, on those occasions enough and to
spare of all these; but not, as il CHANGED,
in my particular case Some here will
doubtless remember that English fox
hunting squire who has gained for him
self sort of Immortality by following
his hounds over Naseby's fields, think
1t was, while the epoch-maIling battle
was going on. More yet will recall that
plowman twice referred to so dramat-
ically by lola intent upon his uninter-
rupted days work near Sedan when
dynasty was reeing to its fall. SO my
abiding recollection as participant in
both Antietam and Gettysburg is not
otthe fierce agonyof battle at its height,
but the enjoyment of two exceedingly
refreshing maps AS a statement, this,
| am aware, is calculated to startle
rather than to excite admiration, but
to the historian truth is sacred; and
the truth is-as / have said. Neither
does the statement imply any excep-
tional nerve or indifference to danger
on my part; | make no claim to any,
thing of the sort 1t happened in this
wise; in the campaigns of both An
tietam and Gettysburg | was an officer
of regiment of cavalry; mere subor-
dinate, responsible only for obedience
to orders.
At Antietam in the height of the ell
gagement, the division to which my
regiment belonged was hurried across
the narrow stone bridge at the point
where the little river intersects the
Sharpsburg road and deployed on its
further side. We were then directly
in front of Fitz-John Porter's corps and
between it and the confederate line coy-
ering Sharpsburg. A furious artillery
duel was going on, to and fro, above our
heads, between the batteries of Por-
ter's command and those of the enemy.
we being down in the valley of the
river; they on the higher ground. The
confederate batteries we could not see,
nor could they see us. When we first
deployed on the further side of An
tietam creek it seemed as if we were
doomed, so deafening was the discharge
of artillery on either side and so in
cessant the hurting of projectiles as
they passed both ways over us. Every
instant, too, we expected to be ordered
to advance on the confederate bat
teries. The situation was unmistaka-
bly, trying. But no orders came, and no
one was hurt. By degrees it grew mo-
notonous Presently, to relieve our tired |
horses, we were ordered to dismount,
and without breaking the ranks we Of
Ulcers sat down on the sloping hillside.
No one was being struck; | was very !
tired; the noise was deadening; Cradu- |
ally it had on me lulling effect, and so |
L dropped quietly asleep-asleep in the |
height of the battle and between the |
armies! They woke me up |