Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-07-22
TWO REFRESHING MAPS.
Luued to Sweet sleep by the Roar OF
Battle ~ AntIet tam and
~ Gettysburg.

In a 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
considerable number of battles-among
them none more famous nor more
fiercely contested than Antietam and
Gettysburg. The mere utterance of
those names stirs the imagination-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 it Glanced,
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, 1 think
ii was, while the epoch-mal1ing battle
was going on More yet viii recall that
Plowman twice referred to so dramnt-
ically by lola intent upon his uninter-
rupted days work near Sedan, when
dynasty was reeling to it's fall. So my
abiding recollection as a participant in
both Antietam and Gettysburg is not
ofthe fierce agony of battle at its height,
4 but the enjoyment of two exceedingly
refreshing maps. AS 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; a mere subor-
dinate, responsible only for obedience
to orders
At Antietam, in the height of the en-
gagement, the division to which my
regiment belonged was hurried ccross
the narrow stone bridge at the point
where the little river iDtersects the
Sharpsburg road and deployed on its
further side. We were then directly
In front of Fitz-John Porter's corps and
between IL and the confederate line GOV
, ering Sharpsburg. A furious artillery
duel was going on. TO and fro, above oul
heads, between the batteries of Por
ter's command and those OF the enemy
we being down In the valley of tn,
river; they on the higher ground. tn,
confederate batteries we could not see
nor could they see us. When we frs
deployed on the further side of An
tietam creek it seemed as If we wer,
doomed, so deafening was the discharg,
of artillery on either side and so in
cessant the hurting of projectiles a
i they passed both ways over US. Ever,
instant, too, we expected to be orders
to advance on the confederate bat
teries- The situation was unmistaka
bly, trying. But no orders came, and n
: one was hurt BY degrees 1t grew me
nctonous- Presently, to relieve our tire
horses, we were ordered to dismoun'
/ and without breaking the ranks we Of
{ fcers sat down on the sloping hiilsid,
4 No one was being struck; was yer
Z tired; the noise was deadening; grady
ally it had on me a lulling effect, and s
q dropped quietly asleep-asleepi in til
height of the battle and between I'll
contending armiesI They woke me u