The National tribune., 1901-06-27
HOSPITAL

Hos
torious troops from their great victory at
| Harper's Ferry inspired enthusiasm from
| one end of their line to the other. Pos
sibly Lee then could not have been in bet
| ter position, or condition for battle than
he was at Antietam, even with the POtO-
mac at his back, and his old enemy, the
Army Of the Potomac, in his front.
GEN. MANsFIELD's CORPS.
The command to which l was attached
known as Banks's Corps, was recognized
| while on this march, and Gen. Mansfield
was made its commander. Gen. Mans
| field was undoubtedly the oldest General
| in McClellan'S army. l remember him
well, from his aged appearance, his heavy,
gray hair, and long, white beard, which
fioated in the wind as he rode making
| him look like patriarch in the midst of
an army of young soldiers. Gen. Mans
| field got to know but very little as to the
character or qualities of the officers or men
of the command to which he had thus
been assigned, as his life with these troops
was very brief, he being among the first
| killed at Antietam. Under such cIrcum-
stances as these, had our army been re-
organized there being no time for officers
and men to become acquainted with one
| another before going into battle.
| As McClellans forces approached Lee,
he was found ready, and his army in line,
awaiting our coming. HOoker's COM
| mand was at once pushed across
Antietam Greek, striking the left
Of Lees line close to the Potomac, with q
view Of throwing it back from the river,
and then a position was to be maintained
on their flank, 50 that if Lees lines could
be broken elsewhere Hooker would be
in position to take advantage of the situa-
| ton, and to seriously interfere with any
attempt of the Confederate army to cross
| the river.
Hooker's efforts, however, on the after
noon of Sept. 16, were not successful
| as had been expected, as at times his
troops were not able to hold the ground
that they had gained, and HooAer himself
was wounded and had to quit the field.
So the night of the 10Th came on wild Nc
Clellan's army not yet across the creek,
or in place to go into battle.
During the night Mansfeld's troops
were pushed across Antietam Creek, and
as near as could be took up a position on
the left of Ho0ker's forces, which were
upon the extreme right of the Union line
After having crossed the creek we moved
forward in the darkness. Our route |
do not know, and it is not probable that
ever will know; but towards morning,
however, while our men were standing
around few small fires that had been
| built by other troops, and intently en-
gagged in making their coffee in their tin
cups, we observed that many of our
wounded were being brought back, appar-
emily coming from that part Of the field
that Hooker had fought over the after
noon before, and the firing was getting
closer and closer TO us; the word was,
and the situation showed, that the enemy
were taking the aggressive and our people
were falling back.
GOING INTO BATTLE.
n ,,on,op+ Gov -.
up into the midst of our men, and in an
excited manner gave the order for our
brigade to fall in, and indicated to Col.
| Tyndale the direction to move, adding
that the enemy was right upon us. Tyn-
dale's men took their coffee cups from the
| fires and fell into ranks as directed, try
ing to cool their coffee by their breath as
they moved, as that was their all in the
way Of breakfast, and they could not af-
ford to lose it.
Tyndale's Brigade was composed Of
the 9th, Gth, Goth Ohio and the 2Sth Pa.
with I.ieut.-Col. Hector Tyndale as senior
officer in command My regiment. 66th
Ohio, numbered about $50 men and two
line officers Smith and Yazell,
not 4 single field or staff officer. The
other Ohio regiments were of about the
same strength; the 9th was commanded
by Captain Collins; the 7th was also
commanded by Captain Crane).
HIS Slaltll1lIL SteUlS SIdElIlDR, aS IL
| shows most frishtful reduction as to the
strength of those regiments, which were
1000 strong each, and full complement
of officers at the outset of their service
the year before; but standing as they did
upon the brink of another battle, they
could and did report all present or ac-
counted for; but as weak in numbers as
they were, the men of these regiments
gathered about their respective colors,
and while our forces that had been in
front were being driven back, these three
small Ohio regime, with the 2Sth Pa.
| moved forward 10 ..,tt their foe.
After short march the brigade was
massed in some low but extremely rocky
ground, but Immediately thereafter the
order was TO deploy and move forward
again. These Ohio regiments being in
front, while we were thus massed, were
| rapidly deployed, owing to their small
numbers, and Immediately took up the
march. was riding at the right of my
regiment; at my side and at the left of his