The National tribune., 1901-06-27

that now 1t would be shot for shot,
whether light or heavy
In locating those tguns, Gen: Greene's s
bearing was sa1 heroic and knightly and
his exposure So signal and conspicuous
that the men of Tyndale's Brigade turned
towards him and gave him a cheer under
all of that firing, which he politely recOg-
nized by standing in his stirrups and Iais-
ing his cap. AS there was not the best of
personal RELATIONS then between Gen.
Greene and these. men, that cheer was
won by his exhibition of heroism and not
by any persOnal fay0ritism of the men for
him.
At that time the horse rode was the
only one in our brigade-Tyndale, Crane,
| Collins and others were on foot, and a
line of our troops came out of Eastwood,
passed our right, moving so as to enter the
woods about bunker Church; but just be-
fore reaching there the enemy in these
woods poured into them such a deadly fire
that they halted, then fell back in the
greatest confusion to the shelter of East
/ wood. -
AS was the only mounted officer in
our command, Tyndaie directed me to ride
out and help to rally them, which | did,
but to very little purpose, as they re-
| treated into Eastwood. and rode back to
| my place in the rear of my regiment.
| There the missiles were flying thick and
| without cessation, and it was Il question
/ VI SecOHUS Only until every one exposed
| must be struck.
AS l sat there on my horse, it seemed
to me that moments were hours, and that
| any movement upon our part, even right
| forward into the woods about bunker
Church and amidst Stonewall Jackson's
| troops, would be relief from the sus-
pense, the awful agony of waiting, wait
| ing to be shot.
| At that time the enemy had sent three
bullets through the shoulder of my coat.
and had cut my collar loose from about
| my neck. These shots had left their mark;
others that had passed almost as close
| were as the idle wind regarded not, as
they had missed.
A GRAND BATTLE SCENE.
But at such moment, turning my head
| to towards our left, the most magnificent
battle spectacle that ever | saw greeted
| my vision. For mile or more over the
ground, near what is known as Bloody
Lane and the Mumma House, which then
was in flames, could l see the several
lines of opposing troops with banners fly
ing, arms and field pieces glistening in the
sun as they moved, come closer and closer
together.
At points in those lines the troops were
firing at each other, both with artillery
and smallarms; soldiers were falling from
out of those lines, some killed others
gaps 10 DE CiOSpU up as
they moved, so no part of the actualities
of battle We're wanting to make that pic
ture complete and upon the grandest scale.
But from such a scene / had to turn and
look at what was going on in our i'm
mediate front and in the woods about
bunker Church.
fortunately for us, at such a moment,
up came the head of column of Summers
Corps, having crossed Antietam Greek
and by rapid march reached our ground
at that critical moment, as from the in
crcasing forces of the enemy which were
being steadily pushed upon us we could
not have held our ground much longer.
Summers forces being deployed and in
line of battle, immediately pushed for
ward. But Tyudale, feeling the strength
OF this reinforcement; advanced at once
for bunker Church and upon the enemy.
We had hardly started, however, when
Tyndale and Were shot, both in the head
Tyndale falling upon the field and for a
time was supposed to be dead; my horse,
suddenly wheeling as / was hit, carried
NE towards the field hospital, where I
had my wound dressed Tyndale recovered
somewhat, but died afterwards Of the
wounds he then received.
Summers Corps finally drove Jackson's
forces out of that open space, and some
of our forces entered the woods about
bunker Church, but throughout the day
those forces were driven back and forth,
as success or reverse came to one or the
other, and that open space was literally
strewn with the dead ard wounded.
Towards evening Burnside's command,
upon the left of McClellan's line, secured
a firm foot-hold across Antietam Creek,
having crossed on the famous Stone
Bridge, which had been terrible ex-
posure of those troops, as in crossing they
had been under heavy artillery fire
fpNr1 hA h.,rht i.
having completed their crossing, they
moved forward on an assault upon Lees
right; but the timely arrival of A. Z. Hills
troops from Harper's Ferry was most op-
perfume for the Confederates, an" those
troops were thrown against Burnside's
forces, and that assault although heroic
and persistent, was not successful in
breaking Lees lines, or in driving him |
from any position of importance.
Those Union assaults of Hooker, Mans
field, Sumner and Burnside were made |
without any concert of action and each |
met repulse in detail, although each COM !
mand held the ground it had gained, |
close up to the enemy's line, threatening |
u renewal of an assault. Thus was the |
entire day consumed, and as night came |
on those armies still confronted one an |
other, with but:little change of position;
neither army could claim decisive vic |
tory, and neither would acknowledge de-
feat, although for the time of its duration |
it was the most bloody battle of the war
But as result of that days conflict |
Lee resolved to cross the Potomac and |
place that river between him and his
enemy, and under cover of that nights
darkness he effected crossing, and in
the morning the Army of the Potomac oc-
cupied the entire battlefield, but the dead
upon no part of the field equaled those
piled in that open space in front of Dun
ker Church.
TYNDALE's IMPORTANT POSITION.
Since the close of the civil war there
has been controversy as to whether it
was possible for Tyndale's Brigade to
have reached position in the open space
i'll froLt OF bunker Church as early in the
morning as has been claimed, anil then
to have held the ground so gained until
the arrival of Summers troops towards
midday; but those claims are now ad-
mitted, and Gen. Carman, the Superinten-
dent of the Antietam Battlefield Com
mission, has expressed himself as of the
opinion that the determined struggle made
by Tyndale's Brigade in holding the
ground in front of bunker Church, from
early morning when they reached there
until the arrival of Summers troops was
the crisis In that battle, as Tyndale's men
in holding that point prevented Stonewall
Jackson from moving across from the
woods about Bunker Church and striking
our troops upon their flank as they then
and beyond; as, had Jackson been able to
l,.I NIxU,, NT.r