St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-06-08

the road leading to Shepardston. There
Gen. Ezra A. Carman, one of the late
battlefield commissioners, made an
address, giving quite minute account
of the battle. which was fought there
| Sept. II, 1862. He called it battle of
driblets, for no great amount of forces
| were engaged at one time, but one after
another came into action aud retired but
it was constant and almost continuous.
It began very early in the morning and
the most severe engagements were soon
| after noon. It was the bloodiest battle
of the civil war and in fact on this
continent. considering the time the battle
lasted. The battle OF Gettysburg con-
! tinued three days and was terrific, but
this did not continue the whole day, yet
it was estimated that nearly 5000 men
were killed, when bayonets and club
muskets were used in the hand-to-hand
conflict. The ground once gained was
| stubbornly contested by the victorious
| party, but the rebel artillery was sta
toned at an advantageous point, COM
handing the bridges and the open field
where the Union forces had to advance,
but he said the Yankee artillery COM
| PEELED the opposing forces to retreat into
| the gorges and woods. In an alley a
/ short distance away "the dead were
moved down like CATTLE" Confederate
| officer remarked, as he took the field and
| held it. Gen. Hooker was wounded and
carried to distant farmhouse, then Gen.
Sumner appeared with his corps. We
seemed to see the contending forces as he
described the battle in detail. The Con-
| federateS contend that the Union army
was much larger than theirs, but others
affirm that any disparity in numbers
was made up by the Confederates in
| position and being on the defensive, for
they had the higher ground and the
wooded section, with embankments
thrown up for protection. 1t is said
! the Union loss for the day was II, 500
men and the rebels about the same; but
Gen. Lee only allowed that they lost
| 5000 while Gen. Mcclellan stated that
they buried 2,7OO Confederate soldiers.
Gen. Lee insisted that he only lost 10, POI
men in his invasion of Maryland. A
Massachusetts gentleman remarked we
could call it a drawn battle or victory
as we chose, while the Confederates claim
| they were the victors. In one sense the
army was SO badly crippled that he felt
obliged to withdraw from Maryland
and if he had gained victory he
intended to press on to Washington.
It is said that President Lincoln vowed
| that if Lee was driven back he would
issue his proclamation abolishing.
slavery. Gen. Mcclellan has been
severely criticised for not renewing the
attack the 18th, the next day, for his
delay and inaction allowed the Confed-
crates to retreat across the Potomac
| and go into Virginia. 1t is claimed that
he thought it wiser to wait for reinforce
ments from Washington. Gen. Franklin
urged him to renew the contest the next
day, but his delay saved Lees army and
prolonged the war. Some of his old sol
diers are inclined to excuse his conduct,
but the majority censured his inaction.
| One gentleman argued that Gen. McClel-
Ian was a man of fine sensibilities and
hesitated to sacrifice his worn and jaded
soldiers, but renewed hoStilities again
| the rext day. He was different from
Gen. Grant, who was a practical military
| man, who looked the matter through
calmly and decided when he felt he could
gain a battle to risk his men when he
| realized it meant sacrifice to many of
| them, for it would end the war much
sooner and would be better for the coun-
try. Gen. Mcclellan was man beloved
by his soldiers, but not as resourceful
| and ready for action as Gen. Lee, for it
| was a desperate case with the latter
! ates.
We drove back to the Antietam hotel
for our lunch and they were taxed to
their utmost to feed the 800 hungry
Washingtonians. Tables were set in the
garden and we had, as someone styled
| it, "a jolly country picnic" The man in
| charge of the relic store was made
happy by the sale of gavels and all kinds
of mementoes, to the tourists. We drove
amphitheatre, Elk Secretary Herbert
| made short address. He said that
during one battle of the civil war two
bullets from the opposing sides met in
mid air and were so closely welded
| together they could not be separated;
that was the effect upon the north and
south. Neither the north nor south had
a high estimate of each others abilities
or courage but they learned lesson
during the war and were surprised to
find both were so courageous. Their
estimate of each other was raised. He
referred to an old friend in the war who
| stood side by side with him and whom
he met years afterward when they both
| took the oath Of allegiance to the United
States and both declared they never
then would have believed they would live
to do it. He thought the country was
more united than ever before. But like
most southerners he paid great tribute
to their rebel leader, Gen. Robert E. Lee,
whom he said they almost worshiped.
1t is to be hoped that in course of time
they will esteem George Washington as
highly as Gen. Lee. We saw the very
large monument, 1.-THE Minute Man"
but time failed to ride up to the McKin-
ley monument, where one of the soldiers
laughingly said he earned his shoulder
straps by bringing the hungry soldier
good bareback.
The day was cool and delightful and ali
seemed to enjoy the excursion.
A. M. c.
Washington, D. c., May %, 1904.
A IL Cal. IL