The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-09-19
ANTE iM's GREAT AND
BLOODY BATTLEFIELD,
Monuments Now MARKS The Positions
Occupied BY Troops.
A M0ST SANCTUARY BATTLE
The Greatest Slngie-Day Conflict of
the Civil War Individual States
Have Erected Monuments Num-
boring Fifty.


ans who participated in the battle of
Antietam, the most sanguinary single
day encounter in the Civil War. has
within the last several years resulted in
making the battlefield near Sharpsburg
one Of the most deliberately adorned of
any in the country.
Visitors to the field on Tuesday. the
forty-fom tn anniversary Of the conflict
viii find there so monuments, not includ-
no markers; may read the story of the
struggle upon Dab cast-iron tablets and
while travelling along the excellent
pixies for which the vicinity is famous
or the avenues const. act | by the ma
tional Government keep in the right di-
rection by the aid of 1870 cast-iron guide
sie rs.
Pennsylvania leads in the number of
monuments erected to her fallen sons
II each surmounted by statute in
granite or bronze, the average cost of
which was $4,000. Maryland, Massa-
chusetts and New Jersey have hand
some State monuments, and regimental
monuments or markers. Ohio has
monument to William Mckinley and
nine regimental monuments to Gen.
Joseph K. f. Mansfield End several regi-
mental monuments. New York and
Vermont are also well represented.
Plans are T1der way for tNe erection of
State monument by New York, and
it is expected that in few years every
State represented on either side in the
battle will erect suitable memorials.
On every recent an versy of the bat
tie new monuments have been dedicat-
ed in the presence of Survivors of the
organizations in honor of which the
memorial is raised and of distinguished
persons. Pre- ident Mckinley attended
the dedication Of the Maryland monu-
ment in 1900 and resident Roosevelt
that of the New Jersey monument in
1853.
Mr.. McKinley's presence at the for
mer dedication was especially appropri-
alto as tn Maryland monument is to the
memory Of those who wore the gray as
well as those who wore the blue, an
emblem of the spirit Of reunion that
Ohio's most beloved statesman delight
ed to praise and to foster.
The battlefield IS also visited by many
tourists on every other day in the year.
As yet it is not traversed by tr, lev
Enc. but it is a favorite attraction for
Automobiles from all parts of the coun-
try,
The visitor to the field will start at
the northern end, if he wishes to skirt
the battle front, and follow sequence
IN line, coincident with that Of the i'm
pertant movement Of the battle.
Turning into Mansfield avenue east
ward from the Hagerstown pike he will
find himself at the place where Hooker's
Corps, having swung around to the
north, faced the Confederate left, and
began the conflict about o'clock on the
morning of September II, 1862 Along
this avenue are foUnd five of the Penn
sylVania monuments Those to the
Seventh, Third, Fourth and Eighth Re
sel yes, and to the Twelfth Pennsvl-
vania Cavalry, all surmounted by
Statue of soldier
The avenue makes tna toward the
south, and near its junction with the
Smoketown road Connecticut has tall
pink granite shaft to General Mans
field, killed nearby after bis corps
had advanced to the relief of Hooker.
This monument was erected in 1900.
Running westward from the Smoke
town road, several hundred yards south
OF this point in Cornfield avenue, an
8O-foot wide Government road, along
the ground which was named the Bloody
Cornlield, after the Union and Ccnfed-
crate lines had surged backward and
forward through its acres, leaving
many dead among its stubbles. Here
Col. Joseph w Hawley, of the Twelfth
1 NiiAioJ ~ eiilei, WtS WOunuSU ana carried
into the d. R. Miller farmhouse, which
still stands as it was on the day of
battle.
Upon the avenue are four mounted
cannon marking the position held bv
Union artillery after the battle; the
One Hundred and Thlrty-eight' Penn
sylvania monuments, and the monu-
ment erected by Vermont to Companies
E and II, Of the Second Regiment,
United States Sha pshooters. On one
side of the avenue as it terminates at
the Hagerstown pike is the New Jer-
sey monument, on the other the Massa-
chusetts monument. The former is a
tall shaft, surmounted by a bronze
figure Of Captain Irish, of the Thir-
teenth New Jersey Regiment, with
drawn sword, advancing, as he did,
near by, to death and glory.
The New Jersey monument is erected
to the First, Second, Third, Fourth and
Thirteenth New Jersey Infantry Regi-
ments and Hexamers' battery of artil-