Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-03-27

49, ~
In th, bullet swept space, terrible
and impossible to traverse lay the Dat
tie flag of the Delaware regiment OF
Infantry. 1t had remained there a fuii
hour as it had fallen from the hands
of the color sergeant who lay dead be
side the huddled folds of color. 1t was
the flag they had carried in a dozea
pitched battles. Now and again a bh!e
company started out from the corntleia
at its back and cheering rushed Tor
ward; but Lees veterans knew how to
shoot and inevitably the line crumbled
TO pieces and the survivors We're whip
ped back into the. sheltering corn.
The sacred colors would assuredly
have been disgraced by capture had II
not been for the daring bravery OF a
private soldier Tanner who making 4
desperate attempt to regain them sue
ceeded in doing what the whole resl-
ment had failed to accomplish
1t happened at Antietam in the mid
die of the morning close by the famous
Sunken Road. Bloody Lane as this
rocky cash in the surface of the pas
toral country is row called WAS at this
hour the scene OF some Of the most
fearful fighting of history. Regiments
lost all their higher officers, companies
fell to the command OF sergeants and
c~orporafs, the Union battle line vas
broken il a hundred places and all but
shattered by the deadly accurate mus
kerry of the gray soldiers. In the midst
of the charging and slaughter the
struggle over those fallen colors took
place like an aside in the greater tra-
gedy. Few knew exactly what was go
ing on ven the name of the hero
would easily have escaped remem-
brance if his colonel had not happened
to be there to see it all to promote
Tanner on the spot for his %gallantry
and to secure him the Medal of Honor
(from the meager record of which in
the War Department this story comes
down to u.s..
Early on the morning of Sept. u,
1863. Tanners regiment was astir, and
Tanner, who was about twenty years
old, wandered a short distance to the
where he could see. the prepara-
tons for the battle. The CLINT Of the
late summer sunshine on thousands of
rifle barrels, as immense masses of
troops moved across the wooded ridges
down into the valley of the Antietam,
showed that the fighting would be on a
much larger scale than any battle in
which he had taken part.
Tanners heart throbbed the unique
excitement which springs solely from
firing began to be felt by him;
and when he heard in a few moments
the shouts Of his officers forming the
he FASTENED to his company and
awaited with feyerish impatience the
to march. 1t came at last,
and the regiment found itself moving
in line of battle, forming the right of
the brigade in the first line of Sum-
them a position where the battle was
about to rage with uncomfortable fury.
They turned into an old dirt road
which led through the woods. at the
edge of which they came out abruptly
on the tall Southern corn. Across this
field they plunged. The drifting smoke
hung over it; the steady roar Of mus
kerry, the cheering and yells of the
fighters, sounded about them !; but as
yet no bullets came, save a feeble pat
tering fire from the few Confederates
they We're driving back by their adj
vance. With a shout the foremost files
sprang into the clearing. which was
an open pasture. Aud then It burst
themi
The Confederate musket balls swish
ed through the battle line in a murder
GUS hail, dropping the men with such
terrible rapidly that those in front
turned to run back, pressing against
their comrades in the rear. and throw
ing the regiment into confusion.
Close up, men, close up!n' shouted
the officers, rushing hither and thither.
Charge Their determination was
communicated to the men, who. having
Strengthened their front, sprang for
ward, dauntlessly facing hat insuffer-
able rolling destruction.
HEEs .hHIeH -MN4HE N#EEtaEf&al
Nevertheless, the Delaware regiment
kept on and on. With set jaws and
wlitened faces, giving no heed to their
comrades who fell wounded and dying
at every step. the soldiers fought their
way toward the line of leyeled muskets.
The great gaps in their formation open
wider and wider. Seventy yards
from the corniield-within thirty of the
Sunken Road-the survivors halted.
There they hung. wavering; and sud-
denly. as if the truth dawned on each
that the regiment was being cut to
pieces and they were destined simply
to be slain, they turned and ran for
their lives.
Half the regiment regained the corn
field; tha rest were left on the bloody
slope between the hostile armies. Out
of ten company commanders. eight had
been struck down. The colonel's horse
had been shot under him; the lieuren-
ant colonel was badly wounded. These.
direful tidings sped swiftly from mar
to ma of the broken and dismembered
companies, as the men sought their
places.
Just then the discovery was made
that their beloved colors had heen eft
behind them, almost within reach Of
the enemy. The ~disheartened feelings