Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-16

IN the bullet swept space. terrible and impossible
I to traverse, lay the battle flag of the Delaware
regiment of infantry. 1t had remained there
ull hour, it had fallen from the hands of the
folds of color. 1t the flag they had carried in
dozen pitched battles. Now and again blue
pany started out from the corneld at its back and
cheering, rushed forward; but Lees veterans knew
how to shoot, and inevitably the line crumbled to
pieces, and the survivors were whipped back into
the sheltering
graced by capture had it not been for the daring
bravery of private soldier Tanner, who, making
desperate attempt to regain them. succeeded IN
doing what the. whole regiment had failed to
accomplish.
1t happened at Antietam, in the middle of the
morning, close by the famous Sunken Road. Bloody
Lane, this rocky cash in the surface of the pas
tora country is called was at this hour the scere
of of the most fearful fighting of history. Reg
ments lost all their higher officers companies fell
to the command of sergeants and corporals, the
Union battle line was broken in 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 coors took place like aside in the greater
tragedy. Few knew exactly what was going on;
capped remembrance if his Colonel had not hap
pened to be there to see it ALL to promote Tanner
the spot for his galantry 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.
The Thrill of Battle
~
- Tanners regiment was astlr, and Tanner, who
about twenty years old, wandered short dis
lance to the rear where he could see the prepara-
tons for the battle. The CLINT of the late summer
sunshine thousands of rifle barrels as immense
of troops moved across the wooded ridges
down into the valley of the Antietam, showed that
the fighting would be much larger scale than
any battle in which he had taken part.
Tanners heart throbbed; the unique excitement
which springs solely from battle 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 feverish impa-
thence the command to march. 1t at last, and
the regiment found itself moving in line of battle,
forming the right of the brigade in the first line of
Summers army corps. Fate had assigned them a
position where the battle was about to rage with
nconceivable fury.
They turned into old dirt road which led
through the woods at the edge of which they came
out abruptly the tall Southern corn. Across
this field they plunged. The drifting smoke hung
it; the steady of musketry, the cheering
and wells of the fighters, sounded about them but
Yet no bullets came, feeble pattering fire
from the few Confederates they were driving back
by their advance. With shout the foremost files
sprang into the clearing, which open pasture
And then it burst upon them!
The Confederate musket balls swished through
the battle line in murderous hail, dropping the
with such terrible rapidity that those in front
turned to back, pressing against their comrades
in the rear, and throwing the regiment into con-
fusion.
Close up, men, close up!" shouted the officers
rushing hlther and thther "Chargei' Their de-
termination was communicated to the men, who hav-
ing Strengthened their front sprang forward daunt-
Nevertheless, the Delaware regiment kept on and