New-York tribune., 1909-05-30
AN INCIDENT ON FIELD OF ANTIETAM
Aid on Smiths staff Tells How Mcclellan
Decided to Cease Attack
-s..or ~ The Tribune

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: In reading tn interesting experience Of MI
Q V Snallev at the battle Of Antietam 1t oc-
ours to me that I supply the Information he
desires as 10 the line and place when General
Mcclellan decided TO discontinue his attacks on
General Lees line
I was an aide-de-camp on the staff Of General
..Ra1dv.' Smith, whose division was on the march
o., tho head of General Franklin's command. This
command on the morning of September u
marched hurriedly from Crsmptons Gap across
country to the line of battle on the west side OF
NJur7a's Woods parallel with the Hagerstown
,,,r,,,ila about two hundred yards east OF that
t,,r,rjke and directly in front OF the bunker
Church Generals Smith and Hancock and thelr
stafrs were considerably in advance of the troops
AZ we approached the front we found about
twelve pieces Of our artillery in helpless condi-
,io,, on the west border OF the woods. Lieutenant
Rufus King Of the 4th United States ARTILLERY
was the only artillery officer in sight and he re-
r,,-.ed that many Of the men and horses of these
batteries had been killed or disabled and That
they were without any infantry support AT TINS
critical moment General Hancock rode out on the
cornfed. in front Of the batteries and sh"nteo
that the enemy was advancing. General smith
irr-,,ediatelv ordered the 10Th New York infantry
- advance in line through the cornheld at the
so,,,le o,ick In its charge of about one hundred
and 6ftv yards this regiment lost 20 per cent In
1,iued and wounded It drove the enemy back,
and the 20th ordered 10 lie down on the crest
90 2 slight rise The prompt advance of the 10th
~, york undoubtedly checked the enemys ad-
vance and saved our artillery
A. nearly as | remember this movement
.ool, rIace at about 70 Il a m Shortly after,
C-neral Mcclellan arrived on the field and Joined
Generals Franklin. Smith, Sumner, Slocum ana
+ters There was a hastv conference in the corn
Geld as 10 what had taken place and the ad-
t-L1;,, % continuing the attack on the eneuys
,,,o q, the neighborhood of bunker Church Gen
-, t-rspLI;n advised that Burnside's attack on
,bs eneu7v's right should he pushed with Visor
and mat there should be simultaneous attacks on
- ner,,..s extreme left and at bunker Church.
Inst at this time the enemy pushed d pleoe Vi
or,juery bv hand to the crest Of the hill on the
s.t,a-et,rg road a little south of bunker Church
-r,,, Gun was fred this group Of officers. some
,,e,,+,, or more then consultation Fortunately
INC range was too high. and the charge OF canister
although fred within 800 yards of the group passed
,err,lesslv over it ] have often thought that the
stng N this gun 2t this critical moment was an
,oortonf factor in determining that there should
he ro further attack on the enemys lines
General Mcclellan quickly called upon General
e,.r,,er for his opinion to the situation Gen
arsI summers reputation was that OF hghter
- = believe that he for the first time in his
,..r then advised that the fighting should cease.
,,,,a,7se his whole command had been engaged ana
e ;aaly cut up and unfit for service General
-,.,,a tbar tf,1ued - General Franklin saying,
-, hold Gu to all you have, reinforce Cen
-, summers line and make no further advance.
-. fter solely on the defensive. He then
-orarai Sumner TO withdraw his line and
a,,;zo his command. Although General sum
'e' s, itI him a half dozen staff officers, he
turned TO his saying sammy my 10y IIue
t - the skirmIsh line and order 1t and the
- - fs11 hack at once" In the most touch
80, -a,,ner Sammy who was an aide-de-camp on
49,, f.,t,ar,s staff and then only about eighteen
rs old raised his cap and said, "C2oodoy' tather'
and The general answered Gooooy' MY O0'' anu