The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-04-07
Five Great Battles of the Civil
War.
IAN Essay by Paul D. Smith, Senior in the
Belfast High School,

Belfast High School,
Soon after the Bird of May, 1861, the
date of the second call for troops, Harry
Ashley. an eighteen years old boy OF
Portland, Maine, enlisted in the Fed
eral army to serve three years. The fol
lowing descriptions of battles are ex-
tracts from his letters written home:
WASHINGTON, D. c., May 8, 1861.
Dear Mother: | arrived here yester-
dav afternoon at clock. The streets
here are crowded with soldiers, and every
hour adds more to the throng, for every
train from the North is filled and even
covered with volunteers. l shall join
Gen. McDowell's army at Alexandria at
once. Your loving son,
HARRY.
A little over two months later an anX-
ious mother of Portland received the fol-
lowing letter:
BULL RUN, VA, July %, 1861.
Dear Mother: | suppose you are anx-
ious to hear from me after the great
battle of Bull Run. | am one OF the for
tunate, for received no wounds, and AIN
in the best of health. | will now try to
tell you something about the battle.
The National army under Mcdowell
met in conflict on the banks of the slug
gish stream of Bull Run with the Con-
federate army commanded by General u.
T. Beauregard. From the first the Con-
federates were forced to retreat, al
though they fought bravely. 1t was
something terrible. Artillery on both
sides kept up an incessant roar. Bullets
few like hailstones, and cannon balls
ploughed the earth and rent the air.
Shells shrieked in mad defiance, making
the place hideous with tunult and death.
Men dropped from the ranks. Horses
fell with their riders. Groans and cries
of agony pierced the air. The field was
covered with slaughtered horses, dead
and dying men, in bloody mass.
Still the battle ragged, and the Confed-
crates, retreating step by step, saw that
it was critical moment for their cause;
therefore, rallied their forces and made
one more desperate stand. They held
their ground for a short time, and then
were forced back with great confusion.
As they retreated they gained more
favorable ground and, happily for them,
met General Kirby Smith with force
of several thousand fresh soldiers.
Immediately the tables turned and our
army was put in rout and confusion. The
Confederates having captured many of
our number, we, defeated, reiterated to
Washington. With love,
HARRY.
During the next year this strong and
courageous boy endured many hardships,
and passed through many battles receiv-
ing but slight wounds In March of 1862
he found himself engaged in the great
battle of Pittsburg Landing, or Shiloh,
as it is better known,
SHILOH, TENN, April 10, 1862.
Nv Dear Mother: | have seen another
great battle through, and did not get
hurt during the two days of heavy fight
ing, although many near me were killed.
General Johnston, by the order of Cen
eral Beauregard, opened the attack on
Grant at daybreak of the 9th with ire
mendous force and full confidence of sue
cess. The heaviest attack fell upon Sher-
man and McClernand, whose men with
stood with unhinching courage and dis
puted every inch Of ground. They We're
driven back, however, by the overwhelm-
ing numbers of the Confederates, who
seemed to care nothing for losses. The
Sixth Mississippi regiment lost three
hundred out of its total of four hundred
and twenty five, and the Sixteenth Louis
lana suffered nearly as much. Sherman's
men lost their camps in the morning, and
retired from one new line Of defence to
another until they had retreated more
than mile; but still they chung to the
road and bridge by which they were ex-
pecting Lew Wallace and his five thou
SAND as an aid.
The second day of the battle Grant as
sumed the offensive, aided by the fresh
troops of Buell.. Beauregard made a
stubborn fight, mainly for the purpose
of holding the road by Shiloh church, by
which alone he could retreat; but, owing
to the death of Johnston. the arrival Of
the offensive, the battle was lost to them,
and was added to the list of Federal vic
tories. Your loving son,
HARRY.
The next battle which wish to set be-
fore you took place at Antietam.
ANTIETAM CREEK, VA, Sept 20, 1862.
My Own Dear Mother: Another great
battle has been fought for the cause of
the Union. Here at Antietam Creek,
which is few miles north of Harper's
Ferry, we, seventy thousand strong I'M
der Mcclellan, met the flower of Lees
army, numbering about forty thousand
Mcclellan sent only half of our army to
meet them; so you see, they were pretty
we'll matched. Lee drew up his forces
on high ground between the stream and
Sharpsburg, with both TANKS upon the
Potomac, and awaited the attack of Nc
Clellan. On the dawn of the 18th Nc
Clellan proceeded to carry out his plan;
which was, simply to throw his right
wing across the Antietam by the upper
and unguarded bridge, assail the Confed-
crates left, and when this had sufficient
ly taken the enemy's attention and drawn
his strength to that flank, to force the
bridge and cross with his left and center
In the vicinity of the little Bunker
church in the wood the battle began
when Hooker assaulted Jackson at sun
rise. An hour Of hard fighting ensued,
during which Jackson's lines were not
only heavily pressed by Hooker, but were
driven back by fire from the batteries
on the eastern side of the Creek. Hooker
attempted to advance his troops into the
wood west Of the road, but was checked
by fresh troops and heavy artillery fire.