Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-09-26


General Lees army had gained vic
tory Of the second battle OF Bull Kun,
and flushed with victory decided to in
wade the North via Leesburg and Fred
erick City, where he called on the city
for a contribution of $500, 900 and got II.
General Mcclellan, with an army OF &c.
GOO. twice the size of the COME derate
army, hurried after him ard was fortunate
in finding at Frederick at an abandoned
Confederate camp General Lees plan OF
campaign-to fight pitched battle after
he united wifi Jackson's corps. then
busy capturing Harper's Ferry's garrison
of 1900 men and so cannon. Gen. Nc
Clellan hurried on to South Mountain
and Champions Gap, and on September
18th furiously assaulted, to bring on a
general fight before Gen. Jackson's corp
could Join the main army. But he was
held in check till Gen. Lees Topographic
cal engineers found a favorable battle
ground behind Antietam creek, where
the Confederate veterans waited in battle
line four miles long. While McClallan's
army was arriving in position, two Union
officers challenged each other to ride
down between the two lines of battle.
and on they galloped-a fine race, while
both armies cheered their daring and
bravery.
The battle began September 10th at
4 o. m. Mcclellan attacked the Con-
federate left wing, north, and fought TILL
dark. At 3 O'Clock next morning they
renewed the battle, and for twelve hours
more the most bloody battle OF the war
was fought, for more men were killed
and wounded that day than any other
day of the whole war-25,0O0 in all ;
5000 were killed on each side and 1900
wounded and missing. More shell and
cannon balls were shot than in all Ma
poleon's campaigns.
AT nightfall the Confederate line OF
battle was driven back but little. Mill
tary experts say Gen. Mcclellan blundered
in attacking first one wing of the Con-
federate line of battle and then the other,
which enabled the Confederates to shift
regiments to hard-preSsed points and
repulse attacks.
September 18th the two armies only
gathered wounded and looked daggers.
That night Gen. Lee called council Of
war of his generals, and as Gen. Nc
Clellan had 10000 reinforeements, the
Confederates decided to Withdraw
drawn battle.
The moral victory was with the North,
and Gen. Mcclellan got splendid statue
in Washington's most fashionable boule-
ward, President Lincoln issued his emanei-
patton proclamation, setting four million
slaves free.
Gen. Lees army slowly returned to
Fredericksburg, leaving every school,
house and church filled with wounded.
All Oui pCOpiC SdiiiSa iiCh WIN nam
rolls, jellies and bandages for their
wounds.
lust AZ years after the battle Yankee
soldier sent back the Bible he took from
| the Dunkard Church.
Sharpsburg had two companies OF SOL
diers in the Union army and one in the
Confederate. Both Union companies
were captured at Harper's Ferry. While
ransacking the captured camp there saw
the flash of the cannon at Antietam late
in the evening.
What an historic section is ours The
oldPackhorse Ford near here made it the
battle-ground of the Southern and North
ern Indians, 200 years ago; the site Of
the first steamboat trial and greatest battle
of modern times.
| JAMES M. ENGLE.