Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-09-19
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The townspeople were very hospitable,
and we were invited here and there, but
could not always go, or hesitated, know
ing every house was full. remember
once, that having breakfasted upon
single roll and having worked hard
among sickening details, about 4 o'clock
turned wolfishly ravenous and ran to
a friends house down the street. When
| got there was almost too faint to
speak, but my friend looked a! me and
disappeared in silence, coming back in a
moment with plate of hot soup. What
luxuryl sat down then and there on
the ifont doorstep and devoured the soup
as if had been without food for week.
Itwas known on Tuesday, the 10th,
that harper's Ferry had been taken, but
it was growing evident that South Noun
tain had not been a victory. We had
heard from some OF our friends, but not
from all, and what we did hear was often
most unsatisfactory and tantalizing. For
instance, we would be told that some
one whom we loved had been seen stand
ing with his battery. had left his gun an
| instant to shake hands and send mes
sage, and had then stepped back to po-
sition, while our civilian informant had
come away for safety, and the smoke OF
conflict had hidden battery and all from
view. AS night drew nearer, whispers
of great battle to be fought the next
day grew louder, and we shuddered at
the prospect, for battles had come to
mean to us, as they never had before,
blood, wounds and death.
On the 17tt of September cloudy skies
looked down upon the two armies Jack
son having rejoined Lee in the mean
time) facing each other on the fields OF
Maryland. 1t seems to me now that the
roar OF that day began with the light, and
all through its long and dragging hours
its thunder formed a background TO our
pain and terror. If we had been in doubt
as to our friends whereabouts on Sum-
day, there was no room for doubt now.
There was no sitting at the windows
now and counting discharges of guns, or
watching the curling smoke. We went
about our work with pale faces and
trembling hands, yet trying to appear
composed for the sake OF Our patients,
who were much excited. We could hear
the incessant explosions of artillery, the
shrieking whistles of the shells, and the
sharper, deadlier, more thrilling roll of
musketry; while every now and then
the echo of some charging cheer would
come, borne by the wind, and as the
human voice pierced that demoniacal
clangor we would catch our breath and
listen, and try not to sob, and turn back
to the forlorn hospitals, to the suffering
at Our feet and before our eyes, while
imagination tainted at thought Of those
other scenes hidden from us beyond the
Potomac.
On our side of the river there were
noise, confusion, dust; tfrongs OF strag-
glers; horsemen galloping about; wag-
ons blocking each other, and teamsters
wrangling; and continued din OF shout
ing, swearing and umbling, in the midst
OF which men were dying, fresh wounded
arriving, surgeons amputating limbs and
dressing wounds, women going in and
out with bandages, lint, medicines, food.
An evei-present sense Of anguish, dread,
pity, and | fear, hatred-these are my
recollections of Antietam.
When night came we could still hear
the suIIen guns and hoarse, indefinite
murmurs that succeeded the days fur
mol. That night was dark and lowering
and the air heavy and dull. Across the
river innumerable camp-fires were blaz-
ing, and we could but too well imagine
the scenes that they were lighting.
We sat in silence, looking into each
others tired faces. There were no i'm
patient words, few tears only silence,
and drawing close together. as if tor
comfort We were almost hopeless, yet
clung with desperation to the thought
that we were hoping. But in our hearts
we could not believe that anything hu-
man could have escaped from that ap-
palling fire.
On Thursday the two armies lay idly
facing each other, but we could not be
idle. The wounded continued to arrive
until the town was quite unable to hold
all the disabled and suffering. They
filled every building and overilowed into
the country round, into farm houses,
barns, corn-cribs, cabins-whereyer four
walls and a roof were found together.
Those able to travel were sent on TO
Winchester and other towns back from
the river, but their departure seemed to
make no appreciable difference. There
were six churches, and they were all full
the Odd Fellows Hall, the Freemason's,
the little Town Council room, the barn
like place known as the Drill Room. all
the private houses after their capacity,
the shops and empty buildings. the
school, inch of space, and
yet the cry was for room.
The unfinished Town Hall had stood
in naked ugliness for many a long day.
Somebody threw few rough boards
across the beams, placed piles OF straw
over them, laid down single planks to
walk upon, and 10. it was a hospital at
once. The stone warehouses down IN
the rayine and by the river had been
passed by, because low and damp and
undesirable as sanitariums, but now their
doors and windows were thrown wide,
and. with barely time allowed to sweep