Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1916-09-21
Incidents OF The Antietam Campaign.

General Lee, having defeated the Army
OF the Potomac by quietly marching up
between the ranges OF Blue Ridge and
falling suddenly upon General Pope's
rear at second Bull Run, now determined
TO carry the war into the Northern States
and by capturing Harrisburg and Phila-
delphia make Mr.. Lincoln sue for peace.
Flushed with victory, the Southern
Army crossed the Potomac and arrived at
Frederick, Md. Citizens came quito look
on. A colonel stopped his regiment and
ordered every citizen to take off his shoes
and the soldiers put on the shoes. Cen
eral Lee also ordered the city to pay over
5000, 900, which has just been repaid by
Congress. General Jackson went to
church on Sunday. The pastor sent a
deacon TO him to ask permission to make
the usual prayer for the President OF the
United States, and Jackson went to sleep
in church.
General Jackson and his staff, riding
through Frederick, saw so many young
girls with hair tied with red, white and
blue ribbon, he remarked. 1--WE have few
friends here" and never word was
said about "don't shoot the flag" nor
did he ever hear OF Barbara Fritchie.
One corps commanuer lost his private
orders from General Lee, giving outlines
of campaign, which were found promptly
and sent to General Mcclellan, so he
ordered immediate attack and the battle
of South Mountain was fought furiously,
The Confederates falling back slowly until
Jackson could capture Harper's Ferry and
join the main army, which he did in time
TO take the northern wing and held it,
losing so many men ii is now called
"Bloody Lane"
The Confederate engineers chose an
admirable place to fight this pitched battle,
the bloodiest Of the war-more men killed
5000 on each side and 1900 wounded.
The Union Army charged time and
again at first one end OF the line and then
the other, but did not bulge the veterans
OF many battles. AS Confederate bat
terry galloped past General Lee, standing
on a high rock on Cemetery Hill, his
youngest son saluted, he being gunner in
that battery.
Next day both sides gathered their
wounded, not firing shot. A council
OF war decided that as ammunition was
low and Gen. McClellan's 10000 fresh
men had arrived, General Lee should re-
tire across the Potomac and up the Valley.
Northern papers scored Gen. McClel-
Ian for not capturing Lees army, saying
he only leaves US few broken caissonS
and his dead; but Gen. Mac knew his
veteran enemy.
When General Jackson was surround
ing the Harper'S Ferry, garrison, his staff
officer rode up to farmer Henshaw'S, near
Martinsburg, and asked him TO prepare
dinner for eight soldiers. Eyes, wife,
cook bacon, cabbage and potatoes, with
bread and butter and milk" In an hour
courier rode up 10 the gate and asked for
Gen. Jackson. The farmer said, "He is
not here" An orderly on the porch
said, Eyes, he is inside eating dinner" "
When the General came out the farmer
apologized for such plain dinner, to
which the polite Stonewall replied, "Best
dinner in six months"
President Lincoln had promised the
Abolitlonists he would free the slaves if
Lees army was driven back across the
Potomac, so the Emancipation Procla-
nation was issued as war measure TO
weaken the South, won after the battle.
AS General Jackson's corpSheld Bloody
Lane through the battle. the Pennsylvania
troops must have been fourth OF mile
further back, so the Pennsylvania monu-
ment against the fence is historically out
OF place.
JAMES M. ENGLE.