Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-09-22

! The case of Captain Atwell was pitt
fully sad. He was terribly injured,
heavy bullet having struck him on
one side of the face and passed out
I through the other side. His face was
swollen until he was unrecosnizable,
and it seemed as il he must die. He
was given a room in Mr. Rentch's home
and treated by the surgeons, and in
four or five days the swelling had gone
Gown and the wounds begun TO heal.
he proved to be a fine gentleman and
a remarkably handsome man. He was
badly hurt, however. and was warned
against any unusual exertion, as i'm
| portant blood vessels were involved.
Some four weeks after the battle his
aged father came up from Georgia,
having gotten word that his son had
been wounded at the battle of Antietam
and was in Shepherdstown. The father
found his boy at Mr.. Rentch's-and
what an affecting meeting il wasl
They talked of home and made their
plans FOR the journey to Georgia. for
ne was TO be taken back there. The
emotion caused by the arrival Of the
fatner and the thought of getting
home again was fatal joy, however,
for the wounds reopened, hemorrhage
set IN, and the day before they were 10
have started on their homeward Journey
captain Atwell died as his sprrowng
father sat by his bedside. He was
taken home, indeed, but as lifeless
clay and not as a hopeful, living son
eagerly anticipating his fathers house.
| Lasting friendships and romantic
attachments were formed in Shepherds
town between wounded soldiers and
the Pretty girls who helped nurse
! 'nem. Some OF the officers vowed that
when the cruel war was over the wcd-
eng bells would ring, but perhaps in
some other battle they were fatally
wounded or maybe in some other town
Just as pretty girls ministered to them
and so they came not back this
way. Still, in some cases for long
wears after 'he war friendly CORE
srondence was kept up between those
who were cared for here and their
Endhearted benefactors. Indeed
10 this day We occasionally hear some
pleasant echo from those days Of an
guish and trial in Shepherdstown when
the aftermath OF great battle over
whelmed this peaceful village; for
though the suffering was almost un-
oearable, out of it came sweet flowers
OF mercy and tenderness and unselfish
devotion and kindness that shall be
fragrant and lovely as long as memory
shall endure.
The battle of Antetam was the blood
lest one-day battle of the Civil War.
Horace Greeley pronounced il the
oloodiest day in American history
AS the early dawn began to break over
the South Mountain at the beginning
OF singularly BEAUTIFUL morning the
Union artillery beloved its opening
defiance. Promptly the Confederate
guns gave answer. Soon the infantry
was engaged and the great battle was
joined. 1t is curious fact that there
was little or no fighting on the part
of the cavalry, though some of the cav
airy was dismounted and fought as in
fantry. For fourteen long hours the
herce conflict waged along a front three
miles in length. At times there would
be lull on this section OF the field or
that, but soon the fighting would be
renewed. So until twilight came to
shadow the hideous scene, men fought
ike tigers, in spite of hunger, thirst
and bodily torture. All day long, wrote
Townsend, the grim dogs of war tore
at each others throat until both were
too exhausted to move.
General Robert E. Lee commanded
the Confederate forces, while General
George B. Mcclellan headed the Union
armies. Nearly a hundred thousand
men ani five hundred cannon fought
In the battle. In that titanic struggle
more than 10000 men were killed or
wounded. Although authorities differ,
the figures we give are believed to be
accurate. These show that the total
casualties were 25,9l4-on the Con-
federate side 1884 and on the Federal
2,39OLdivided as follows: Con-
federate killed, 200; wounded. O.
O24; missing, 1900. Federal killed,
2,l0S; wounded, 9,549; missing, 753.
The number Of troops engaged was
over 100000. "The Photographic His
tory Of the Civil War;" published by
the Review Of Reviews Company,
New York, edited by Francis Trevelyan
Miller and Robert S. Lan;er. gives the
Federal forces as $1,000 and the Oon-
federates as less than 10000. Other
authorities place the total number of
effeetives on the Confederate side at
$1,000. An army corps of 25,0OO men.
lying to the east Of the battlefield, and
at General McClelland's command, was
rot called into action. Had they been
thrown against the exhausted Confed-
crates late in the afternoon it would
probably have been impossible to have
withstood them and General Lees
arrnv must have suffered a crushing
deir@t. Why these troops were not
used is mystery that was never solv-
ed. His failure to put them into the
battle and gain a decisive victory was
likely the reason why General Nc
Clellan was relieved as commander-in-