Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1922-08-29

Eighteenth and Twenty-second Mass
achusetts Infantry, Second Maine,
First Michigan, Thirteenth Pennsyl-
vania, one company of Sharpshoot-
ers, regiment of Cavalry, which
had crossed with Sykes, and three
batteries Of Artillery posted on the
Maryland bluffs commanded by
Weed, Randol and VanReed.
The Federal forces were rapidly
driven toward the Potomac, and
hurriedly crossed over. That por-
ton of Barnes's command whose
line of retreat was toward the high
precipitous bluffs, directly above the
the Cement Mill, suffered heaviest
loss. Those that did not surrender
were driven over the bluffs at places
from fifty to eighty feet high. Some
reached the bottom in safety, some
hung on snags and rock lodges, and
some that fell clear were crushed.
The One Hundred and Eighteenth
Pennsylvania Volunteers, known as
the Corn Exchange Regiment, suffer
ed most. 1t crossed the river with
seven hundred and thirty-seven Off
GERS and men, and recrossed it with
four hundred and sixty-eight their
account. Numbers were shot in the
river. The entire Federal loss was
thirty-four killed and two hundred
and thirty-one wounded.
A. P. Hills Division, at this time,
did not number over 1000 men. 1t
was one of the strongest divisions in
the early spring of '62, but the Sew
en- Days Battle below Richmond,
where the did some of the hardest
fighting, their losses at Cedar Noun
tain and Second Manassas also, were
great; and the long march around
Pope to Manassas and to Williams
port, and back to Harpers Ferry,
made hundreds of them shoeless
and foot sore. Then at Sharpsburg
they had losses, making their num-
bers in the three brigades that were
engaged about $500 men. This
estimate is made by responsible men
who served in the Division.
Some companies had mot more
than ten men, and some few had
| less.
This battle is known as the battle
of Cement Mill, or Buffers Ford.
1t was fought without cannon on
the Confederate side; and the Fed
erals would have Jared better if they
had not used any; for, when the
Confederates had closed upon the
Federals, thy did about equal ex-
ecution to both.
After the battle was over, A. p.
Hill wanted to know the situation on
the other side, and Major Gilmore
volunteered to ride up the river
road, within range of thousands of
muskets and about forty cannon,
and not shot was fired at him, the
distance being about three-quarters
of a mile.
After this repulse, the Confeder-
ates picketed at this ford unmolest-
| ed.
A. P. Hill issued the following
address to the Division after this
battle:-
Soldiers of the Light Division,
you have done well. am well
pleased with you. You have fought
in every battle from Mechanicsville
to Shepherdstown, and no man can
say the Light Division was ever
broken. You held the left at Ma
nassas against overwhelming mum
bers and saved the army. You saw
ed the day at Sharpsburg and at
Shepherdstown. You were selected
to face storm of round shot, shell,
and grape, such as / have never be-
fore seen.
am proud to say to you that
your services are appreciated by
your General; and that you have a
reputation in the army which should
be the object of every officer and
private to sustain.
A. P. HILL, Major-General.