The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-01-04
ANTIETiM
The Most Fxtraordinar, Battle OF the
Civil War


people that Gettysburg was the most
important battle of the Civil war, but
in an address recently delivered by
+ Capt. Thos. G. rockingham before
the Massachusetts Historical Society,
I we are told that the battle OF Antie-
tam. fought September Il, 1862, "was
the most extraordinary battle of the
civil war" and he gives ample rea-
sons for this statement which seems
to he contrary to the writers and
historians who have uLdertaken to
write history connected with that
great contest
There never was a period OF time
during the four years of that war
when the Union cause was as critical
and we may add, as hopeless. as in
tie early days of September 1862 Tho
great army OF the Potomac that was
depended upon TO defend the national
capital was rallying In 10 the de-
fences In front OF Alexandria and
Washington, from the bloody battle
fields Gf Manassas and Bull Run.
bleeding at every pore. defeated, al
most torn asnnder and discouraged.
The command of that army of de-
fence had been entrusted TO General
Pope and he had utterly failed. The
great heart OF President Lincoln was
almost broken. General Lee was
pushing his thus far victorious le-
gons across the Potomac, threaten
ing not only the Nations Capital. but
Baltimore and Philadelphia us well.
Some of the foreign governments,
especially England, were awaiting the
outcome. ready to recognize the South
ern Confetleracy should the Confeder
ates win in the Maryland campaign.
In this tremendous emergency that
threatened the nations life. President
Lincoln called his cabinet together.
general must be appointed to com
mand the army Of the Potomac, in
fn8e new life and courage and lead
il 10 certain victory or all is lost.
The situation was considered. Adj
yersity sof opinion existed with the
members of the cabinet. Secretary
Of War Stanton was bitterly opposed
10 Mcclellan and would not even con
slider his appointment Secretary OF
State Seward was al a loss to know
whom to appoint and the members
Of the cabinet could noti seem To be
united in any available military lead
et 10 meet the mighty responsibility
that would rest upon him. There
was but one and the calm discover
ing mind OF the great President knew
ii aud so he arose and dismissed the
cabinet VITA the words: Gentlemen.
| shall appoint Gen. Mcclellan and
take the consequences. The writ
or of this article was member of
one of the Maine regiments in the
third corps that had broken camp on
the James River the middle of Au-
gust marched over s ~ miles 70
Yorktown and crowded aboard of an
ocean steamer CROSSED Chesapeake
Bay and up the Potomac River. one
hundred seventy miles to Alexandria
and from thence sixty miles by train
To the front Of General Pope'S army,
then fighting on The Rapahannock.
thence marching and cOunter-march-
ing and giving battle to the enemy
back again to Alexandria. losing heay
ily in killed and wounded at the
second battle of Bull Run and Chant
ilby, and when the surviving men,
borg of that old Third Corps receiv-
ed the glad news, read TO them on
dress parade that their loved com
mander had been restored to them,
and that General Mcclellan had as
sumed command of the army OF the
Potomac, Il cheer went up all along
the lines that was neyfr equalled
before nor ever afterwards. And
what was the result? a correct his
tory will show. Within two weeks
that broken, discouraged army was
moved hundred miles on to the bat
tleields of South Mountain and Antie-
tam, hurled the Confederate army
back again across the Potomac, with
the Nations Capital and the Union
saved. That one act of President
Lincoln in assuming the great res
possibility of appointing General Me-
Clellan to the command OF the army
of the Potomac. at this critical stage
in the history of the civil war. may
well be considered as the greatest OF
them all for it was dependent upon
victory to the Union arms that the
emancipation proclamation followed.
OF the hundreds OF battles fought
during the four years of Civil war,
Antietam was the hardest fought. the
most even fought and the bioodiest
fought battle, for one day of them all.
The forces arrayed against each 9TH
err were about evenly balanced in
numerical strength, but Lee had the
advantage of position and was on the
defensive while McClellan's forces
were mostly engaged in attacking the
enemy. All through that eventful
day. Army Corps and divisions and
brigades and regiments surged back
and forth in their gigantic death
grip, and when the shades of night
fell. two thousand Union soldiers lay
dead on the field with ten thousand
wounded, many of them mortally. The
Rebel army suffered fully as much.
The Gettysburg battle occupied
three full days losing three thousand
killed and proportional number
wounded. 1t will be voted that the
killed and wounded at ,Antietam in
one day were twO-thirdS as many as