The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-03-08
LOOKING BACK TO CIVIL WAR
DAYS
Echo From Antietam-Written BY
One Who Went Through
The Battle

One VINO went through
The Battle
The following letter was written
py the late Theodore J. Vanneman,
or Fort Deposit, and gives vivid
description OF the horrors of war as
viewed from the battlefield of Antie-
lam, in 1852, one OF the bloodiest
MAJOR engagements. For size alone
ms engagement was overshadowed
many times in the World war, but
IN valor OF the participants and the
relative casualties in proportion to
me number engaged, the Battle OF
Antietem will remain in the first
ranks OF great battles.
Battleneld, Sept. IS, 1852.
Early in the morning.
My dear wife:
Thank God that none Of our Bat
terry were killed or wounded in the
terrible. battle of yesterday. Our
corps arrived at the battle ground
DIT ten o'clock yesterday when we
we're Immediately ordered to the
right to support Summer and
oanks Corps which were at that
.ame RECEIVING the brunt Of the fight
and came just in time to drive the
leoels back with awful slaughter.
uur battery was placed in position
and commenced Smelling the woods,
and Rebel Battery, and although
we have changed our position three
or four times, we are not more than
IN. Hundred yards from where we
nrst went in Battery. The rebels
nave suffered heavily. In one place
not fifty yards from our right piece
ny fence, and in space not longer
than above are 33 dead rebels in
ciudlng a rebel Colonel, and all
around us their dead bodies lie.
You cannot move in any way but
what you will see them. The
wounded in our immediate front
banks and rear were removed last
night and this morning. The am
balances are moving those OF some
distance from US and also squads OF
men are at work burying the dead,
and / hope that the whole OF that
duty will be performed before the
light is renewed, il it is to be done
today, for some of the bodies begin
10 smell already, besides their mang-
led forms look horrible. In one
oody there are seventeen bullets,
and others shot in all shapes and
forms imaginable. Such sight I
never want to see again, and never
want to spend another night on
battlefield. The cries Of the wound
ed and dying cannot help but melt
the hardest heart. One poor rebel
whom had given water number
of times in the afternoon called out
to me in the middle OF the night to
please give him water. Some OF the
men supplied his sH;5RalRttis EE6lR b.
fares now, / do not know as he was
removed this morning. In the part
of the fields have travelled over
there is not one Of ours to i've OF
the rebels, but how the different
other portions of the extended field
may be, cannot say, but suppose
that they have lost more than Two
to one, and our loss in killed,
wounded and missing must be 5000,
possibly more, and an officer who
seemed to know, said the rehs lost :
20, 900. Their whole force was
here. Jackson Joined themai-the7
night before, so a wounded rebel
Captain told me. Their divisions
were Hill, Longstreet and jackson
and numbered 10000 men. ssThes
battle-ground was six or seve4a miles !
long. We travelled more than three
miles from near the center to- our
position, SO you must know that 1t
was some in length. Tie cannon
aiding was a great deal heayier than
at Malvern Hills, and thought that
was perfectly awful, but this throws
it entirely in the shade. Battery "A
had one man killed and twelvee
wounded. but do not know how
many horses they lost. We lost
only one. He was killed by q six
pound shot. Capt. Snow has been
quite sick for a couple OF days and
followed with ) trains. He looks
quite bad, but said that he intended
to join the Battery il we got in
fight, but suppose he could not find
US, and am glad of it, for he would
have stayed on the field with us and
the unpleasant smell no doubt would
have made him worse. have not
been able to send anyone to look
after him yet, as we are still on the
field and may move any moment, or
may stay all day. He has applied
for leave of absence. but whether he
will get it, is known only to the pow
ers that be, but do not think there is
much doubt. This is the only en-
velope I have directed and only one
have with me, so will send 1t to
Father who will read it and forward
it to you. When will have an OPP
portunity, have not any idea.
Give my love to all the folks.
When will see my valise and papers
and envelopes is doubtful.
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