The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1952-04-24

Church in Sharpsburg. This church
was shown also as the German Bap-
fist Brethren Church.
1t was on February %, 1851, that
Samuel Mumma and his wife, Eliza
beth, decided a plot of ground over
looking Sharpsburg for the purpose
of building a church. This beautiful
location was decided to the seven
Deacons, Joseph Wolfe, John S. Row.
land, Samuel Fahrney, Jacob Reich
ard, Samuel Emmert, John w. Stout
fer and Valentine Reichard, all dea-
cons of this church.
The church was not erected until
1858. The dimensions were So by
40 feet, the building was one story
high, built of brick and painted
white. The building committee con-
sisted of Daniel Miller and Joseph
Sherrick. At the time of the organ
ization, the congregation consisted
of the Mummas, Eckers, Millers,
Neikirks and Sherricks, all Dun
kard families living near the church.
The Ministers officiating in the
church were: Daniel Reichard, ia
cob Highbarger, Michael Emmert,
David Long, Daniel Wolfe, Jacob
Bricker, Victor Long, Joshua Long,
John Otto, Rodney Coffman, John
Miller and Walter Thomas.
The last service held in the church
was on September IA, 1862, and Rev.
David Long was in charge. Many
times his sermon was interrupted by
the booming of cannons on South
Mountain. After the service the
people gathered, as was the custom,
at spacious home of a member
in this case it was the residence of
Samuel Mumma. It was after the
noontime meal and while the chill
dren were playing outside, they saw
smoke in the region of South Noun
tain.
Some of the men investigated and
it was soon realized that the battle
was getting closer. Soldiers came
and took their stations along the
Antietam and surrounding hills. The
storm of the battle was great around
the Dunkard church, which was
within Confederate lines. Mumma's
house was burned and everything
but a little clothing was destroyed.
Between the house and church,
which was distance of about one
half mile, the ground was dotted
with hundreds of bodies of both
armies. 1t is thought by some that
the church was destroyed with the
exception of the walls. The follow
ing paragraph is supposed to be an
account by an "eye witness:
"Over this graveyard of the I'M
buried dead we reached woods,
every tree pierced with shot or cut
with bullets, and came to the little
brick Dunkard church on the turn
pike. This must have been focal
point in the battle, for hundred
round shots had pierced its walls,
while bullets by the thousands had
SCARED and battered it. A little
crowd of soldiers was standing
about it, and within, few severity
wounded Rebels stretched on the
benches, one of whom was raving in
agony. Surgical aid and proper at
tendance had already been furnish
ed, and we did not join the curious
within. Out lin the grove, behind the
little church, the dead had been col
lected in groups, waiting for burial,
and some of them wearing our uni
form, but the large majority dressed
in gray"
The building was repaired and
worship was resumed in the sum-
mer of 1864. Services were held In
that building until May %, 1871,
WnGQ Tile was c16oSAAAA
ed, this time by a heavy storm
Many of the parts were carefully
gathered and stored in hopes that
some day it might be rebuilt on the
same remaining foundation.
The Bible belonging to the church
was a gift of one of the early mem
bers. Daniel Miller. It had been
carried away soon after the battle
and had not been heard of until
about forty years Later. It had been
taken by Sergeant Nathan F. Dyk-
man, Co. H. lot N.Y.S.V. This COM
pany fought at the battle at Ante
tam. After his death his sister gave
the Bible to his company, who II
turn wanted it sent back to the
church if it were still existing. /
was finally returned through Johr
p. Lewis, a colored man Of Elmlra
New York, who was a member O