Following the Flag, from August 1861 to November 1862, with the Army of the PotomacCoffin, Charles Carleton
History
Following the Flag, from August 1861 to November 1862, with the Army of the Potomac
Coffin, Charles Carleton
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Campaigns
At this early hour, before any movement was made, Tuft, Langner, Von
Kleizer, Weaver, Weed, and Benjamin, with twenty-pounder Parrott guns,
planted on the hills east of the Antietam, between the center and
lower bridges, opened upon Lee's lines, throwing shells and solid shot
into Sharpsburg, and upon D. H. Hill on Rulet's farm. "It enfiladed my
line, and was a damaging fire,"[62] says Stonewall Jackson, who brought
up his batteries of heavy guns,--Prague's, Carpenter's, Raine's,
Brokenbrough's, Caskie's, and Wooding's batteries.
[Footnote 62: Jackson's Report, Southern History, Vol. II. p. 132.]
Meade's men went cheerily to the work. They began at long range to give
their volleys; they were in the hollow, northeast of Miller's. Lawton's
troops looked down upon them from their shelter beneath the trees and
behind the hills.
The Reserves began to drop beneath the galling fire. Hooker rode up to
them upon a powerful white horse. The bullets flew past him, cutting
down the corn, and bursting shells sprinkled him with earth; but he was
calm amid it all, directing the troops and holding them up to the work
by his mighty will.
Nearer to the woods now, shorter the range, more deadly the fire.
Ricketts came up on the left with Duryea's and Christian's brigades.
There were heavier volleys from the cornfield and open ground, fainter
replies from the woods. It was an indication that Lawton was growing
weaker.
"Forward!" It was an electric word. The Reserves, with Ricketts's two
brigades, went up with a cheer into the woods, through into the open
field, following the fleeing Rebels, who were streaming past Miller's,
over the field in front of the church, into the woods behind it. The
Reserves reached the middle of the field; but now from the woods into
which Lawton had fled there were quick volleys of musketry and rapid
cannon shots from Hayes's, and Trimble's, and Walker's, and Douglas's,
and Starke's brigades of Jackson's division.
The Reserves stopped in the middle of the field. They gave a few
volleys. The men dropped fast. Some of the wounded crawled, some
hobbled away; others lay where they fell, motionless forever. The
living turned and sought the shelter of the woods, from which they had
driven the enemy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account