A Journal of the American Civil War: V2-2

Theodore P. Savas, David A. Woodbury, Theodore P. Savas, David A. Woodbury

• Publisher: Savas Publishing
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781954547209
• Topic: Geschichte
• Subtopic: Amerikanische Bürgerkriegsgeschichte

Balanced and in-depth military coverage (all theaters, North and South) in a non-partisan format with detailed notes, offering meaty, in-depth articles, original maps, photos, columns, book reviews, and indexes. 1st GA Regulars at Sharpsburg – 9th New Hampshire Infantry at the Crater – 148th Pennsylvania at Fort Crater – Preservation Essay on Battle of Glorieta Pass

The 1st Georgia Regulars at Sharpsburg:

Recollections of the Maryland Campaign, 1862

W. H. Andrews, C.SA.

On the 7th day of September, 1862, Gen. Longstreet’s Corps crossed the Potomac River into Maryland, Gen Jackson’s having crossed the 6th. Would like to have a picture of Longstreet’s men fording the river, preparing to wade. Wading through and preparing to march at the same time. Don’t think the picture would be suitable for the parlor1. The river where we crossed is about 400 yards wide, and not over four feet deep at any place. Everyone had his own ideas about fixing himself up for wading and acted accordingly. On the north bank is the Baltimore and Ohio Canal, something new to me with its locks and canal boats.

On the 8th Longstreet’s Corps arrived at Frederick City and went into bivouacs on the east side while Jackson’s men are on the left, or west of the city. While staying in the city, Jackson’s forces blew up the mammoth iron bridge over the Monocacy River belonging to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company2. On the 9th Longstreet’s Corps went in bathing in the Monocacy River. It was full for at least one mile. What sport the boys had. Guess they needed a good scrubbing.

Don’t look like wartimes in Maryland. Everything looks flush and prosperous. The men, if any has gone to the war they can’t be missed on the streets. Numbers of them showed me their papers where they had been drafted for the army, but any men able to pay the government 300.00 dollars can keep out.3 The women are handsome and true to their colors, as you can see by the little flags that adorn their breast. Saw aprons and window curtains of the Stars and Stripes. They all seem to be friendly disposed and have no reason to be afraid, as Gen. Lee’s orders are very strict in regard to private property, with orders to shoot anyone who disobeys.4

On the 10th of September, Longstreet’s Corps marched in the direction of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Passed through Middletown where I saw lying in the streets several dead horses. Gen. Jackson, with some of his cavalry, had entered the little town and were surprised by some of the enemy’s cavalry. Gen. Jackson [was] pushed so close he lost his cap, but succeeded in making his escape.5

A post-war portrait of W. H. Andrews, 1st Sergeant, Co. M . Photo courtesy of Longstreet Press.

We passed through the Blue Ridge at Crampton’s Gap, or South Mountain Pass, on through Boonsboro and on the 12th arrived at Hagerstown, Md. What a beautiful country we are passing through. Nature has certainly been lavish with her gifts, and not a mile have we passed over but there has been something to attract the eye. The houses and bams all have a thrifty appearance. The orchards are weighted down with the best of apples, with a richer flavor than any I have ever ate. The fences around the yards are lined with apple butter jars, washed and hung out to dry just before using them. Never found out the process by which the apples is made into butter, although it is very good.

Scattered along the road is flour mills busily grinding wheat, while every inch of space is filled with wheat or flour. Don’t look much like starvation in this land of plenty. The com is just roasting ear and causes our boys to see trouble. There is a rear guard behind every brigade with instructions to arrest every man outside of the road. They capture a large number of roasting ear thieves, who are marched under guard until night, when they are required to place all of their com in a pile. Each one will then have to shoulder a large fence rail and march around the com pile in a circle for two hours. Don’t know who gets the com afterwards, but it is not the one who stole it. Poor boys, the way of the transgressor is hard, but guess they deserve all the punishment they get.

When Longstreet left Frederick City, Jackson’s forces again crossed the Potomac into Virginia to capture Harpers Ferry, while Gen D. H. Hill’s Command remained between Frederick City and the Blue Ridge Mountains. On the morning of the 13th, Longstreet’s Corps drew two days rations. Sunday morning, September 14, Longstreet’s Corps ordered back to Crampton’s Gap in the Blue Ridge to reinforce Gen. Hill who was being hard pressed by Gen. George B. McClellan, who had again been placed in command of Union forces.6

What a march we had, a great deal of the time on the double-quick, the distance being about 25 miles. As we neared the mountains we could hear the booming of artillery. As we drew nearer could hear the rattle of musketry. When Longstreet arrived, McClellan was forcing Hill into the gap, but with Longstreet’s assistance, held his ground until late at night when Gen. Lee evacuated the Blue Ridge and retreated to Sharpsburg, on the Antietam River and near the Potomac. Anderson’s Brigade passed through the gap to Hill’s assistance, but were not actively engaged; although losing several men in killed and wounded. While at Crampton’s Gap, could hear Jackson’s artillery at Harpers Ferry. From the rapidity of the firing, must have rained shell on that place.

Sometime after night and just before our forces started to retreat, Lt. F. B. Palmer was wounded through the hand. I went with him through the gap. When nearly through, we was held up by the rear guard, but as it happened Lt. Frank Myers of the Regulars7 was in command of the guard and let us pass through. We went to Boonsboro where we found a surgeon who dressed the lieutenant’s hand. We then went out from the main road near a garden and stretched ourselves under an apple tree and were soon in the land of dreams.

Sometime in the night we were roused up and told that our forces were retreating and we had better get away. On going out to the road we found numbers of soldiers moving in both directions, some towards the mountains and others towards Hagerstown, but none of them could give us any information. So the lieutenant and myself again sought a place to sleep near the roadside. When we awoke the next morning the sun was shining in our faces. We lost no time in getting away from there. We could not learn where the army was, or what direction it had gone, but was told that the army was then entering the village, and if we desired to save our bacon we would have to make tracks in a hurry. Got the lieutenant and myself scared up, for being captured was one of the last things we wanted to take place. So getting on an elevated place where we could see the surrounding country, we looked to see if we could see anything of the army moving in any direction.

We decided that we would be governed by the movements of the stragglers. Whichever direction we saw the most of them marching we would follow. The stragglers were marching south and we followed suit. We had to cut through a plantation in order to reach the road leading to Sharpsburg. We had not proceeded far before we saw a man running as though he would cut us off. Told the lieutenant to wait a moment until I could load my rifle for we might have to fight our way out, but the man proved to be a Rebel sympathizer whose object was to assist us in getting away. We of course thanked him for his kindness and pushed on. We soon reached the road and crossed several burning bridges just in the nick of time. Don’t think we could have crossed them five minutes later.

We saw a soldier who had shot himself through the hand. What a ghastly wound it was, with the leaders of hand jerked out three or four inches long and lying around on the back of his hand. Will bet my old cap that when I am shot somebody else will do the shooting. We offered him not even so much as our sympathy but passed on, soon after catching up with our command.

Battle of Sharpsburg, Maryland

On the 15th of September, Gen. Lee took his position on the ridge at the edge of Sharpsburg and south of the Antietam River, Longstreet on the right with D. H. Hill on the left. On the right of the road facing the river was Anderson’s, Toombs’, and then Drayton’s Brigade on the extreme right. Gen. McClellan’s forces soon arrived and took their position on the north bank of the river, his left against the Blue Ridge Mountains, his right extending up the river. Sharpsburg is a small town of some 1,300 inhabitants and is lower than the ridge, on which our artillery is posted just in front of it. There was considerable sharpshooting throughout the day. Sometime during the day, Harpers Ferry surrendered to Gen. Jackson, with 11,500 prisoners, 15,000 stand of small arms, and 70 pieces of artillery, with all of their supplies and munitions of war. Prisoners were paroled on the field and allowed to return home until exchanged.

Early on the morning of the 16th, we saw a signal flag posted on top of the Blue Ridge Mountains opposite McClellan’s left. While we could not read the signals, knew that the devil would be to pay somewhere on our lines. We were not long in suspense, his batteries on his left opening on our extreme right, occupied by Gen. Drayton’s Georgia Brigade, which was in full view of our position. Every shell seemed to explode right in their ranks, where they were lying down. What a stir it would make among them - we certainly knew how to sympathize with them in our sufferings. Gen. Lee’s line of artillery only extended to the right of Anderson’s Brigade and was posted along in our front, about 20 steps apart. The artillery in our front opened on the enemy’s artillery that was shelling Drayton’s Brigade, which caused the enemy to turn their guns on our brigade. It certainly was one of the hottest artillery duels I have ever witnessed. Our brigade was lying some 40 yards in rear of the guns, and in rear of the hill.

Not many yards distant were the dwelling houses in Sharpsburg, which had been deserted by their occupants when we first formed line of battle. The enemy’s shells would go crashing through them. At one time during the shelling some of our boys had entered a house in search of something to eat, as we had been two days without anything. They found a table with the meal all ready to sit down to, when the occupants were frightened away. The boys made themselves at home, took seats around the table, and proceeded to do justice to what was on it. About the time they had got in a good way, a cannonball came crashing through the wall, knocked the legs from under the table, and dropped it on the floor. It’s needless to say that put an end to the feast.

During the shelling, I saw the extremes of bravery and cowardice exhibited on the field. During the heaviest of the firing, Gen. Longstreet rode along the ridge in rear of our pieces, which were being fired for all they were worth, at the same time receiving more shots than they could return. Him and his horse both seemed to be perfectly indifferent in regard to the shells that was filling the air with death and destruction. He passed slowly down the hill as though he left the place with some regret. Not long after he passed, Gen. Pendleton8, chief of artillery on Gen. Lee’s staff, rode the line in the same way, him and his horse seemingly indifferent to passing events. To cap the climax, Gen. Anderson, our gallant Old Tige, walked the line leisurely along, with is hands crossed behind his back watching the effect of our guns on the enemy position. All three displayed the coolest and most daring bravery, which in a great measure accounts for the fighting qualities of our men. The officers lead, and the men strive to emulate their example.

Just after the officers had thrilled the lines with their cool daring, our assistant surgeon of the 1st Ga. Regulars9 gave an exhibition which caused no little amusement among the soldiers who witnessed the performance. The fire was so distressingly hot that the doctor was completely scared out of his wits and made a break to run. Some of the boys called to him, “Run here doctor, here is a safe place,” and he wheeled and made for that part of the line. By the time he would get there a shell would explode close to him. Back where he came from, another fellow would call to him to run there, th...