1862.

Sept. 2.

Sept. 4.

Sept. 5.

Sept. 6.

Sept. 7.

Sept. 8.

Sept. 9.

Sept. 10.

CHAPTER V.

UNDER MCCLELLAN. SOUTH MOUNTAIN AND ANTIETAM.

THE good people at Washington were sorely puzzled and somewhat dismayed. In their trepidation they handed the broken masses of what had been Pope's army to McClellan, with the prayer that he would try and avert further disaster. Meanwhile Lee, astounded at the easy victory he had gained, rapidly sketched out a new campaign; and the rebel army marched northward to Maryland.

Drew rations, and during the morning marched via Fairfax to Hall's Hill, and camped.

Shifted camp a mile. In the forenoon the rebs fired into the regimental baggage-train. At night twenty-six recruits arrived, with Chaplain Washburn (who had been sent to the regiment by Gov. Andrew).

Heavy firing up the river. Crossed Chain Bridge at 10.30 P.M. Marched via Georgetown and Washington, and bivouacked at Leesborough. Are now in First Corps, under Hooker.

Marched at five A.M. Went seventeen miles without halting. Camped near Mechanicsville.

New ponchos received. Capt. Bates of Company H left the regiment, having been commissioned major of Thirtythird Massachusetts. Gen. Hartsuff and staff joined the brigade.

Received new knapsacks. Marched at five A.M. via Mechanicsville. Travelled ten miles.

Warm. Sixteenth Maine joined brigade.

Reveille at four A.M. Marched on cross-road between the two pikes for ten miles. Halted on Frederick pike,

1862. twenty miles from Frederick.

Sept. 12.

Sept. 13.

Sept. 14.

Sept. 15.

Sept. 16.

Reb pickets were said to

be four miles away. Marched fourteen miles toward Frederick, and camped.

Bad storm. Marched at noon via Lisbon. Halted just outside of Strawtown. Three hundred reb soldiers who were in the town left incontinently at our approach. (It turned out they had bivouacked in the same field with us.)

Fine. Marched at twelve м. Reached Newmarket at three P.M., and Cantonment Hicks (or rather its site) at six P.M. Every one seemed glad to see us, and waving flags and handkerchiefs were plentiful by the wayside. At 6.30 P.M. camped on the banks of the Monocacy. Many of the regiment took occasion to visit the scene of their first winter in service.

Reveille at three A.M. Marched to Frederick, remaining there one hour. Then on for eight miles to Middletown, where signs of a battle began to be manifest.

Moved to the right on the old Hagerstown pike, passing Gen. McClellan, who had been to the front reconnoitering. Reno had the left; King's division, commanded by Hatch, held the centre, resting on the turnpike; while Ricketts's division was on the right. The rebs, being on the hillslope, could plainly see all our movements: their strength and dispositions were unknown to us. At four P.M. the whole line was engaged fighting inch by inch up the hills. Hooker had turned the rebel left; and Gibbons's and Hartsuff's brigades pushed up the turnpike, fighting steadily till nine P.M., when—having gained the summit of the pass ammunition was exhausted. Relieved at midnight by two of Sumner's brigades, our brigade rested on its arms till daylight. The nature of the ground favored the Twelfth, so that its loss was but one man killed.

At 7.30 A.M. a flag of truce came to bury the Confederate dead. At eight A.M. the regiment marched, halting just beyond Keedysville.

Heavy firing in front roused the regiment early. Rations were issued; and the brigade marched, making a detour of two miles to avoid the artillery fire. Crossed Antietam Creek, and turned sharply to the left, coming

1862. into an open field whence issued heavy musketry fire. Hooker formed his line with Doubleday on the right, his artillery on a hill-crest, Meade's Pennsylvania Reserves in the centre, and Ricketts on the left. At dark all was quiet; but Hooker, who spent the night in a barn,before going to bed, said, "To-morrow we fight a battle that will decide the fate of the Republic."

Sept. 17.

At early dawn Hooker opened the ball. During the night Ricketts and Meade had changed positions, Doubleday still holding the right. "Forward!" said Hooker, his intent being to seize the Hagerstown road, and crush in the rebel left. Across a cornfield, over a fence, still on marched Ricketts, till he stood face to face with Jackson's veterans, under old Stonewall himself. Then began a Titanic struggle. Companies E and K were deployed as skirmishers under Capt. Cook, and speedily the reb skirmish line was driven in. Our brigade struck their line of battle a little sooner than was expected, but, having found the enemy, forthwith opened. Down went Gen. Hartsuff severely wounded, down went officer after officer, until the command devolved on Capt. Cook. The dead of the regiment lay in piles, and the wounded kept thinning the line, yet Ricketts fought on. He formed what was left of his division into a brigade, and tried to advance. Failing, he notified Hooker that he could only hold on. Crawford's and Gordon's brigades, of Mansfield's corps, came to the rescue; Hooker being determined to carry the woods beyond, and to the right of the cornfield. Alas! just at this, the critical moment, Hooker was wounded; and Sumner- the "old bull of the woods - took command. Sedgwick's division came to support Ricketts, Crawford, and Gordon; but nothing more was gained, and darkness put an end to the conflict.

The Twelfth entered the battle with three hundred and forty men. It came out with thirty-two under its colors. When the regiment was relieved, a few men left the ranks temporarily to help their wounded comrades to the rear. Its actual casualty list was,

Among the killed was Assistant Surgeon Kendall, who was at the amputating-table when hit by a bullet.

Gen. Ricketts, in his official report, says of Hartsuff's brigade,

"The brigade moved forward, officers and men displaying great coolness, while exposed to a severe fire of artillery and infantry."

A publication entitled, "Wisconsin in the War," says (pp. 328, 329), —

"Meade and his Pennsylvania reserves fall back. Gen. Hooker sees the crisis, and sends for more troops. He sees the danger increasing, and posts an aide to Gen. Doubleday with the message, 'Give me your best brigade.' Hartsuff, with the Twelfth and Thirteenth Massachusetts, and other troops, rushes to the rescue; and they carry a point of woods that commands the position first gained."

Sypher's "History of Pennsylvania Reserves" say's (p. 383),

“Hartsuff's brigade was moved from the right, and sent to the edge of the woods fronting the cornfield. For half an hour they held the ridge, unyielding in purpose, exhaustless in courage There were gaps in the line, but it nowhere quailed. There was no more gallant, determined, heroic fighting in all that desperate day."

The Eleventh Pennsylvania say ("Story of the Regiment, p. 127), —

"Send me your best brigade,' was the message to Ricketts. In a moment Hartsuff's brigade, that had been in position on a slight elevation near the house of Joseph Poffenberger, came down the hill on the double-quick, through the open ground beyond and into the cornfield, passing, as they went, the fragments of three brigades shattered by the rebel fire, and now streaming to the rear.

1862.

"I think they will hold it,' said Hooker, as he saw that splendid brigade of veteran troops moving on under a galling and destructive fire. At the moment of entering the cornfield,

a conspicuous mark to the enemy, — the brave Hartsuff fell from his horse severely wounded.

"Forward, Third Brigade!' rang out the voice of Col. Coulter, who succeeded to the command."

George N. Smalley's report to "The New-York Tribune," says ("Rebellion Record," vol. v. p. 466), –

"In ten minutes the fortune of the day seemed to have changed: it was the rebels now who were advancing, pouring out of the woods in endless lines, sweeping through the cornfield. Hooker sent in his nearest brigade to meet them, but it could not do the work. He called for another. Not hesitating a moment he sent to Doubleday: 'Give me your best brigade instantly.'

"The best brigade came down the hill, went through a storm of shot and bursting shell, passing, as they went, the fragments of three brigades shattered, and streaming to the rear. They passed by Hooker, whose eye lighted as he saw these veteran troops. 'I think they will hold it,' he said.

"Gen. Hartsuff took his troops very steadily, and formed them on the crest. Not a man who was not in full view, not one who bent before the storm. Firing at first in volleys, they fired then at will with wonderful rapidity and effect. They were the Twelfth and Thirteenth Massachusetts, and another regiment which I cannot remember.

:

"There they held the ridge, unyielding in purpose, exhaustless in courage. There were gaps in the line, but it nowhere bent their general was severely wounded early in the fight, but they fought on. Their supports did not come : they determined to win without them. There was no more gallant, determined, heroic fighting in all this desperate day."

"fair ""

In The Citizen Soldier," a paper, published at Abington, Mass., Dec. 15, 1869, is an account of Antietam, by one who served in the Twelfth :

Early Monday morning we move down the west side of the mountain; and it has a strange look to us, tired, ragged, and dirty as we are, to see Gen. Hooker in the saddle taking his brandy and water, looking as clean and trim as though he had just made his morning toilet at Willard's.