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to shoot him if he did not. Soon after his regiment got under fire he laid down behind a trunk of a tree where he was perfectly safe, but seeing a large rock a few feet from him, he got up to go to it, and the instant he rose he fell dead with nine of the enemy's balls in him. What ever could have induced him to go a soldiering a second time after he had discovered his failing we cannot imagine.*

Before we left the field, General Seymour thanked Captain Byrnes and the regiment for their conduct during the battle.

The Reserves moved off about nine A. M., but we were detained on the mountain until noon, when we marched to the turnpike along which we moved to Boonsboro', where we found the churches and buildings filled with the enemy's wounded. Large numbers of prisoners were also there under guard, and further on we passed many more, the most of whom had voluntarily come in and given themselves up to the citizens. Here early in the day our cavalry overtook the enemy's and charging them, killed and wounded a number and captured two hundred and fifty prisoners and two guns.

At Boonsboro' we turned to the left, and marched to Keedysville, where we halted for several hours. Here the boys were most liberally supplied with hot cakes and bread by Mr. John Cost, a good Union citizen of that place, and from whom Captain Byrnes got liquor enough to give the men a ration. Just before dark we moved off and bivouacked in an orchard.

* Bravery is born in us and not acquired. It lies in the blood and is a species of instinct. It is involuntary, and depends not upon ourselves. It is always thoughtlessly impetuous and is inspired by the impulse of example, the blindness arising from common danger, and the heat of battle.

Courage, which is generally confounded with bravery, is not always united with it. It is in the soul, and is a real virtue, a sublime and noble sentiment. It is the result of reflection, of education and sometimes of misfortune. It is animated by patriotism, self-respect and a zeal for the cause engaged in. It is not inaccessible to fear; but it overcomes it. Bravery in the hour of danger is sometimes weakened by reflection; courage is always strengthened by it.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM. FIELD HOSPITALS. THE ENEMY WITHDRAWN TO VIRGINIA. PORTER'S RECONNOISSANCE. VISIT OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.

DURING the day the army under McClellan had been concentrated in the neighborhood of Antietam creek, where the enemy was found occupying a strong position on the heights to the westward of it. Some artillery firing had taken place between our advance and the enemy, but it amounted to little on either side.

BATTLE OF ANTIETAM, SEPTEMBER 16TH AND 17TH.Antietam creek, in this vicinity, is crossed by four stone bridges-the upper one on the Keedysville and Williamsport road; the second on the Keedysville and Sharpsburg turnpike, some two and a half miles below; the third about a mile below the second, on the Rhorerville and Sharpsburg; and the fourth near the mouth of Antietam creek, on the road leading from Harper's Ferry to Sharpsburg, some three miles below the third. The stream is sluggish, with few and difficult fords.

The enemy had the mass of his troops concealed behind the heights to the west of the creek. Their left and centre were upon and in front of the Sharpsburg and Hagerstown turnpike, hidden by woods and irregularities of the ground; their extreme left resting upon a wooded eminence near the cross roads to the north of J. Miller's farm, their left resting upon the Potomac. Their line extending south, the right resting upon the hills to the south of Sharpsburg, near Sheavely's farm. On all favorable points the enemy's artillery was posted, and their reserves hidden from view by the hills, on which their line of battle was formed, could manoeuvre unobserved by our army, and from the shortness of their line could rapidly reinforce any point threatened by our

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attack. Their position, stretching across the angle formed by the Potomac and Antietam, their flanks and rear protected by these streams, was one of the strongest to be found in this region of country, which is well adapted to defensive warfare.

On the right, near Keedysville, on both sides of the Sharpsburg turnpike, were Sumner's and Hooker's corps. In advance, on the right of the turnpike and near Antietam creek, General Richardson's division of Sumner's corps was posted. General Sykes' division of General Porter's corps was on the left of the turnpike and in line with General Richardson's, protecting the bridge on the Keedysville and Sharpsburg pike. The left of the line, opposite to and some distance from the bridge on the Rohrersville and Sharpsburg road, was occupied by General Burnside's corps. In front of General Sumner's and Hooker's corps, near Keedysville, and on the ridge of the first line of hills overlooking the Antietam, and between the pike and Fry's house on the right of the road were placed Captains Taft's, Von Kleiser's, and Lieutenant Weaver's batteries of 20-pounder Parrott guns. On the crest of the hill in the rear and right of the bridge on the Rohrersville and Sharpsburg road; Captain Weed's 3-inch and Lieutenant Benjamin's 20pounder batteries, General Franklin's corps and Couch's division held a position in Pleasant valley in front of Brownsville, with a strong force of the enemy in their

front.

The enemy was commanded by General R. E. Lee, and their force was composed of General Jackson's, Longstreet's, D. H. Hill, Stuart, Ransom's, Jenkins', and other troops, and from information obtained by the examination of prisoners, deserters, spies, etc., previous to the battle, they were estimated to number ninety-seven thousand four hundred and forty-five men for duty, and four hundred guns. Our own force, composed of the corps of General Hooker, Sumner, Porter, Franklin, Burnside, Banks; the divisions of Couch and Pleasanton

numbered eighty-seven thousand one hundred and sixtyfour.

About daylight on the 16th the enemy opened a heavy fire of artillery on our guns in position, which was promptly returned; their fire being silenced for the time, but was frequently renewed during the day. Early in the morning our division moved off to the right of the Keedysville and Williamsport road, where it laid until near three o'clock in the afternoon, during which time we received sugar, coffee, and a few crackers, the roads from Frederick being so crowded with masses of infantry, cavalry and artillery, as to delay the arrival of the supply trains.

At this time our regiment numbered one hundred and seventy-one, rank and file, and four commissioned officers present for duty. Colonel McCandless, Lieutenant-colonel Woodward, and Major Neidé being absent wounded, the command devolved upon Captain Byrnes. Adjutant Cross was acting as an aid to General Seymour. Captain Connors being wounded, the command of Company A devolved on Lieutenant Ross. Captain McDonough being on recruiting service, Lieutenant Jack absent wounded, and Lieutenant Manton absent sick, that of Company B, on Sergeant Cullen. Captain Byrnes being in command of the regiment, Lieutenant Robinson absent wounded, and Lieutenant Nightingale dead, that of Company C, on Sergeant Michael Crowley; Captain Ellis having left his company, Lieutenant Curley being on recruiting service, and Lieutenant Young being absent sick, that of Company D, on Orderly Sergeant Thomas Canavan. Captain Finnie being wounded, Lieutenant Black absent sick, 'and Lieutenant Fletcher dead, that of Company E, on Orderly Sergeant John Taylor. Captain Reitzel and Lieutenant Rhoads being sick, that of Company G, on Lieutenant Wimpfheimer. Captain Mealey was the only officer present in Company H. Lieutenants Kennedy and Clendinning being absent wounded, and Captain Smith being wounded, Lieutenant Harvey detached to the

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Signal Corps, and Lieutenant Justus being absent sick, Company K was commanded by Sergeant Thomas May. Companies C and K, jointly, were under the command of Sergeant-major Woodward.

It was near three o'clock in the afternoon, when our division, followed by Rickett's and Doubleday's, which comprised Hooker's corps, crossed the Antietam at a ford and the upper bridge, and advanced to attack and, if possible, to turn the enemy's left. Some cavalry and Cooper's battery accompanied us, and after moving about a mile, we turned off into the fields to the left of the road, near the house of D. Miller, advancing slowly in columns of divisions, ready to form to resist cavalry, which threatened our flanks and front. Soon the enemy opened, sending their round shot and shell singing in among us, to which Cooper briskly replied, while the infantry advanced, and a severe contest commenced, in which we drove the enemy from the first strip of woods over the fields to the second, the battle lasting until eight o'clock, and the Reserves resting upon their arms on the ground won from the enemy, unassisted by the other divisions of the corps. During the battle, our most estimable and gallant adjutant, Augustus T. Cross, who, at the request of General Seymour, was acting on his staff, was killed, as was also Colonel McNeil, of the "Bucktails."

During the night, we laid in support of Cooper's battery, which continued firing until after nine o'clock. Through the night, shots were continually exchanged between ours and the enemy's pickets, who laid within a short distance of each other in the second woods, and about two o'clock in the morning, the "Bucktails," who were determined the Reserves should have the honor of opening the second day's fight, as they had the first, opened a brisk fire, but they getting short of ammunition, we were sent to relieve them, arriving there just at the grey of the morning. Deploying, we crept on our bellies to our position, and opened a heavy fire upon the enemy,