Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[466]

Second division.

Capt. H. R. Mighels, A. A.G., Capt. C. H. Hale, aid, and Capt. W. C. Ramalle, A. D.C. and ordnance-officer, all of Gen. Sturgis's staff, for personal gallantry; also, Captain U. Slato, A. Q.M., Captain F. Berrier, C. S., and brigade Surgeon F. Watson, of Gen. Sturgis's staff, for efficiency in their departments; Captain Clark, battery E, Fourth artillery, Lieut. Hinkle, A. D.C. to Gen. Nagle, for activity and gallantry; Surgeon Reber, for devotion to his duty; Orderly Sergeant C. F. Meskle, company E, Fourth artillery, for gallant conduct and able handling of the battery after all the commissioned officers were disabled.

Third division.

Lieut.-Col. Kimball, commanding Ninth New-York volunteers, Major Jardine, commanding Eighty-Ninth New-York volunteers, and Major Ringold, commanding One Hundred and Third New-York volunteers, for gallant conduct and able management of their commands.

Kanawha division.

Lieuts. R. P. Kennedy, A. A.A. G., and J. Botsford, A. A.D. C., of Col. Scammon's staff, for coolness and efficiency; Colonels George Crook, commanding Second brigade, and Hugh Ewing, commanding First brigade, for energy and skilful bravery; Lieuts. Furbay and Duffield, Thirtieth regiment volunteers, acting as aids to Col. Ewing, and who were both killed; Lieut.-Colonel A. H. Coleman, commanding Eleventh regiment volunteers, killed while gallantly leading his men; Lieut.-Col. J. D. Hines, Twelfth regiment volunteers; Color-Sergeants White and Carter, who were both killed, and Corporals Howett, of company D, and Buchanan, of company C, of the same regiments, for rescuing their regimental colors, when the color-sergeants were shot.

The General commanding takes this opportunity to mention the gallant and meritorious conduct of Captain G. M. Bascom, A. A.G.; Lieuts. S. L. Christie, J. W. Conine, and The. Cox, aids-de-camp on his personal staff; brigade Surgeon W. W. Holmes, for his thorough attention to the duties of the medical department, in the prompt organization of hospitals, and systematic provision for the wounded; Surgeon Cutter, late medical director on General Reno's staff, for energetic attention during the action to the disposal of the wounded in the field; also, to thank Captain E. P. Fitch, A. Q.M. and acting commissary of subsistence, for unwearied labor, by night as well as by day, in bringing forward supplies to the command under circumstances of great difficulty; also, to thank Mr. F. Cuthbert, a civilian, and employed in the quartermaster's department, for gallantry displayed as a volunteer in carrying despatches and orders upon the field.

The ability and gallantry displayed by the division commanders has already been noticed, in the official report of the engagement.

Fierce and desperate battle between two hundred thousand men has raged since daylight, yet night closes on an uncertain field. It is the greatest fight since Waterloo — all over the field contested with an obstinacy equal even to Waterloo. If not wholly a victory to-night, I believe it is the prelude to a victory to-morrow. But what can be foretold of the future of a fight in which from five in the morning till seven at night the best troops of the continent have fought without decisive result?

I have no time for speculation — no time even to gather details of the battle — only time to state its broadest features, then mount and spur for New-York.

After the brilliant victory near Middletown, Gen. McClellan pushed forward his army rapidly, and reached Keedysville with three corps on Monday night. That march has already been described. On the day following the two armies faced each other idly until night. Artillery was busy at intervals; once in the morning opening with spirit, and continuing for half an hour with vigor, till the rebel battery, as usual, was silenced.

McClellan was on the hill where Benjamin's battery was stationed, and found himself suddenly under a rather heavy fire. It was still uncertain whether the rebels were retreating or reenforcing. Their batteries would remain in position in either case, and as they had withdrawn nearly all their troops from view, there was only the doubtful indication of columns of dust to the rear.

On the evening of Tuesday, Hooker was ordered to cross the Antietam Creek with his corps, and feeling the left of the enemy, to be ready to attack next morning. During the day of apparent inactivity, McClellan, it may be supposed, had been maturing his plan of battle, of which Hooker's movement was one development.

The position on either side was peculiar. When Richardson advanced on Monday he found the enemy deployed and displayed in force on a crescent-shaped ridge, the outline of which followed more or less exactly the course of Antietam Creek. Their lines were then forming, and the revelation of force in front of the ground which they really intended to hold, was probably meant to delay our attack until their arrangements to receive it were complete.

During that day they kept their troops exposed and did not move them even to avoid the artillery-fire, which must have been occasionally annoying. Next morning the lines and columns which had darkened corn-fields and hill-crests had been withdrawn. Broken and wooded ground behind the sheltering hills concealed the rebel masses. What from our front looked like only a narrow summit fringed with woods was a broad tableland of forest and ravine; cover for troops every where, nowhere easy access for an enemy. The