William Schouler, A history of Massachusetts in the Civil War: Volume 1

[369] rebel army under Lee. From early spring these two armies had been face to face; from Yorktown to within the sight of the spires of Richmond, they had fought almost daily for months. The advance on Richmond, however, was not successful. The retreat to Harrison's Landing, of General McClellan's army, gave the rebels an opportunity to attack Pope, and defeat him. Then we had the second Bull Run battle. Lee then advanced with his entire command, crossed the Potomac, and entered Maryland. McClellan's army was brought up from the Peninsula, and advanced to meet him. On the fourteenth day of September, Hooker's corps took Maryland Heights by storm; General Reno and General Mansfield killed, Hooker wounded. On the 17th, the battle of Antietam was fought. Lee retreated, with what remained of his army, across the Potomac. He was not pursued, as many thought he should have been. General McClellan was deposed from the command of the army. The pursuit of Lee commenced; but it was too late. This great year of war was practically finished. The army went into winter quarters, taking position in Virginia to shield the capital from attack.

Recruiting for the army continued briskly through the year; the losses in battle, the disasters on the Peninsula and under General Pope, stimulated rather than depressed enlistments. Successes had crowned our arms in the Southwest and in North and South Carolina; and hope grew strong, that, in the end, the Union arms would be victorious everywhere. The wounded and sick who came home spoke in cheering words. They claimed that the Union army had been victorious every time and everywhere. This buoyant and gallant spirit, expressed by those who had seen the most and suffered the most, was remarkable. We cannot call to mind an instance where these wounded veterans ever spoke despondingly; and we saw many of them every day. Their wives and mothers felt proud of them, and the men felt proud of themselves. They had stories to tell which they had learned around the camp-fires, and incidents to relate which happened on the advance and on the retreat. They had learned new phrases, and coined new words, about the ‘Johnnies’ and the ‘Butternuts,’ terms used to designate the