The Sword of Antietam

e on their feet. The officers had sent their horses to the rear, knowing that the

new that the battle was at hand. The Northern trumpets were calling, a

ng behind it. As the last bit of mist rolled away the fence became a twisted line of flame. The fire of the Southern skirmishers crashed in the Union ranks, and the Northern

scares me, standing still under the enemy's fire

rible, yet the Union masses on either wing had begun to press forward. Hooker hurled in two divisions, one under Meade, and one under Doubleday, and another ca

devastating fire. It seemed to Dick that the last of the little regiment was about to be blown away, but as he looked through the fire and smok

ittle progress. The cannon facing them fairly spouted fire, and thousands of expert riflemen in front of them lying behind ridges and among rocks and bushes sent shower after shower of leaden balls that swept aw

t they were the children of victory, led by a man of genius, and they felt equal to any task. Near Jackson stood his favorite young aide, Harry

ho could ride like Comanches, some of whom when lads had been present at San J

that we are winning!" sh

! Confound that fog! It's comin

ned by the smoke from the cannon and rifles. The gray lines in front disappeared and the church was hidden. Yet the Northern

organize and prepare so well, was aroused at last to such a point that he could concentrate his full strength in battle itself, and push home with all his might until able to snatch the reward, victory. As the lad h

his men to the attack. The gaps in their ranks were closed up, and on they went, infantry, cavalry and artillery. The f

ans were borne back, and were driven from the ridges and out of the woods. Exultant, t

ed Dick, but W

ok

ce and impetuous, had gone too far, and now the Southern trumpets sang the charge. Stuart, fiery and daun

often actual physical contact, and the flash from the cannon and rifles blazed in Dick's face. The Southerners in front who had been driven back returned, and as

d then the other, and they continually reeled to and fro. Even the young soldiers knew the immensity of the stake. This was the open ground, elsewhere the Antietam separated the f

f the South were both killed. Mansfield, who led one of the Northern army corps fell dead in the very front line, and the

hick of the conflict. Dick felt a terrible constriction. It was as if some one were choking him with powerful hands, and he s

to side, and they were no longer able to advance. Now Dick heard once more that terrible and triumphant rebel yell, and it seemed to him that they were about to be destroyed utterly, when shell an

oker's valiant men, and Sumner, with another army corps, had crossed the river to the rescue, c

and fro by two combatants, each resolved to win. There were the Union men who had forced the passes through the mountains to reach this field, and

than a man's head, forty acres or so, nearly a quarter of a mile each way, but the corn soon ceased to hide the combatants from o

ugh for his cavalry, dismounted them and put them at the guns. Jackson, with an eye that missed nothing, called up Early's brigade and hurled it into the battle. The North replied with fresh troops, and the combat was as much

ame from not only in front and around him, but far down the side, where the main army of McClellan was advan

e Northern opening into the peninsula nobody could. His men, who knew the desperate nat

istened a while to the growing thunder of the battle in the north-the Dunkard church, around which Jackson and Hooker

the forces of Jackson, already in furious conflict. Nothing escaped him. As he listened to the thunder of the dreadf

tless also he had gauged accurately the mind of the Union leader, who always saw two or even three enemies where but one stood. Relying so strongly upon his judgment he dared to strip himself yet further a

command of Burnside, and his time to win victory had come. He sent the order to Burnside to move forward and force the Antietam. It is said that at this moment Lee had only five thousand men with

outh and west. In truth, he knew little of his own part of the battle. Once he was knocked down, but it was onl

f the battle, he learned that Sumner, who had come with the great reinforc

nd men, and they were advancing in splendid order over the wre

pared instead for an attack of his own. There was word that McLaws and the Harper's Ferry men had come. Jackson galloped to meet them, formed them quickly with his own, and

then he saw that their advance was stopped. Long lines of bayonets advanced upon them, and a terrible artillery fire crashed through and

e Southern advance. Their regiments were coming now across the shorn cornfield. Dick saw the galloping horses drawing their batteries up closer and around the fl

scarcely needed leaders. Sedgwick, another of their gallant generals, fell and was carried off the field, wounded severely. Richa

e of the Northern guns gave them an advantage in artillery, and it was used to the utmost. Dick did not see how men could

n so fast. Many of the regiments on either side had lost more than half their number and would lose more. They were human beings, and even the unwounded began to collapse from mere physical exhaus

bridges, and Lee, watching from his bowlder, hurried the Southern troops forward to meet them. Again the Northern artillery proved its worth. The great batteries sent a hurricane of death over the heads of the men in blue and

eemed overwhelmed, A. P. Hill, as valiant and vigorous as the other Hill, arrived with the last of the Harper's Ferry veterans, having marched seventeen miles, almost on a dead run. They cros

battle had been changed in an instant. Not only could Colonel Winchester mourn over those lost two days, but he could

treet, were still confident. Despite the dispari

rush was so fierce, and they struck at such a critical time that the Northern brigades were unable to hold the ground they had g

that the appalling fury of the battle around him was diminishing. He had not seen such a desperate hand-to-hand battle at either Shiloh or the Sec

but the men in gray never failed to meet it, and actual physical exhaustion overwhelmed the combatants. Pennington went down, and

so thickly with bodies. As the twilight crept up the battle sank in all parts of the peninsula. McClellan, who had lost those two most precious days, and

ll fruit upon this sanguinary field of Antietam. The shattered divisions of Hooker, with which Dick and his comrades lay, were sheltered behind a great lin

strong, and beyond the Antietam also it was ma

day's fighting ever seen in America. Nearly twenty-five thousand dead or wounded lay upon the field. More t

hey told of their awful losses, and of the long list of high officers killed or wounded. Jackson was among the last, and he was gloomy. The man who had alwa

ion, they sat for a while in silence. They realized the smallness of their army, and the immense extent of their losses. The light wind that had sprung up swept over the dead faces of thousands of the

eports he had shown more emotion than they had ever seen on his face before. Now he was quiet, but

s the Potomac to-

still waited in

l your stragglers. Bring up every man who is in the rear. If McCle

at all, but rode slowly away, every one to his command. Yet they w

el, now happily restored to him, eating from time to time a peach that he took from his pocket. Nothing had escaped his observation; he watched every movement, and noticed every rise and fall in the tide of success. His si

feat. It was a question that did not concern them for the present, so utter was their exhaustion. As night came

ad received wounds, although they were too slight to put them out of action. But the Winchester regiment had suffered terribly again. It did not have a hundred men l

area, and the tremendous destruction was visible in the moonlight, heaped up everywhere. Colonel Winchester was as much shaken as he, and t

d toward the field where the corn had been waving high that morning, and where it was now mown by cannon and rifles

nd a big tree, sheltering themselves from a possible shot. But no sound came, not even that of men creeping forward through the undergrowth. All they heard was the moaning of the wind through the

in the shorn cornfield. It seemed as if they slept, but Dick knew that all were dead. He and Colonel

eens, with nerves completely shattered for the time, chattered hysterically of what they had seen. The Antietam was still running red. Both Lee and Stonewall Jackson had been killed and the whole Confederate a

es were too much dulled by all through which he had gone. Words no longer meant anythi

o noticed him. "I don't think you can stand i

after phase of the terrible conflict passed before him. He could see the white wall of the Dunkard church, the Bloody Lane, and most ghastl

them very few in all these brigades had touched a bite the night before, sinking into sleep or stupor before it could be brought to them. But now they

But there was no movement by either army. Dick did not hear the sound of a single shot. Warner and Pennington, recov

they're waiting for the same. The odds are at least ninety per cent in favor of my theory. Their losses are so

ill neither army stirred. McClellan counted his tremendous losses, and he, too, preferred to await attack rather than offer it. His ol

tenants were deciding whether or not they should make an attack of their own. But when they studied with th

shot had been fired, Colon

," he said to Dick, "but I'm convinced

ula, and, crossing the Potomac in to Virginia, and that therefore tactical victory would rest with the Northern side. The noises continued all nigh

day, found that the last Confederate soldier was gone from Sharpsburg. Colonel Winchester and other officers were eager for

with cannon crossed the river and attacked the batteries which were covering the Southern rearguard. Fo

rpose, but they did not rejoice over any victory. The sword of Antietam had turned back Lee and Jackson for a time and perhaps had saved

penly. Nobody could forget those precious two days lost before the battle. Orders

e Southerners certainly fought like demons, but we ought to have been there long be

o we've got the job to do all over again

country is being ripped to pieces. I'll never

than at the Second Manassas," sa

Southerners are recuperating in Virginia. We need restoratives ourselves, and I

big fighting some