We took with us an excerpt of a journal from a Sergeant in the 124th, Charles Broomhall. He was in a different company from my ancestor but their experiences were probably similar. The boys in company D are familiar local names. In fact, I work at the house of company D's 1st Lieutenant.
The journal, while probably based on a real journal, reads more like memoirs and may have been in the process of being prepared for publication.
For September 17th 1862, he wrote:
" At the commencement of the battle at day dawn, our boys had been
listening to the stray shots on the edge of the 1st named woods called
the East Woods, the rebels had come through the corn and deployed
pickets on the edge of the East Woods. Our pickets were deployed in the
edge of this woods, consequently, at daylight the two picket lines
found themselves face to face and that caused the suddenness of the
onset. Our brigade was about æ of a mile to the right and rear, and our
regiment was brought up to near the clear sod field first spoken of
while shot and shell went fluttering over our heads like partridges for
sound. We were soon formed in line of battle at right angles to the
turnpike and also at right angles to the lines which were doing the
fighting, about 700 yards distant. A good number of wounded were now
passing to the rear and this was the first sight of battle we had seen
and the blood also, and it shook the nerves of some of the boys. The
shells crashing through the trees and fluttering overhead as well as the
musketry in advance of the left, all contributed to mark the time, and
place, fixed in one's memory forever. We now advanced to the edge of
the cleared field adjoining the cornfield. There we halted for a few
minutes, our right resting on or a little across the pike and in a small
grove. Here old Gen. Mansfield rode up to Gen Crawford who was within a
few feet of me, and told him to hold this woods as we were hard pressed
on the center. Fine old man that was the last I ever saw of him, as he
was shot a few moments after, but we advanced with fixed bayonets
across this open field on the cornfield, with a great hurrah, and as our
regiment was a large one compared with those of a year old, the rebels
got out of that corn in a hurry across the fire into a field near J. Miller's barn and into the woods a little
further to the South, but they had been roughly handled before we got to
this part of the field we now advanced into this cornfield and were
halted. Our company was among the rebel wounded. We got the order to
lie down. I was so close to the rebel wounded, one in particular, that I
had to separate myself from the company. One man was moaning and
asking for water. Ben Green gave him some, had to pour it down him. I
hadn't a drop in my canteen. The poor fellow said he was from South
Carolina and had been forced into the war. He died while we laid there."
Taken from in the Sunken Road |
A larger excerpt of his diary about the battle of Antietam can be read at History Lost and Found. It was transcribed by Carolyn Ivanoff.
"...One man was moaning and asking for water. Ben Green gave him some, had to pour it down him. I hadn't a drop in my canteen. The poor fellow said he was from South Carolina and had been forced into the war. He died while we laid there.".."
ReplyDeleteWow! Thank you for that entry.
Scott, that's actually the sentence that really got to me. Reading battle summaries doesn't remind you that every one of those numbers was a real person with a life and family. Thanks for commenting.
ReplyDeleteWe went to Antietam in '06. It was unfortunate that we only spent a half day there because there's so much to see. I hope to go back but the Lord only knows when that'll happen.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post - the diary excerpt just brought it to life!
Ken, We didn't get to spend much time either but we are definitely planning to go back.
ReplyDelete