Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 126, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 October 1903 — IS ON BLOODY. SOIL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

IS ON BLOODY. SOIL

DEDICATION OF A MONUMENT ON FIELD OF ANTIETAM. Shaft Recalls the Story of That Desperate Engagement Between Generals McClellan and Lee —President Roosevelt in Attendance. Forty-one years ago the bloody battle of Antietam, between the Confederate forces under Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Union troops under Gen. George B. McClellan, was fought on the soil of Maryland. In commemoration of the part taken in the engagement by the troops of New Jersey a monument was recently erected by that commonwealth, and dedicated in the. presence of President Roosevelt, who delivered an address. The battle was one of the bloodiest conflicts of the war. After the defeat of the army of the Potomac in the seven days’ fighting along the Chickahominy the Confederates resolved upon an invasion of Maryland. The seven days' fighting had been highly encouraging to the Confederates, and correspondingly depressing to the Union side. The Federals had lost in those battles a total of 20,000 killed, wounded and prisoners, 52 pieces of artillery, 35,000 stand of arms and immense quantities of military stores. What was still more discouraging, the magnificent army of McClellan had been pushed back to the James river. This situation thoroughly aroused the government at Washington. Two orders were issued in quick succession, each calling for 300,000 fresh troops, and within the brief period of three months 600,000 men were raised, armed and placed in the field. Washington being theatened by the invasion of Maryland, measures for

Its further protection were adopted. The commands of Gens. Banks, Fremont and McDowell were combined and placed under Maj. Gen. John Pope. McClellan's army at Harrison’s Landing and Burnside’s corps, which wns awaiting orders in Hampton Roads, were ordered to re-enforce Pope. The latter had then under him a splendidly equipped army of 100,000 men, and proudly made the boast that he would soon capture Richmond. In quick succession the Confederates met and defeated him at Cedar Mountain, Bull Run and Chantilly, crossed the Potomac, near Leesburg, and concentrated their forces at Frederick.

During his brief campaign Pope had lost 30,000 men, 8 generals killed, 30 pieces of artillery and 20,000 stand of arms. The Confederate loss was 9,000 men and 5 generals. Pope was promply relieved of his command and McClellan was again made commander of the army of the Potomac. McClellan, after reorganizing the broken forces turned over to him by Pope, moved out to give battle to Gen. Lee. The right wing was commanded by Burnside, the center by Sumner, and the left by Franklin. Lee retired from Frederick and took up a strong position in front of Sharpsburg, with his front protected by Antletam creek. Battle of Antietam. On the afternoon of September 15 the Union forces took up their position in front of the Confederates, the Antietam creek separating the two armies. A heavy cannonading by the Federals opened the proceedings the following day, and in the afternoon Gen. Hooker’s corps was sent by McClellan to force a passage across the Antletam, at the extreme right of one of the four stone bridges spanning the stream. Hooker crossed by the upper bridge, beyond the range of Confederate fire, and was soon engaged with the Confederate left under Hood. He forced the latter back and, being re-enforced during the night by Mansfield's corps, was thus in good position to resume operations the next day. The struggle opened early in the morning of the 17th with the Confederates, some 65,000 strong, occupying their old position. The aggregate strength of the Union forces was 85,000 men. Hooker’s and Mansfield’s corps, 18,000 strong, were on the Confederate side of the stream, with Sumner's corps ready to follow. The rest of the Union forces had not crossed the Antletam.

Hooker opened the battle and succeeded in forcing the Confederates’ left wing, commanded by Jackson, back a half a mile. Re-enforcements were hurried to Jackson’s aid, and the Union troops were hurled back to their position of the morning. Sumner’s corps now engaged the enemy a little to the left of Hooker, and gradually pressed back the Confederates. The latter, receiving re-enforcements, made a desperate counter attack, and

Sumner met the same fate as Hooker, being hurled back to the Autietam. The scene now changed to the extreme Union left where the corps of Burnside and Porter were stationed. Burnside had orders to cross the Antietam by a stone bridge, all the approaches to which were commanded by the fire. He suffered heavily In attempting to reach the bridge, and seeing the futility of further sacrifice sent a force further down the creek to try and find a ford This force succeeded in gaining the Confederate side of the stream, thus creating a diversion which enabled him to send the main body of his force across the river by the bridge. After reforming his lines Burnside charged the Confederates and forced' back the Confederate right for several hundred yards. He was in turn defeated and driven back, like the other corps, to the banks of the Antietam. Night ended the struggle, leaving both armies confronting each other on the west bank of the creek. On the 18th McClellan remained on the defensive, arranging his forces, which bad been re-enforced by two strong divisions. He was to have attacked on the 19th, but meantime Gen. Lee retired, recrossed the Potomac river and took up a strong position in Virginia. McClellan’s loss was 2,010 men killed and 9,416 wounded and 1,043 missing —a total of 12,469. The Confederate loss is estimated at 9,000 in killed, wounded and missing.

UNDER A HAIL OF CONFEDERATE LEAD AT ANTIETAM.