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NEAR SANDY HOOK, MD.,
September 22, 1862.
Lieutenant-Colonel LANE,
Commanding Second Brigade.
SIR: I hereby respectfully submit to you the following report concerning the action of the Third Maryland Regiment in the battle near Sharpsburg on the 17th of this month:
We rested from 3 o'clock a. m. in a field about 1 mile from the bridge over the Antietam. At 6.30 o'clock in the morning General Greene, commanding the division, marched us from this field in column by companies, and, advancing in a southerly direction, we reached a point about 1 mile from our starting place. We here met the enemy, who was in possession of a piece of woods. Deploying in line of battle, we here met our first loss; 3 of our men fell. After a short but severe contest, we drove the enemy out of this wood and across a newly plowed field. This woods was filled with the wounded and dead of the enemy, who had taken refuge behind one of the batteries in front and toward our left. Arriving at the farther end of this field, we halted for some minutes, in order to form again in line. Our left rested on a burning farm-house, said to have been the commissary store-house of the enemy, who had, before leaving, set fire to the same and thrown his salt in the well.
After again being formed, we advanced over a meadow toward the battery of the enemy, who had vigorously shelled us during our advance from the woods. Arriving behind the crest of a little elevation, we were ordered to lie down and await the arrival of a battery which had been ordered to our support, and of which a section shortly came up and unlimbered. A full battery, said to have been Knap's, came up soon after and went directly into action. The enemy's infantry advanced from the right, apparently designing to take our battery. We were ordered up, fixed bayonets, and charged forward past the battery, which in the mean time had given the enemy the benefit of two rounds of canister. We drove the enemy, who flew before us across the fields and across the road leading from Bakersville to Sharpsburg. On the other side of the road is a church or school-house, surrounded by woods. Charging through this piece of woods, we drove the enemy out, and held possession nearly two hours. The enemy occupied a corn-field in front of us, and, judging from his fire, must have been in strong force. In this woods I lost most of my men. I took 148 men into action. Our casualties amount to 1 killed and 25 wounded, some of whom have since died. Four were missing.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. M. SUDSBURG,
Commanding Third Regiment Maryland Volunteers.
Source: OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, Vol 19, Part 1 (Antietam - Serial 27) , Pages 510 - 511