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---- South Mountain -----
HEADQUARTERS FIRST DIVISION, NINTH ARMY CORPS,
Mouth of Antietam Creek, Md., September 21, 1862.
Lieut. Col. LEWIS RICHMOND,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
SIR: I respectfully submit a report
of my division for the 14th instant at South Mountain.
In compliance with orders from General Reno, we
left camp, 1 miles beyond Middletown, and marched to the base of South Mountain to support
General Cox's division. Communicating with General Cox, he advised me to keep my command
where it was, near the main pike or Cumberland road, and consult with General Pleasonton
as to taking a position. Found General Pleasonton near his batteries on the left slope of
the mountain. The general indicated an attack along the slope of the mountain on the right
of the main pike, and, leaving Benjamin's battery with him, I marched my division to the
front, and there formed, Welsh's brigade, the One hundredth Pennsylvania, under Lieutenant
Colonel Leckey, leading as skirmishers, and was about to march Christ's brigade through
the woods higher up the slope, when I was ordered by General Burnside to withdraw my
division and march up by the Sharpsburg road, and take up a position near Cox. Found the
latter to the left of the road some few hundred yards, skirmishing on the wooded slope
with the enemy. The Sharpsburg road here crosses South Mountain near a hollow called
Shriver's Gap. The mountain inclines down toward the main pike, and just where the
Sharpsburg road crosses the slope it winds around to the left, but up to this point it
runs straight. The right of the road looks down on the main pike; the left is covered by
the eastern slope of the mountain.
At General Cox's request I sent two regiments,
viz, Eighth Michigan, Lieutenant-Colonel Graves, and Fiftieth Pennsylvania, Major Overton,
to follow up his line, and was proceeding to take up a position on his right, when I was
ordered by General Reno to take position overlooking the main pike to our right. I planted
a section of Cook's battery near the turn of the road, and opened fire on enemy's battery
across the main pike. After a few good shots, the enemy unmasked a battery on his left,
over Shriver's Gap, from a small field enveloped by woods. He threw canister and shell,
and drove Cook's cannoneers and drivers down the road with their limbers. Cook gallantly
remained with his guns. Cook here lost 1 man killed, 4 wounded, and 2 horses killed. The
attack was so sudden, the whole division being under this fire (a flank fire), that a
temporary panic occurred until I caused the Seventy-ninth New York, Lieutenant-Colonel
Morrison, and Seventeenth Michigan, Colonel Withington, on the extreme left, to draw
across the road, facing the enemy, who were so close that we expected a charge to take
Cook's battery. The Seventy-ninth and Seventeenth here deserve credit for their coolness
and firmness in rallying and changing front under a heavy fire.
I now made a new disposition of the division,
viz: The rear, Seventy-ninth up in front and left of Cook's pieces, and Seventeenth on
right and little in rear; Seventy-ninth as skirmishers along whole line, supported by
Forty-fifth Pennsylvania, Lieutenant-Colonel Curtin; connected Welsh's brigade with Cox's
right, and stretched Christ's brigade from Welsh and across the road, holding the One
hundredth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Leekey, in reserve, and moved up my
whole command under cover of the hillside.
Meantime the enemy's guns continued to play on
us, killing and wounding at all points, but few in number. We lay silent and kept
concealed. Our picket officers reported the enemy in heavy force of regiments in rear of
their skirmishers.
I soon received orders from Generals Reno and
McClellan to silence the enemy's battery at all hazards. Sent picket report to Reno, and
was making disposition to charge, moving the Seventeenth Michigan so as to cross the
hollow and flank the enemy's guns, when the enemy charged out of the woods on their side
directly upon our front in a long, heavy line, extending beyond our left to Cox's right. I
instantly gave the command "Forward," and we met them near the foot of the hill,
the Forty-fifth Pennsylvania in front. The Seventeenth Michigan rushed down into the
hollow, faced to the left, leaped over a stone fence, and took them in flank. Some of the
supporting regiments over the slope of the hill fired over the heads of those in front,
and after a severe contest of some minutes the enemy was repulsed, followed by our troops
to the opposite slope and woods, forming their own position. Their battery in front of us
was withdrawn, but the guns across the main pike played upon us heavily with shot and
shell. Cook reopened his fire. Reno and Sturgis came up. The firing, except from
artillery, had about ceased. Sturgis' regiments relieved my division in the front as soon
as our ammunition was exhausted.
Sturgis opened with his artillery on the
enemy's battery and troops across the main pike, and night came on. A large number of
prisoners and the wounded were collected. After dark the enemy opened fire on Sturgis with
musketry, in which the gallant and beloved Reno was killed, and a temporary confusion
occurred until Sturgis' troops were handsomely rallied, and my division took position
close up in their support. Still later a heavy fire of musketry opened on us, the enemy
(as was learned from a prisoner) being re-enforced by a brigade of Whiting's division, and
the troops were engaged until 10 o'clock, our soldiers firmly holding the ground they had
won. Before 12 o'clock the enemy was in full retreat, abandoning his wounded.
In mentioning names for commendation I would
say that the coolness and gallantry of the commanding officers of brigades and regiments
alike shine brightly. Colonel Welsh handled his brigade handsomely, and Colonel Christ
performed his duty coolly and well. The Seventeenth Michigan, Colonel Withington,
performed a feat that may vie with any recorded in the annals of war, and set an example
to the oldest troops. This regiment had not been organized a single month, and was
composed of raw levies. Scarcely less praise is due to the Forty-fifth Pennsylvania,
Lieutenant-Colonel Curtin, for its bravery and dashing spirit, meeting the enemy's charge
in front in full career. Captain Cook deserves credit individually for his courage and
perseverance under a disorganizing fire, for his activity in repairing the disaster to his
battery, and bringing it to bear upon the enemy's infantry at the right moment. I am
specially indebted to the assistance of Capt. Robert A. Hutchins, assistant
adjutant-general, and to Lieut. Levi Brackett, Twenty-eighth Massachusetts, aide-de-camp,
in my efforts to keep the troops in hand and changing front under fire, and for their
rapid delivery of orders.
Appended is a list of casualties.
Respectfully,
O. B. WILLCOX,
Brigadier-General, Commanding Division.
---- Antietam September 17 -----
HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, NINTH ARMY CORPS,
Mouth of Antietam Creek, Md., September 21, 1862.
Captain BASCOM,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
SIR: I have the honor to submit my report for the 17th instant.
This division marched out of camp to the hills
overlooking the Antietam, near the stone bridge, Sharpsburg road. My orders, received from
General Burnside in person, were to cross over after Sturgis should have carried the
bridge, and after Cox's and Rodman's divisions should have crossed. My orders then were to
take the right of the corps in the attack on Sharpsburg.
After crossing the bridge, the road turns
sharply to the right, runs up the stream about 200 yards, then to the left along an open
hollow or ravine, which winds along to the village, overlooked by heights to the right and
left. Once on the heights, the country is rolling and intersected with field fences, many
of which are of stone. The enemy's sharpshooters were posted behind these fences as well
as hay-stacks, which also, with orchards and corn-fields, served to conceal their lines. A
battery of field guns also commanded the road and hollow down to the river, and the whole
plateau above was swept by cross-fire of artillery. Christ's brigade was filed across the
hollow and drawn up along the crest on the right of the road, his left, resting near the
road, the Seventy-ninth New York (Highlanders), Lieutenant-Colonel Morrison commanding, deployed as skirmishers, and the other three regiments of the brigade in line of battle.
These regiments were the Fiftieth Pennsylvania, Major Overton; the Twenty-eighth
Massachusetts, Captain Caraher, and Seventeenth Michigan, Colonel Withington.
The Second Brigade, under Colonel Welsh, formed
on the heights to the left of the road, deploying the One hundredth Pennsylvania,
Lieutenant-Colonel Leckey, as skirmishers, and forming his other three regiments in line
of battle, viz: Forty-fifth Pennsylvania, Lieutenant-Colonel Curtin, on the right;
Forty-sixth New York, Lieutenant-Colonel Gerhardt, in the center; Eighth Michigan, Captain Ely, on the left. I brought with the division Cook's battery, Eighth Massachusetts, and
left Benjamin's battery, Second U.S. Artillery, doing good work in a commanding position
across the river in our rear, against the enemy's guns on the plateau and heights in front
of us.
My division now formed part of a line which
Generals Burnside and Cox were commanding, and all moved forward about--o'clock. We were
under fire from the moment a man appeared at the crest of the plateau or crossed the
hollow. Taking two pieces of Cook's battery, under Lieutenant Coffin, I moved up the road,
while the two brigades gallantly advanced over the plateau toward Sharpsburg.
The rest of Cook's battery was posted on a hill
near the bridge. Crook's brigade, of Cox's division, followed in support of my line.
Christ's brigade attacked a force of the enemy's infantry along his front, and drove them
steadily before him. In following them up, his brigade got in advance of the rest of the
line; his supports were not up. While halting, the enemy turned their battery on him from
their right (our left), and for a few moments his troops were exposed to the fire of their
battery, a fire of infantry from a corn-field in his front protected by a stone fence, and
from a battery farther up in front, beyond the cornfield. The left coming up, soon
attracted the attention of the flanking battery. Lieutenant Coffin directed his pieces on
the battery beyond the corn-field, and at the same time Christ threw forward the
Seventeenth Michigan, with supports, to charge the battery, seeing the guns were
withdrawn.
Meantime Welsh conducted his brigade against
the enemy in his front and drove them before him with the same success, his right
following the crest of the hollow, gradually approaching Christ's left, so that by the
time we entered Sharpsburg the greater part of my division was on the right of the road
and extended across the hollow, up the side hill, and on the plateau. On this side hill
was an orchard, in which a large force of the enemy was posted and firing heavily at both
Welsh and Christ.
In finding a position for Coffin's two guns at
the head of a lane, which turned up at the first house we passed, I was now able both to
see and assist my division at every part of the ground, and Coffin threw solid shot,
shell, and canister with great precision and effect into the enemy's ranks. The force in
the orchard were dislodged, and fled up the hillside, followed by our fire of both
infantry and artillery, and Welsh occupied the orchard.
Our musket ammunition was now exhausted. We had
carried the heights of Sharpsburg, and rested partly in the town and partly on the hills.
The enemy kept up a desultory fire along our line, but at a respectful distance, so that
when Sturgis on the extreme left became heavily pressed, and I was ordered to withdraw to
the place where my division formed near the river, every regiment marched back in perfect
order. To assist the struggling left, I had already detached Coffin, with his two guns. He
moved across the field to the left and rear, and opened upon the enemy within 300 yards.
Here he remained, doing signal execution, until he also exhausted his ammunition and
withdrew.
As Lieutenant Benjamin was detached from the
division, I inclose a copy of his report separately.
I have particularly to notice the good conduct
of Cols. B. C. Christ and Thomas Welsh, commanding brigades, and all the officers and men
under their commands. There is no officer or man among them who cannot feel proud of
having been engaged in the battle of Sharpsburg, and I recommend that all the regiments of
my division be allowed to inscribe "Sharpsburg" on their colors as well as
"South Mountain." I would also commend the cool, skillful, and gallant conduct
of Lieutenant Benjamin and his officers and men, and the efficiency of Lieut. John N.
Coffin, of Cook's battery, who, with his section, acted under my own eyes, moving up in
the most dashing manner into the village, and striking with his shot on every side. He
mentions his two chiefs of pieces, Sergts. William Davis and Newell B. Allen, and all his
men. Of my personal staff, I have particularly to commend Capt. Robert A. Hutchins,
assistant adjutant-general, and my aides, Lieutenant Brackett, Twenty-eighth Massachusetts
Volunteers, and Lieut. James W. Romeyn, Fourth Michigan, for promptness and fearlessness
in carrying orders, and Lieutenant [Orrin M.] Dearborn, aide-de-camp, also in charge of
the ammunition train, for following up the command with ammunition and delivering it to
all the troops of the corps at a critical time.
This report is with the supplementary battle
reports. I append a list of casualties.
Respectfully,
O. B. WILLCOX,
Brigadier-General, Commanding Division.
[Addenda.]
Itinerary of the First Division, Ninth Army Corps, September 1-October 31, 1862.
September 1, division left camp west
of Centreville, Va., proceeding toward Fairfax, and met the enemy at Chantilly about 5
p.m. A severe engagement ensued, lasting until after dark, in which the enemy were driven
from the field. Brig. Gen. Isaac I. Stevens, commanding the division, was killed, bearing
the colors of the Seventy-ninth New York Volunteers, which he took up after two
color-sergeants had been shot. On the death of General Stevens, Col. Benjamin C. Christ,
Fiftieth Pennsylvania Volunteers, took command, and remained in charge until relieved by
Brig. Gen. O. B. Willcox. Division remained on the battlefield during the night.
September 2, marched to Alexandria.
September 4, marched at 9 p.m., crossed Long
Bridge, and encamped on Meridian Hill, Washington, at 4 a.m. of the 5th.
September 7, struck camp at 8 a.m., marched to
Leesborough, Md., 10 miles, halting at 7 p.m.
September 8, General Willcox arrived and took
command of the division.
September 9, moved at 6.30 a.m., arriving at
Brookville, Md., at 2 p.m.
September 10 the Seventeenth Michigan Infantry
Volunteers joined the division.
September 11, moved at 5 a.m. toward New
Market; encamped at Forer's Creek.
September 12, resumed march at 9 a.m., and
marched to the Monocacy, within 2 miles of Frederick City.
September 13, moved at 2 p.m.; camped within 1
miles of Middletown.
September 14, division ordered to South
Mountain by Boonsborough road, left of main pike, and engaged the enemy at Shriver's Gap,
on the right of Cox's division. Enemy dislodged with heavy loss, and collected 1,100 stand
of arms and some hundred prisoners.
September 15, marched a short distance after
crossing South Mountain, and halted until 11 p.m., at which time resumed march and
continued to near Porterstown.
September 16, an artillery engagement occurred,
in which Benjamin's battery took part. Christ's brigade on picket duty.
September 17, division marched to Antietam
Creek, crossed to the west bank by the stone bridge, and took position on Rodman's right
and on both sides of road, toward Sharpsburg, and engaged the enemy at 5 p.m. Charged up
the hill toward the village, broke the rebel lines, driving them in confusion from their
position opposite our front, and held the position till ordered by General Burnside to
fall back a short distance, holding the west bank of the Antietam, near a ford, and the
road to the bridge.
September 18, remained all day in the position
taken on the 17th until 5 p.m., when the division, being relieved by other troops,
recrossed the Antietam.
September 19, recrossed to the west bank of the
Antietam, and marched toward the Potomac, encamping within 1 mile of the Shepherdstown
Ford.
September 21, Thirty-sixth Massachusetts
Volunteers joined the division.
September 24, Twentieth Michigan Infantry
Volunteers joined the division.
September 26, moved to east side of Antietam
Creek, near Antietam Iron Works, and encamped, where the division remains, drilling and
doing picket duty.
The division was stationed on October 1 at
Antietam Iron Works, Md. Broke camp on the 7th and marched to Pleasant Valley. The
division remained in camp at Pleasant Valley until October 26. when camp was broken, and
marched to Berlin, and there crossed the Potomac River over the pontoon bridge, reaching
Lovettsville, Va., the same day. Remained at Lovettsville until the 29th, when the
division moved to its present station at Waterford, Va.
The several brigades of this command were
ordered for a time away from their encampment during the time in Pleasant Valley, as
follows:
The First Brigade was ordered to Frederick,
Md., on the 11th, leaving camp equipage and baggage behind. The brigade remained at
Frederick until the 15th, when it returned to Pleasant Valley.
The Second Brigade was ordered to guard fords
between Knoxville and mouth of Monocacy River. Headquarters was established at Point of
Rocks, Md.
The Fiftieth Pennsylvania Volunteers and one
company Twentieth Michigan Volunteers, under Lieutenant-Colonel Brenholtz, were ordered to
guard Mock's Ford. Nine companies of the Twentieth Michigan Volunteers and the
Twenty-eighth Massachusetts Volunteers, under Colonel Williams, were stationed to guard
Noland's Ferry.
On October 29 brigade moved from Point of
Rocks, forded the Potomac at Heedle's Ford, and joined remainder of the division at
Waterford at 5 p.m. the same day.
The Third Brigade was ordered to Frederick,
Md., on October 11, leaving camp equipage and baggage behind.
On the 12th the Forty-fifth Pennsylvania and
Thirty-sixth Massachusetts Volunteers, of the brigade, moved to Point of Rocks, Md. The
One hundredth Pennsylvania was ordered to Monocacy Junction. The Thirty-sixth
Massachusetts Regiment remained at Point of Rocks, and the Forty-fifth Pennsylvania moved
to Noland's Ferry. At midnight of the 13th the One hundredth Pennsylvania, having arrived
at the Point of Rocks from Monocacy Junction, was ordered to Noland's Ferry, and on the
l5th all the brigade returned to camp at Pleasant Valley.
Source: OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, Vol 19, Part 1 (Antietam - Serial 27) , Pages 427 - 433