John W. Garland

Age 24, from Rochester, he enlisted on 2 August 1862 and mustered as a Private in Company H, 9th New Hampshire Infantry on 13 August.

He was with his company in Maryland, and Captain Edgerly later related:

On the 18th day of September, 1862, the next day after the great battle of Antietam, the Ninth New Hampshire was deployed as skirmishers, and at times the firing between our lines and the rebels' was both rapid and heavy. In front of us (Company H) was a plowed field, and about ten o'clock in the forenoon, while the bullets were whistling over our heads, I heard a voice that sounded like a child crying for help, and it appeared to come from the plowed field in our front. Every few minutes would come the cry for help, and at last I saw a head lifted above the ground about thirty yards in front of my post. One of my men, John W. Garland, also saw this at the same time, but in a moment more the head dropped back out of sight, though we could still locate the place where it had appeared by a small tree near by.

Whoever it was that was making this pitiful appeal, I wanted to rescue him, but what with the sharpshooters in the trees and the rebels behind a stone wall it looked risky. Garland promptly volunteered to go and get him, but I said that while I would be very glad to have him save the boy I was afraid he himself would get shot, and I would not order him or any other man to go where I was afraid to lead. He insisted on at least making the attempt, and by my order took off his knapsack. Starting on the run, he quickly reached the spot, picked up the boy, for such he proved to be, and in a trice came back to my post and laid the boy down at my feet.

I don't think a single shot was fired at Garland, either in going or returning. The poor little fellow for whom he had so bravely risked his life was badly wounded in his leg, and had lain upon the cold, bare ground since the previous afternoon. In answer to my questions he said that he belonged to the Eighth Connecticut, and that his regiment had retreated and left him on the field.

I told Garland then and there that his deed was a heroic one, and as long as I lived to tell the story he should have the credit that belonged to him. At my request he took the boy on his back and carried him to the field hospital a quarter of a mile away. Soon after this Garland was himself taken sick, but refused to go to the hospital, keeping with his company until we arrived at Berlin, near Harper's Ferry, where he died [on 26 November 1862], — a truly brave and noble man.

He was originally buried in Knoxville, MD but was reinterred in the new Antietam National Cemetery in about 1867.

His burial information from the Antietam Cemetery History 1 with his service from Ayling.2 The quote above from Lord's History.3 His gravesite is on Findagrave.

c. 1838; Rochester, NH

11/26/1862; Berlin, MD; burial in Antietam National Cemetery, Sharpsburg, MD