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Antietam Battlefield Historical Tablet No. 103

Battery B, 4th U.S. Artillery

6 AM 17 September to 12 PM 17 September

U.S.A.
BATTERY B, 4th U.S. ARTILLERY
Capt. Joseph P. Campbell, U.S.A., Commanding.

(September 17, 1862.)
   Early in the morning, this Battery advanced from its bivouac morth of Jos. Poffenberger's, passing through the North Woods to the ploughed fields immediately south of them. One section, under command of Lieut. James Stewart, was advanced to a position east of D.R. Miller's house and about 205 yards from this road, and shelled the woods around and north of the Dunkard Church. In a few minutes Stewart crossed the road and, taking position about 60 yards west of this point, engaged the Confederate Artillery and Infantry. He was joined by the other four guns of the Battery which took position on his left, one gun in the road, a few feet in advance, working effectively against the Confederate Infantry in the Cornfield. The Battery was charged by Hood's Division, the charge being repulsed by a rapid fire of double charges of canister, with the help of the Infantry supports - the Brigades of Gibbon and Patrick. In this contest Capt. Campbell was wounded and the command fell to Lieut. Stewart. After a close and severe engagement in which the Battery lost 9 men killed and 31 wounded and 26 horses killed, it retired to the field north of the Miller house, where it again went into action.

Location: west side of the Hagerstown Pike south of the North Woods (Map 2)

 

Units described and/or located by this Tablet:

        4th United States Artillery, Battery B

Source: Antietam Battlefield Board, Antietam Battlefield Board Papers, Washington DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1891-1898, Entry 707, Record Group 92 (Historical Tablet text by Generals E.A. Carman and H. Heth)

 

Notes

1   Antietam Board, Antietam Battlefield Commission Papers, Washington DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1891-1898, Entry 707, Record Group 92 (Historical Tablet text by Generals E.A. Carman and H. Heth)  [AotW citation 16783]

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