Clermont,
Pa, Feb. 4th. 1892.[1]
Maj. J. M.
Gould,
Portland, Me.
Comrade:
In reply to
your letter of inquiry, in regard to our position at Antietam, would say, that
I cannot give you much information as it has been thirty years since the battle
was fought and as I never have visited the field since_ and as I was rather
young_to know much about the organization of the army at that time, and as
Popes army and McClellan had been consolidated only a few days before, I hardly
know what Brigade or Div. I did belong to. So you must not think strange, if I
fail to give you the required information.
 |
The situation between 1000 and 1030 HRS as shown in the
Cope / Carman map. The 3rd Maryland, 111th Pennsylvania, 28th Pennsylvania,
and the 5th and 7th Ohio push into the Woods and the 30th Virginia,
46th and 48th North Carolina, along with Carlton's Battery give way.
Library of Congress. |
As near as
I can remember, on the night of the 16th of Sept.
We were camped in a large field near a piece of woods, directly in front of us
facing the enemy, but another field between us and the woods, and a road to our
right. [2]I
remember the field that we lay in that night for there had been manure spread
over it and not a very nice place to sleep on. But we were tired enough to
sleep almost anywhere. Early in the morning of the 17th, we were
ordered to pack up before we had time to get any breakfast_ as the battle
having already begun._ and moved to the next field, joining the one we were in
and next to the woods_ and there we halted a few minutes, and were told that we
would have time to get our breakfast, but had barely got a fire started_when we
were ordered ahead[.] We then moved off to the left, perhaps a quarter of a
mile_ towards a farm house and large barn[3]_ just
before we reached them we formed in line_ and moved to the front, with the 3rd Md. on our
left_ what regiment was on our right I don’t remember _ but think it was 28th Pa. We
moved up in line of battle towards a strip of woods[4]_ as near
as I can remember about thirty or forty rods wide_ with a strong rail fence at
edge of woods and the Rebs_ in that strip of woods[5], we moved
up close to the fence and opened fire_ in meantime, we were under fire from the
time we came out from behind this large piece of woods at our right and formed
in line in front of this strip of woods. And the Captain of Co. B[6]
was killed before we fired a shot and I don’t know how many more, but I saw him
fall. We fired a few rounds_ and were ordered to charge, and we climbed the
fence, and drove the Rebs out of this strip of woods, and on the other
 |
The situation between Noon and 12:15 as the 27th North Carolina and
Third Arkansas attack across the Hagerstown Turnpike. The 46th and 49th
North Carolina push through just to the north of the Dunker Church.
Library of Congress. |
side was
a large plowed field, and a cornfield [7]at our
left. As we came out of the woods at the other side, there were no Rebs in
sight, or at least only a few_ and they were getting out of sight as fast as
they could. At our left, I think there were some in the cornfield yet, but did
not stay there long. We stopped there a short time and then advanced across the
plowed field, at the other side was a small ravine_ and beyond a rise of ground[8],
where a battery[9]
was brought up and stationed on this hill or knoll. We were behind this
battery, at the foot of the hill. I don’t know what battery it was_but think it
was six brass guns. The Rebs charged [10]us and
tried to take the guns_ but failed, and moved off in an oblique direction to
the left_ across the road[11],
and as our lines were at a right angle or nearly so, they were making it rather
warm for the troops on our right we went to their assistance and joined in
their line, and succeeded in driving them out of there, and we moved ahead
across the road bringing our regt. near a school house or Church[12].
I don’t know which, I always supposed it was the Sharpsburg school house, but
it might have been a Church for aught I know. We held them there[13]
for an hour or so and about four o’clock_ we were reinforced by a new Reg. I
think they must have been fully 800 men strong, and our Reg’t gave way to the
left, and the Reg’t on our right_ gave way to the right, and let them in on our
line, and before they had time to get formed in line and ready for business,
the Rebs charged[14]
and poured a volley into them_ and they broke and run[15] like the
d__l. And that left a gap in our line_ that we had not time to close up_ and we
had to retreat over nearly all the ground that we had fought over all day. I
think if they had not come in at all, we could held our line, still there can
be no blame attached to them, as it was the first time they were under fire_
and perhaps any other new regiment would done the same under the same
circumstances, I don’t know what reg’t it was, but think it was a Penna regt
and I heard some say that it was a New York Reg. but it does not matter. That
ended our fighting for the day_ as the reserves[16] were
brought up and we were relieved. I cannot trace with any degree of accuracy on
your map where we entered the fight, but think it was near where the dead of
the 111th Pa were buried, but I am not sure. Such, my old
comrade, is as near a description of our movements at Antietam as I can give
you from memory_ but I will see a member of our reg’t before long_ who lives
but a few miles from here_ and will talk it over with him, and if we can give
you any more information, will gladly do so. Should we both live that long_ I
would be glad to meet you at Washington D.C. Next summer--at the National Encampment
where we can talk it over and perhaps visit the battle field which I would very
much like to do. Hoping to hear from you again, I remain yours in F. C. & L[17].
J. Porter
Howard
Co. G, 111th Pa. V.
McKean Post 347 G.A.R.
Smithport, Pa.
P.O. (Clermont Pa.)
[1] J. Porter Howard to John M. Gould, Februrary 4, 1892,
Gould Papers, Dartmouth College. I’d like to express my thanks to Tom Clemens
for forwarding a copy of the original letter to me. Tom is the editor of the
Ezra Carman manuscript, The Maryland
Campaign of 1862 (New York: Savas Beatie, 2010-17), in 3 Volumes. Notations by Gould in top
margin: “Sent Fair pamphlet; Write me if you go to G.A.R., for a map; Write me
if your comrade knows anything. (His map was returned without marks).”
John M. Gould (1839-1930) served as an adjutant with the 10th Maine at Antietam. Following the war, he wrote articles that appeared in the National Tribune recounting his experience on the battlefield. Like Ezra Carman he entered into extended correspondence with battle survivors. Brian Downey's Antietam on the Web under Gould.
[3] Probably the Middlekauf farmstead.
[5] This was probably Evander Law’s 2nd and 11th Mississippi
and the 6th North Carolina. See Carman 07:20 map.
[6] This was Capt. Arthur Corrigan.
[7] This was probably the thin northwestern strip of the East
Woods. A post and rail fence runs through it.
[8] This is the knoll on which the Visitor’s Center now
stands.
[9] Carman’s 9 am map shows the 111th behind the First RI
Light Battery D under command of Capt. J. Albert Monroe. He had 6 Napoleons
(brass) in his battery.
[10] This charge is depicted clearly in the Cope/Carman 900 hrs map.
Kershaw’s 2nd, 7th, and 8th South Carolina made a dash for the guns. The 111th
was directly behind Monroe’s battery’s left guns and took on the 2nd and 7th
South Carolina.
[13] “there” is the salient south of the Dunker Church
[14] There was a charge, at approximately Noon and recorded in
Carman’s Noon map; but no such charge at 4 p.m. Howard seems to have his time
wrong. The Noon Confederate advance consisted of the 46th North Carolina
(Manning) and 49th North Carolina (Ransom) and elements of John Bell Hood’s
Texas Division. This advanced pushed the 111th out of the Dunker Church Woods.
The 111th spent the remainder of the day in the environs of the Samuel
Poffenberger farmstead.
[15] Howard may have
been referring to the 13th New Jersey which consisted of 630 green troops under
the command of Col. Ezra Carman. They were part of Williams’ Division (not
Greene’s) and positioned themselves to the right of the 111th.
[17] Fraternity, comradeship, and loyalty.
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