Today in History:

508 Series I Volume XIX-I Serial 27 - Antietam Part I

Page 508 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXI.


Numbers 183. Report of Captain Fred. A. Seymour, Seventh Ohio Infantry, of the battle of Antietam.


HDQRS. SEVENTH REGIMENT OHIO VOLS. (INFANTRY),
Loudoun Heights, Va., September 25, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the Seventh Ohio Regiment in the late battle of the 17th day of September, 1862:

We formed in column of division, in compliance with orders form Brigadier-General Greene, commanding Second Division, Twelfth Army Corps. At 5.30 a. m. we advanced in column of division to attack the enemy, who were under cover of a piece of woods and who were engaging our right and holding our men in check. We then deployed in line of battle to the right and advanced in line of battle into the woods, where the enemy were lying in force. The engagement then became general. After a half hour's hard fighting on both sides, we succeeded in driving the enemy from his position under cover of the fence to the corn-field, when they fell back in confusion and disorder. Our troops closely pursued them, capturing many prisoners and covering the ground with their dead and wounded. After pressing them for 1 mile, they again took shelter under cover of a heavy piece of woods, when, having exhausted our ammunition, our men rested on their arms and waited half an hour for the ammunition to come up. After replenishing the men with ammunition, we changed our line to the right to an elevated piece of ground, and awaited the advance of the enemy, who were charging on us from the woods en masse. Our men, with coolness, waited until within 50 yards and then poured in a scathing fire upon them, volley upon volley, until they were forced to give way. Our men then closely pursued them back through a thick piece of woods, which point we held until ordered to retire.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

F. A. SEYMOUR,

Captain, Commanding Seventh Ohio Volunteers.

Major O. J. CRANE,

Commanding First Brigade.


Numbers 184. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Eugene Powell, Sixty-sixth Ohio Infantry, of the battle of Antietam.


HDQRS. SIXTY-SIXTH REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEERS,
Camp near Harper's Ferry, Va., September 25, 1862.

SIR: In compliance to orders received from headquarters of First Brigade, Second Division, Second Corps, Army of Virginia, I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by the Sixty-sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the late action near Sharpsburg, Md., on the 17th instant:

The regiment moved to the field of battle in column, in company with the Fifth and Seventh Ohio Volunteers (infantry), and Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, composing the First Brigade, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Hector Tyndale, of the Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania. Moving in front of a piece of woods in which the enemy were in force,


Page 508 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXI.