Today in History:

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

Page 732 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXI.

By General WHITE:

Question. How long have you been in the service?

Answer. Altogether?

Question. Yes, sir.

Answer. Three months and a little over, last year, and the same period this year, or rather a little over four months.

Question. You have stated that you were in command of the Fourth Brigade on Monday morning, at the time of the surrender; I will thank you to state how your brigade was disposed of - where the troops were during the action on Monday morning.

Answer. The Twelfth Regiment were chiefly places in the ditch of the intrenchment.

Question. On Camp Hill?

Answer. Yes, sir; the Eighty-seventh Ohio were in their camp, the greater portion of them; Captain McGrath's command, of the Fifth New York Artillery, had charge of the guns. That was all the force that I had on Monday morning.

Question. The others were disposed of elsewhere?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Was your regiment during that siege, during either of the engagements on Maryland Heights, or in front toward the valley, engaged as infantry?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Were they engaged at all?

Answer. My regiment did not fire a single shot.

Question. About how far was it from Camp Hill to the intersection of the Charleston road and Bolivar Heights, where the engagement took place on Sunday?

Answer. I should judge it was about a mile, in a straight line.

Question. And how far from Camp Hill to where the engagement occurred on Maryland Heights?

Answer. We used 5-second fuse for spherical case, and 7-second fuse for time-shell I do not know the exact distance.

Question. It was across the river?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. you have expressed the opinion that an assault might have been resisted from the front. Being at Camp Hill that morning, at the distance of a mile, were you able fully to judge of the position of the enemy's batteries and the effect of their fire?

Answer. No, sir; I merely gave my opinion from my stand-point.

Question. You had no means of knowing what force they would have assaulted us with?

Answer. No, sir; my opinion is founded merely upon my own observations.

Question. When; at that time?

Answer. At the time.

Question. And at the distance of a mile?

Answer. Yes, sir.


Page 732 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXI.