Today in History:

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

Page 912 Chapter XXXI. OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA.

mand of General Toombs. Skirmishers were sent out, and brisk firing soon commenced on our right. Our skirmishers were run in; the enemy's skirmishers advanced to within about 125 yards of us; a full line of battle was drawn up in their rear. We quietly awaited their advance, but the efforts of their officers to move them forward were unavailing. We did not fire upon them until they began to fall back, and them a portion of the men fired with great coolness and precision, evidently doing execution. About 4 o'clock we were relieved by troops from General A. P. Hill's division, and moved, under command of General Toombs, back in the direction of Sharpsburg, my regiment being in front. Heavy firing was heard just ahead of us, and very soon we were met by one of General Toombs' aides, urging us forward. We moved up in double-quick, fronted the enemy, who were moving forward in handsome style without opposition, our opposing troops having retired. Our arrival was just in time to save on e of our batteries, name not known. We immediately opened upon them a well-directed fire, which the enemy stoutly resisted for awhile, but soon broke and fled. General Toombs immediately gave the order to charge, which the men, with loud and long-continued cheers, as promptly obeyed, continuing the chase until ordered by General Toombs to halt.

I carried into this action about 140 men; had 10 wounded, none killed. The action closed a little after nightfall, when, by order of General Toombs, we were removed from the field for the night. The next morning there was brisk picket firing, but the enemy refused to renew the contest.

In this action both officers and men under my command acted with the most commendable courage and coolness, inflicting severe injury upon the enemy.

Respectfully submitted.

F. H. LITTLE,

Major, Commanding Eleventh Regiment Georgia Volunteers.

Colonel GEORGE T. ANDERSON,

Commanding Third Brigade.


Numbers 245. Report of Brigadier General John G. Walker, C. S. Army, commanding division, of operations September 9-19.


HEADQUARTERS WALKER'S DIVISION,
Camp near Winchester, Va., October 7, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of the division under my command in the reduction of Harper's Ferry:

On September 9 I was instructed by General Lee to proceed from Monocacy Junction, near Frederick, Md., to the mouth of the Monocacy, and destroy the aqueduct of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. We arrived at the aqueduct about 11 p. m., and found it occupied by the enemy's pickets, whose fire, as they fled, severely wounded Captain [G. T.] Duffy, of the Twenty-fourth North Carolina Troops, of Brigadier-General Ransom's brigade. Working parties were at once detailed, and set of work to drill holes for blowing up the arches, but, after several hours of labor, it was apparent that, owing to the insufficiency of our tools and the extraordinary solidity and massiveness of the masonry, the work we had


Page 912 Chapter XXXI. OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA.