L 499 .5 16th, .S59 1889 \> Xs ^ > ^B/s.,^ l/PcTiA^ M^^^^Sl_ SIXTEENTH REGIMENT Connecticut Volunteers Excursion and Reunion AT ANTIETAM BATTLEFIELD, Skpxember 17, 1889. .iH^llii HARTFORD, CONN.: Press of The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Company. 1889. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. ^'^ Sixteenth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers. Chairman, Frank W. Cheney, So. Manchester. Sedyand Treas., B. F. Blakeslee, Hartford. William H. Lockwood, Hartford. Timothy B. Robinson, Bristol. Alonzo G. Case, Simsbury. Ira E. Forbes, Hartford. Norman L. Hope, Hartford. ^ Ph f^ SCHEDULE. Saturday, Sept. 14. Leave Hartford 9.30 p. m., via N. Y., N. H. & H. Railroad, and proceed to New York via N. H. Steamboat Company (steamer C. H. Northam). Sunday, Sept. I 5. Breakfast on Steamer. Leave Jersey City at 8.00 a. m. via Penn. R. R. Co. Lunch on train. Leave Philadelphia 10.30 A. M. Arrive Harrisburg 1.20 p. m. Leave Harrisburg 1.30 p.m. Arrive Gettysburg 3.15 P.M. Monday, Sept. 16. Leave Gettysburg 3.00 p. m. Arrive Hagerstown 6.43 p. m. Tuesday, Sept. 17. Leave Hagerstown 7.30 A. M. Arrive Antietam 8.00 a. m. Leave Antietam 7 p.m. Arrive Hagerstown 7.30 p. M. Wednesday, Sept. 18. Leave Hagerstown 7.45 V A. M. Arrive Philadelphia 1.25 p. m. Dinner. Leave Philadelphia 2.30 p. m. Arrive New rv York 4.50 p. m. Return to New Haven and "^ Hartford via N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. ITINERARY. Sunday. Breakfast, on Steamer C. H. Northam. Lunch on train. Supper and Lodging, at Eagle Hotel, Gettysburg. Monday. Breakfast and Dinner, Gettysburg. Guide and Carriages for visit to Battle-field. Supper and Lodging, at Hotel Hamilton^ Hagerstown. Tuesday. Breakfast, Hagerstown. Dinner^ Sharpsburg. Carriage ride over Antietam Battle-field. Supper and Lodging, Hagers- town. Wednesday. Breakfast, Hagerstown. Dinner, Broad Street Station, Philadelphia. (6) SIXTEENTH REGIMENT Connecticut Volunteers. Organized August, 1862. Mustered in the service of the United States, "for the war, unless sooner discharged," at Camp Williams, Hartford, Conn., August 24, 1862. Mustered out at New Berne, N. C, June 24, 1865. Participated in the following engage- ments : — Antietam, Md., Sept. 17, 1862. Fredericksburg, Va., Dec. 11-14, 1862. Edenton Road, Va., Apr. 24, 1863. Nansemond River, Va., May 3, 1863. Siege of Suffolk, Va., Apr. 12-May 4, 1863. Plymouth, N. C, Apr. 17-20, 1864. (7) CASUALTIES. Killed in action, Antietam, Md., . . 47 Killed in action, Edenton Road, Va., . . i Killed in action, Nansemond River, Va., . 2 Killed in action, Plymouth, N. C, . . 3 Killed by rebel guard, Florence, S. Cf., . i Killed by guerrillas, Charlotte, N. C, . i Wounded, Antietam (fatally 22), . -177 Wounded, Fredericksburg, . . . i Wounded, Harper's Ferry, . . . i Wounded, Edenton Road (fatally i), . . 7 Wounded, Nansemond River (fatally 3), . 8 Wounded, Plymouth (fatally 3), . . . 12 Captured, Antietam, 26 Captured, Plymouth, ..... 435 Captured, Coinjock, N. C, . . . i Died in prison, 164 Died soon after release from prison, . . 25 Died of disease, 76 Drowned, 9 Discharged for disability, . • . . . 255 (8) Escaped from prison, .... 8 Buried at National Cemetery, Andersonville, 83 Buried at National Cemetery, Antietam, . 27 Buried at National Cemetery, New Berne, . 4 Rebel prisoners captured by the regiment, 5 The regiment as mustered into service num- bered 1007 Recruits, 75 Officers appointed since first muster, . . 5 Number returning home with the regiment, 131 (9) LIST OF SIXTEENTH CONNECTICUT VOLUNTEERS BURIED AT ANTIETAM. National Cemetery. No. of Grave. Name. Rank. Co. 1085 Aldrich, Henry .... Private . . K II16 Burr, Francis W. (( G 1 140 Bont, Daniel . . « D 1 105 II18 Cowan, William " . ' E Case, Orville J. . (( A 1084 Evans, Henry D. Corporal I IIOI Foster, Philip H. Private B 1082 Grugan, James . u I 1088 Gladding, Timothy « G 1093 Grosvenor, Joseph H. " B I081 Himes, Stephen . . '« I I09I Himes, James . . i( I 1092 Hamilton, Hancey . B 1 104 Hollister, Bridgman J " 1 H III3 Hunn, Horace . . 1 i B 1087 Kent, John S. . . G 1099 Loveland, John . . C 1 106 Lay, Horace . . . i " I 1080 McGrath, James (( E 1 102 Morgan, Robert P. . " E 1086 Smith, Michael . . « 1 ^ 1083 Twiss, Jason E. . . (( I 17 Unknown, i6th Conn. ' Wilsey, Julius C. . « H 1 108 Wilson, Orvil M. . " G II24 White, John J. . . '« ' i A 1 136 Wardwell, Emerson " . D (10) OF INTEREST AT ANTIETAM The National Cemetery. Overlooking the valley of the Antietam. Best point from which to view the field from the rebel side. The Pry House. McClellan's headquarters. Best point from which to view the field from the Union side. Residence of Jacob H. Grove. Lee's headquarters in Sharpsburg. Gen- eral Lee's headquarter tents, and where he watched the battle, was from the site now occupied by the National Cemetery. The Old Lutheran Church Used as a Federal hospital after the battle. Sunken Road Now known as Bloody Lane. DuNKER Church. BuRNSiDE Bridge. (II) The Washington Monument on South Mountain. Erected to the memory of George Wash- ington, by the citizens of Boonsboro and vicinity, in 1827. It stands on the summit, a mile and a half north of Turner's Gap. Originally it was twenty feet high. In a tumbled-down condition, it served as one of the Federal signal stations during the battle of Antietam. In 1882 the monument was rebuilt by the Odd Fellows of Boonsboro ; the present height of tower, includ- ing the observatory, is forty feet. (12) THE SIXTEENTH AT ANTIETAM.^ On the afternoon of September i6, 1862, McClellan's plan had been decided upon, posi- tions reconnoitered, the orders given, and Hooker had put his troops in motion. The Sixteenth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers lay at Keedysville, watching the movements of the troops and the peculiar white puffs of smoke in the air from bursting shells. Suddenly an order came directing that we move to the front. After a tedious march through ploughed fields and forests, passing brigades and divisions, the booming of artillery and bursting shells sounding louder and nearer, we finally joined a brigade composed of the 4th Rhode Island, and the 8th and nth C. V. The brigade moved up, and lay in line of battle all night behind a low ridge in rear of J. E. * By Lieutenant B. F. Blakeslee. (t3) tt ^* ^ L^'r. ^ /!^^o;>. Battle of Antietam. From Lossing's "Civil War." Miller's house on the farm of H. Rohrback, and but a short distance from Antietam Creek. While getting into this position, we could plainly see the rebel gunners load and fire, some of the shells coming quite near us. -^ We had been assigned to the 2d brigade (Harland), 3d division (Rodman), 9th corps (Cox), and on the extreme left of the Army of the Potomac. It was now eight o'clock in the evening, quite dark, and we were within a few rods of the enemy. No lights were permitted, and all conversation was carried on in whispers. We heard Hooker's guns far off on the right and front, and the cannonade continued an hour or more, after it became dark. We were ordered to make no noise and to lie down on our arms. Occasionally the boom of artillery was heard, and during the night there were repeated alarms, so that the soldiers on either side obtained but little rest. Scarcely had the sun risen the next morning, when a shell from the enemy dropped not far from our force, and immediately another, a tv^lve-pounder, crashed diagonally through the 8th Connecticut, killing three men instantly, and wounding four. The position was changed for one less exposed, but in getting there the troops were obliged to pass under a deadly fire from a rebel battery stationed at short range distance. In this undertaking the (15) 1 6th lost three wounded. We lay here several hours watching what we could see on the right, and noting the effect of the fire of our batteries. We could see lines of troops advancing from our right upon the other side of the Antietam, and engaging the enemy. Near by was Benjamin's Battery of 20-pounder parrots. Along our entire front rebel batteries were constantly discovered, till a long line of cannon could be seen. Our batteries were exchanging shots with the enemy's guns opposite. At 10 a. m. Burnside received his order to cross the Antietam and attack the enemy. Our brigade was advanced to support the batteries of Mahlenberg, Cook, and Mc- Mullen near the creek, and the Sixteenth came again under a sharp fire, this time from Eshle- man's Battery, on the opposite side. The Eleventh was detached to assist Crook in carrying the bridge, now known as Burnside bridge. At I o'clock the bridge was taken. The charging regiments were advanced in line to the crest above the bridge. Sturgis' division and Crook's brigade were immediately brought over, and were soon joined by our division (Rodman), which had meanwhile crossed by wading the stream (about waist deep) a mile below the bridge. After crossing the creek Rodman's divi- (.6) sion marched a short distance and took position on the slope of a hill on the farm of J. H. Snively. Wilcox's division was now sent over and formed Hne. The cannonading had become furious. *The Burnside Bridge. Longstreet's entire artillery opened in all their fury, and seemed to shake the very earth under our feet. Solid shot swept the crest of the hill in front, and tore up the ground behind, shells burst overhead, and fragments dropped among the men; grape and canister were showered From Lossing's " Civil War. (-7) down like rain. The air was filled with bullets and fiendish missiles. The crest of the hill was a great protection, and only about a dozen of the Sixteenth were disabled. At 3 o'clock, Rodman's division moved their position and were now south of and within a half mile of the town of Sharpsburg. The Eleventh having been misled by an aid, had not yet come up. The Sixteenth, and 4th Rhode Island, had moved to the support of a battery on the extreme left of the line, and had laid down in a field of Indian corn * letting shot and shell — which were coming like a storm — pass over them. At this hour Burnside's heavy line was moving over the hills. About half the batteries of the division accompanied the movement, the rest being in position on the hill tops east of the Antietam. The earth fairly trembled. It was a splendid and fearful sight. Wilcox's division formed the right. Rodman's division formed on the left. Hartland's brigade having the position on the flank, and Fairchild's uniting with Wilcox at the center. Scammon's brigade was the reserve for Rodman on the extreme left. * On the farm of Mr. Sherrich, now owned by his sonin-law Victor Newcommer. (,8) It was now half-past four in the afternoon, when the order to advance was given. In this attack Wilcox's division drove the enemy into Sharps- burg, Rodman's division charged and was making good progress when his left Hank was suddenly attacked by A. P. Hill's division of six brigades, and which had reached Sharpsburg since noon, from Harper's Ferry. Those first seen were dressed in the National blue uniforms which they had captured at Harper's Ferry, and it was assumed that they were part of our own forces till they began to fire. General Scammon in the reserve first saw them, and quickly changed front to left and drove them back. Fairchild advanced under a tremendous fire from the enemy's batteries, dislodging them and driving them down the hill toward the village. He continued to pursue them down the hill, when discovering Hill's troops on his left, called on General Rodman to bring up rapidly Har- land's brigade. Rodman directed Harland to lead the Eighth, while he himself would bring the Sixteenth and Fourth Rhode Island into position. In performing this duty he fell mor- tally wounded. Col. Harland at once took com- mand of the division, sending an aid to order the Sixteenth and Fourth R. I. forward. At the order " Attention " from Col. Beach, a terrible 2 (19) volley from Hill's men was fired into the Six- teenth from behind a stone wall a few feet in front. Volley after volley in quick succession was hurled into our ranks. Amidst the terrible uproar the rebels raised the Federal colors and called out not to fire on friends. The position was so exposed that we were ordered to fall back, which was rapidly done. The brigade was soon re-formed and placed in position for defense. Says the Comte de Paris, " Hill's attack fell upon Rodman, who was obliged to face to the left. This attack in front was supported by Toombs, who joined Hill in pressing the left flank of the Federals. Exposed to a concentric fire Rodman's division suffered terribly, saw its chief mortally wounded, and lost ground. Fortunately Scam- mon's brigade of Cox's division, making a change of front to the left, arrived in time to support it, and to check Hill's success. The Ninth corps, pressed more and more closely, was forced to fall back upon the range of hills which border the Antietam, and command the passes conquered a few hours before the battle of Antietam was ended." After- sunset Harland's brigade retired across the river, and bivouacked for the night in a grove. Arms were stacked, and the last call of the day had been sounded, and the weary ( 20 ) soldier had laid down to rest. Of all gloomy nights, this was the saddest one we ever experi- enced. The cries and groans of the wounded that lay on the battle-field could be heard distinctly. Stacks of straw which had been fired burned slow and dimly, and the occasional rejDort of artillery sounded solemn and death-like. The morning of the i8th dawned. The Sixteenth had gone into the battle with 900 men. General Burnside rode up and had some conver- sation with our Colonel. Said he, " Only hold out this day, boys, and the war is ended." Col. Harland's brigade was moved for- ward, and formed in line of battle near the bridge. Here they remained until the next morning, when the bridge was crossed and the Sixteenth detached from the brigade to bury their dead and care for the wounded, who were still lying upon the field. Forty of our dead were gathered and buried side by side near a large tree on the ridge just above the point where the gallant charge began. Of the forty- seven killed, twenty have been taken up by friends and sent North, the remaining twenty- seven have been removed by the Government to the Antietam National Cemetery, where " The neighing troop, the flashing blade, The bugle's stirring blast, The charge, the dreadful cannonade, The din and shout are past." (21) The casualties in the Sixteenth were : Captains Manross, Drake, Brown, Lieut. Horton, and forty-three enlisted men killed; Lt.-Col. Frank W. Cheney, a shattered arm ; Major Geo. A. Washburn, wounded severely in the groin ; Captain Barber mortally wounded (dying three days later); Captains Babcock and Hayden, and Lieutenants Goodell, Gouge, Waters, and Beach, and i68 men wounded. Twenty-six were captured, and fifty-two missing, making a total loss of 13 officers and 289 men. Of the wounded, twenty-two died within a few days ; of the captured, eight were wounded, three of whom died within three weeks after the battle. All houses and barns for miles around were con- verted into hospitals, and yards and fields were strewn with straw and the wounded laid there without shelter. Three days after the battle the wounded of the Sixteenth could be found in almost any of these hospitals for a distance of six miles. At Weaverton, Porterstown, and Keedysville were several. Lt.-Col. Cheney and Major Washburn were at Boonsboro, John Love- land of Co. C was at Sharpsburg. At an impro- vised barn hospital a half mile northeast of Burnside bridge were about twenty-five of the Sixteenth, among them Capt. Barber, B. F. Blakeslee, and Gilbert B. Foster of Co. A. On (22) the west side of the Antietam, and near the main bridge, in a large barn, were over forty of the regiment under charge of Surgeon Mayer. Sep- tember 2oth the regiment rejoined their brigade at BeUnda Springs, a distance of two miles, and thence moved to Antietam Iron Works on the 26th. (23) BATTLE OF ANTIETAM.^ The contest was opened at dawn by Hooker, with about eighteen thousand men. He made a vigorous attack on the Confederate left, commanded by Jackson. Doubleday was on his right, Meade on his left, and Ricketts in the cen- ter. His first object was to push the Confeder- ates back through a line of woods, and seize the Hagerstown road and the woods beyond it in the vicinity of the Dunker Church, where Jackson's line lay. The contest was obstinate and severe. The National batteries on the east side of the Antietam poured an enfilading fire on Jackson that galled him very much, and it was not long before the Confederates were driven with heavy loss beyond the first line of woods, and across an open field, which was covered thickly in the morning with standing corn. Hooker now advanced his center under Meade to seize the Hagerstown road and the woods beyond. They were met by a murderous fire from Jackson, who had just been reinforced by * Lossing's Civil War in America. (24) Hood's refreshed troops, and had brought up his reserves. These issued in great numbers from the woods, and fell heavily upon Meade in the cornfield. Hooker called upon Doubleda}' for aid, and a brigade under the gallant General Hartsuff was instantly forwarded at a double- quick, and passed across the cornfield in the face of a terrible storm of shot and shell. It fought desperately for half an hour unsupported, when its leader fell severely wounded. In the meantime Mansfield's corps had been ordered up to the support of Hooker, and while the divisions of Williams and Greene, of that corps, were deploying, the veteran commander was mortally wounded. The charge of the corps then devolved on General Williams, who left his division to the care of General Crawford. The latter, with his own and Gordon's brigade, pushed across the open field and seized a part of the woods on the Hagerstown road. At the same time Greene's division took position to the left of the Dunker Church. Hooker had lost heavily by battle and straggling, yet he was contending manfully for victory. Doubleday's guns had silenced a Con- federate battery on the extreme right, and Ricketts was struggling against a foe constantly increasing/-, but was bravely holding his ground (25) without power to advance. The fight was very severe, and at length the National line began to waver and give way. Hooker, while in the van, was so severely wounded in the foot that he was taken from the field at nine o'clock, and to McClellan's headquarters at Pry's, leaving his command to Sumner, who had just arrived on the field with his own corps. Up to this time the battle had been fought much in detail, both lines advancing and falling back as each received re- inforcements. Sumner at once sent General Sedgwick to the support of Crawford and Gordon, and Richardson and French bore down upon the foe more to the left, when the cornfield, already won and lost by both parties, was regained by the Nationals, who held the ground around the Dunker Church. Victory seemed certain for the latter, for Jackson and Hood had commenced retiring, when fresh troops under McLaws and Walker came to Jackson's support, seconded by Early on their left. These pressed desperately forward, penetrated the National line at a Gap between Sumner's right and center, and the Unionists were driven back to the first line of woods east of the Hagerstown road, when the vic- tors, heavily smitten by the National artillery, and menaced by unflinching Doubleday, withdrew to (26) their original position near the church. Sedgwick, twice wounded, was carried from the field, when the command of his division devolved on General O. O. Howard. Generals Crawford and Dana were also wounded. It was now about noon, and the fighting had been going on since dawn. The wearied right needed immediate support. It came at a timely moment. Franklin had come up from below, and McClellan, who remained on the east side of the Antietam, sent him over to assist the hard-pressed right. He formed on Howard's left, and at once sent Slocum with his division toward the center. At the same time General Smith was ordered to retake the ground over which there had been so much contention and bloodshed. Within fifteen minutes after the order was given it was executed. The Confederates were driven from the open field and beyond the Hagerstown road by gallant charges, accompanied by loud cheers, first by Franklin's Third Brigade, under Colonel Irwin, and then by the Seventh Maine. Inspired by this success, Franklin desired to push forward and seize a rough wooded position of importance ; but Sumner thought the movement would be too hazardous, and he was restrained. Meanwhile the divisions of French and Richardson had been busy. The former, with the brigades of Weber, Kimball, and Morris (the latter raw troops), pushed on toward the center, Weber leading ; and while he was fighting hotly, French received orders from Sumner to press on vigorously and make a diversion in favor of the right. After a severe contest with the brigades of Hill (Colquitt's, Ripley's and McRae's), not engaged with Jackson, the Confederates were pressed back to a sunken road in much disorder. In the meantime the division of Richardson, com- posed of the brigades of Meagher, Caldwell, and Brooks, which crossed the Antietam between nine and ten o'clock, moved forward .to the attack on French's left. Right gallantly did Meagher fight his way up to the crest of a hill overlooking the Confederates at the sunken road, suffering dread- fully from a tempest of bullets : and when his ammunition was almost exhausted, Cadwell, aided by a part of Brooks's brigade, as gallantly came to his support and relief. Hill was now reinforced by about four thousand men, under R. H. Anderson, and the struggle was fierce for a while, the Con- federates trying to seize a ridge on the National left for the purpose of turning that flank. This was frustrated by a quick and skillful movement by Colonel Cross with his " Fighting Fifth " New Hampshire. He and the Confederates had a (28) race for the ridge along parallel lines, fighting as they ran. Cross won it, and being reinforced by the Eighty-first Pennsylvania, the Confederates were driven back, with a heavy loss in men and the colors of the Fourth North Carolina. An effort to flank the right at the same time was checked by French, Brooks, and a part of Cald- well's force, and a charge of the Confederates directly on Richardson's front was quickly re- pulsed. The National line was steadily advanced until the foe was pushed back to Dr. Piper's house, near the Sharpsburg road, which formed a sort of citadel for them, and there they made an obstinate stand. Richardson's artillery was now brought up, and while that brave leader was directing the fire of Captain Graham's battery, he was felled by a ball that proved fatal. General W. S. Hancock succeeded him in command, when a charge was made that drove the Con- federates from Piper's in the utmost confusion and only the skillful show of strength by a few of his fresh troops prevented a fatal severance of Lee's line. The Nationals were deceived, and did not profit by the advantage gained. Night soon closed the action on the right and center, the Unionists holding the ground they had acquired. In the struggle near the center, the gallant Gen- eral Meagher was wounded and carried from the (>9) field, and his command devolved on Colonel Burke, of the New York Sixty-third. During the severe conflicts of the day, until late in the afternoon, Porter's corps, with artillery, and Pleasanton's cavalry, had remained on the east side of the Antietam as a reserve, and in holding the road from Sharpsburg to Middletown and Boonsboro. Then McClellan sent two brigades to support the wearied right, and six battalions of Syke's regulars were thrown across bridge No. 2, on the Sharpsburg road, to drive away the Confederate sharp-shooters, who were seriously interfering with Pleasanton's horse batteries there. Warren's brigade was sent more to the left, on the right and rear of Burnside, who held the extreme left of the National line. This brings us to a notice of the operations of the day under the directions of Burnside. The left was resting on the slopes opposite l)ridge No. 3, at Rohrback's farm, a little below Sharpsburg, which was held on the morning of the 17th by the brigade of Toombs (Second and Twentieth Georgia), supported by sharp-shooters and batteries on Longstreet's right wing, com- manded by D. R. Jones. Burnside was directed, at eight o'clock in the morning, to cross that bridge, attack the foe, carry the heights on the opposite bank of the Antietam, and advance (30) along their crest upon Sharpsburg. It was a task of greatest difficulty, for the approaches to the bridge were in the nature of a defile, exposed to a raking fire from the Confederate batteries, and an enfilading one from the sharp-shooters. In several attempts to cross the bridge Burnside was repulsed. Finally, at about one o'clock in the afternoon, the Fifty-first New York and Fifty- first Pennsylvania charged across and drove its defenders to the heights. Gathering strength at the bridge by the crossing of the divisions of Sturgis, Wilcox, and Rodman, and Scammon's brigade, with the batteries of Durell, Clark, Cook, and Simmons, Burnside charged up the hill, and drove the Confederates almost to Sharps- burg, the Ninth New York capturing one of their batteries. Just then A. P. Hill's division, which had been hastening up from Harper's Ferry, came upon the ground, and under a heavy fire of artillery charged upon Burnside's extreme left, and after severe fighting, in which General Rodman was mortally wounded, drove him back almost to the bridge. In that charge General L. O'B. Branch, of North Carolina, was killed. The pursuit was checked by the National artillery on the eastern side of the stream, under whose fire the reserves led by Sturgis advanced, and the Confederates did not attempt to retake the bridge^ (31 ) Darkness closed the conflict here, as it did all along the line. Hill came up just in time, apparently, to save Lee's army from capture or destruction. Experts say that if Burnside had accomplished the passage of the bridge and the advance move- ment an hour earlier, or had Porter been sent a few hours sooner to the support of the hard-strug- gling right, that result would doubtless have ensued. It is easy to conjecture what might have been. We have to do only with what occurred. Looking upon the event from that standpoint, we see darkness ending one of the most memorable days of the war because of its great and apparently useless carnage, -for the re- sult was only hurtful in the extreme to both parties. With the gloom of that night also ended the conflict known as The Battle of Antietam, in which McClellan said (erroneously as to the number of troops) " nearly two hundred thousand men and five hundred pieces of artillery were for fourteen hours engaged. Our soldiers slept that night," he said, " conquerors on a field won by their valor, and covered by the dead and wounded of the enemy." (3O 0013709 1136% tW(