whole engagement. It is the more creditable, because the death of a commanding officer would naturally tend to weaken confidence and diminish courage.

Capt. J. B. Weller was wounded at the time Lieutenant-Colonel Coleman was killed, which left his company without a commissioned officer. Companies A, E, and B were without officers, and yet the men did their auty well.

I have the honor to be, your most obedient servant,
LYMAN J. JACKSON,

Major, Comdg. Eleventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Col. GEORGE Crook,

Commanding Second Brigade, Kanawha Division.

No. 164.

Report of Brig. Gen. Alpheus S. Williams, U. S. Army, commanding Twelfth Army Corps, of the battle of Antietam.

HDQRS. TWELFTH CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

Sandy Hook, Md., September 29, 1862. COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by this corps in the recent action near Sharpsburg, Md., on the 17th instant:

Two days before the action, Brigadier-General Mansfield, U. S. Army, assumed command of the corps while in bivouac in the South Mountain Pass. The composition and organization of the corps was then as

follows:

First Division, Brig. Gen. A. S. Williams commanding.

First Brigade, Brig. Gen. S. W. Crawford commanding: Forty-sixth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Col. J. F. Knipe commanding; Tenth Maine Volunteers, Col. G. L. Beal cominauding; Fifth Connecticut Volunteers, Capt. II. W. Daboll commanding (detached and not in action); Twentyeighth New York Volunteers, Capt. W. H. H. Mapes commanding; One hundred and twenty-fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Col. J. W. Hawley commanding; One hundred and twenty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Col. J. Higgins commanding; One hundred and twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Col. S. Croasdale commanding.

Third Brigade, Brig. Gen. George H. Gordon commanding: Third Wisconsin Volunteers, Col. T. H. Ruger commanding; Second Massachusetts Volunteers, Col. G. L. Andrews commanding; Twenty-seventh Indiana Volunteers, Col. S. Colgrove commanding; One hundred and seventh New York Volunteers, Col. R. B. Van Valkenburgh commanding; Thirteenth New Jersey Volunteers, Col. E. A. Carman commanding.

Second Division, Brig. Gen. George S. Greene commanding.

First Brigade, Lieutenant-Colonel Tyndale commanding: Twenty sighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Major Pardee commanding; Seventh Ohio Volunteers, Maj. O. J. Crane commanding; Fifth Ohio Volunteers, Maj. J. Collins commanding; Sixty sixth Obio Volunteers, Lieut. Col. E. Powell commanding; Twenty-ninth Ohio Volunteers, Lieut. T. S. Winsh. p commanding (detached and not in action).

Second Brigade, Colonel Stainrook, One hundred and ninth Pennsylvania, commanding: One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania Volun teers, Maj. T. M. Walker commanding; Third Maryland Volunteers, Lieutenant Colonel Sudsburg commanding; One hundred and ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Stainrook commanding (detached and not in action); One hundred and second New York Volunteers, Lieut Col. J. C. Lane commanding.

Third Brigade, Colonel Goodrich, Sixtieth New York Volunteers, commanding: Sixtieth New York Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Brundage commanding; Seventy-eighth New York Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Austin commanding; Third Delaware Volunteers, Maj. A. Maginnis commanding.

The First District of Columbia Volunteers, nominally attached to this brigade, has wholly disappeared from the command by desertion and sickness.

About 2 o'clock the night before the action, the corps took up position about 1 miles in rear of General Hooker's corps, near the farm of J. Poffenberger, bivouacking in columns of companies. At the first sound of cannon at daylight on the morning of the 17th instant, the command was put in movement, each regiment, by order of General Mansfield, marching in column of companies, closed in mass. In this order the corps moved to the front by battalions in mass, the First Brigade, First Division, leading, over ground of intermingled woods, plowed fields, and corn-fields. Before reaching the position of General Hooker's corps, information was brought that his reserves were all engaged and that he was hard pressed by the enemy. The columus were hastened up and deployed in line of battle with all the rapidity that circumstances would permit. Five of the regiments of the First Division were new and wholly without drill.

The massed battalions had been moved with such haste that the proper intervals for deployment had not been carefully attended to. The old regiments, however, deployed promptly, and the new regiments (both officers and men of which behaved with marked coolness) soon got into line of battle, with more promptitude than could have been expected.

While the deployment was going on, and before the leading regiments were fairly engaged, it was reported to me that the veteran and distinguished commander of the corps was mortally wounded. I at once reported to Major-General Hooker on the field, took from him such directions as the pressing exigencies would permit, and hastened to make a disposition of the corps to meet them. Crawford's brigade was directed to deploy to the right, its right regiment extending to the Williamsport [Hagerstown] and Sharpsburg stone pike. Gordon held the center, while Brigadier General Greene's division, following the first division in column, was directed to the ridge on the left, extending its line from the lane on Gordon's left to the burned buildings, a few rods northerly of the brick church.

While General Greene was moving into position, I was strongly solicited by Brigadier-General Gibbon to send re-enforcements to the right to support General Doubleday's position. I accordingly detached the Third Brigade of General Greene's division, with orders to report to any general officer found on the field indicated. At the same time I ordered the One hundred and twenty-fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers (Crawford's brigade) to push forward past the farm-bouse of Mr. Miller, cross the pike into the woods beyond, and hold the ridge as long as practicable.

In the mean time the whole line had formed in good order, and were pushing the enemy from the woods and open fields. The requisitions made upon the corps would permit of no reserves, and it may be truly stated that, to cover the points threatened or pressed, every regiment (save Thirteenth New Jersey, held in reserve for a while by General Gordon) was, as early as 6.30 to 7 o'clock a. m., engaged with the enemy. The enemy at this time had pushed his columns into the open fields in advance of a strip of woods, a few hunded yards wide, which extended along a gentle ridge from the brick church, on the Sharpsburg road, to the farm-house of J. Miller, and extending beyond in the same direction to a distance not discernible from my position.

In the rocky ravines of these woods, and in a considerable valley in the rear of them, the enemy covered his supports and brought up his re-enforcements. A prominent hill beyond was a strong position for his artillery. Into these woods, after a severe struggle of an hour and a half to two hours' duration, we drove the enemy. A line of high postand-rail fence on each side the public road between the church and the farm house before named, a few rods from and nearly parallel with the inner edge of the woods, proved a great obstruction to our rapid pursuit, checking up our line until the enemy could bring up his strong re-enforcements.

All the regiments of this corps were engaged, and had been under arms from daylight, without food; still, they held their position, exposed part of the time to an enfilading fire from an enemy's battery on the right, and all the time to a tremendous fire of musketry and artillery in front. In the mean time Brigadier-General Greene, on the left, with two small brigades of his division, numbering only about 1,700 men, had successfully resisted several attacks, and at about 8 o'clock a. m., making a dash, had seized upon the woods where they abut upon the road at the brick church before mentioned. These he gallantly held for several hours.

I greatly regretted that his repeated calls for aid could be answered only by sending the Thirteenth New Jersey, and subsequently the Twenty-seventh Indiana and the Purnell Legion, of the Third Brigade. Impressed with the importance of holding this position, I made several efforts to recall the residue of the Third Brigade of his division to his assistance, as well as to procure re-enforcements from other sources, but did not succeed.

At nea ly 9 o'clock a. m., it being reported that a portion of the Second Corps (Major-General Sumner's) was advancing to our support, I dispatched a staff officer to apprise him of our position and the situa tion of affairs. Soon after, the firing on both sides wholly ceased. Some of the old regiments had emptied their boxes of ammunition, and all were greatly exhausted by the labors of the day and of the preceding night. As the line of General Sedgwick's division appeared, the regi ments of the First Division of this corps were withdrawn to the first line of woods in the rear, within supporting distance of several batteries, and directed to replenish their cartridge-boxes and to rest the men. A portion of the One hundred and twenty-fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers continued, however, to hold the woods near Miller's house until it was ordered, without my knowledge, to withdraw, by some officer unknown to the commanding officer of the regiment. Greene's command had also the possession of the woods at the other end near the church.

General Sedgwick's gallant division and the veteran commander of the Second Corps were received by hearty cheers of our men. This

division pushed forward without a halt, and dashed against the strong position of the enemy. The resistance was, if possible, more formidable than ever, and, after a brief but severe contest, I was ordered, through a staff officer, to send to the front all of my command immediately available.

As General Gordon held his brigade in line most convenient for a movement to the point indicated, he was ordered to advance at once, which was done cheerfully and promptly. The troops which the sup port was intended for had, however, withdrawn, or changed position toward the right. The regiments of Gordon's brigade brought into action this second time, I regret to add, suffered severely, and were obliged to retire after a stubborn coutest. The enemy did not fo low, and Gordon's regiments again took position, in good order, behind our batteries.

The enemy, gathering his strongest columns in the woods, made several efforts to dislodge General Greene's command in the left extremity of the woods, as well as to seize upon our batteries in frout. All were unsuccessful until about 1.30 p. m., when, by a desperate effort, they forced our wearied forces to retire from the woods, making, at the same time, a rapid dash for our batteries. They met with terrible slaughter by canister at point-blank range, as well as by musketry from the supports, fell back in confusion, and gave up all further efforts to advance beyond their stronghold.

Soon after this, General William F. Smith arrived with his division, and, moving through our lines to the front, gave me an opportunity to withdraw those of this corps which had been most engaged a few rods to the rear, where they could find refreshment and rest. Several of the new regiments were left in support of batteries.

General Greene's division and Gordon's brigade were subsequently sent to the front in support of a portion of General Franklin's corps, and remained in that position through the night. Of the batteries of this corps, two (Fourth and Sixth Maine) were posted by Captain Best, U. S. Army, chief of artillery, under orders of General Mansfield, on hills adjacent to general headquarters. Knap's Pennsylvania, Cothran's New York, and Hampton's Pittsburg batteries were ordered to the front as soon as the command of the corps devolved on me. Knap and Cothran took post in front of the woods occupied by the enemy, Hampton farther to the left, near General Greene's position. These batteries were bravely and excellently served from morning till late in the afternoon. The enemy repeatedly attempted to seize them, but always met with bloody punishment. One section of Kuap's, temporarily detached for the aid of General Greene, unfortunately was ordered into the woods, where it fell under a heavy infantry fire, by which men and horses were lost and one piece necessarily abandoned. This battery subsequently brought from the field a 12-pounder howitzer of the enemy.

I refer to the report of Captain Best, forwarded herewith, for more specific mention of the valuable services of these batteries. I append hereto a list of the casualties of the corps, showing a loss of 1,744 of which 85 are reported missing.* This long record (at least one-fourth of the number actually engaged) is a sufficient testimonial to the gallantry and persistent valor of both officers and men of the regiments, old and

new.

Among the officers killed or mortally wounded, besides the accomplished and distinguished commander of the corps, I regret to have to

enroll Colonel Goodrich, Sixtieth New York, commanding Third Brigade, Second Division, killed; Colonel Croasdale, of One hundred and twentyeighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, killed; Lieutenant-Colonel Dwight, of Second Massachusetts Volunteers, mortally wounded. Other names of gallant dead, of subordinate rank, with fitting tributes from the .mmediate commanders, will be found in the reports forwarded herewith. Brigadier General Crawford, who succeeded me to the command of the First Division on the fall of General Mansfield, was wounded near the close of the action, but not so severely as to oblige him to leave the field. Colonel Ruger, Third Wisconsin Volunteers; Colonel Hawley, One hundred and twenty-fourth Pennsylvania; Colonel Beal, Tenth Maine; Lieutenant-Colonel Powell, Sixty-sixth Ohio; Lieutenant Colonel T、ndale, Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania; Lieutenant-Colonel Hammersly, One hundred and twenty-eighth Pennsylvania, and Major Maginnis, Third Delaware, were wounded.

The officers commanding divisions and brigades (Brigadier-Generals Greene, Crawford, and Gordon, and Colonels Knipe, Ruger, and Stainrook, and Lieutenant-Colonels Tyndale and Brundage) were active and constant in the discharge of their responsible duties, and merit more than this feeble acknowledgment.

My personal staff present, Captain Best, Fourth Artillery, chief of artillery; First Lieut. S. E. Pittman, aide and acting assistant adjutantgeneral, and Captain Morgan, Forty-sixth Pennsylvania, division provostmarshal and acting aide, discharged their arduous duties faithfully and capably, and I beg leave to recommend them to the favorable consideration of the major-general commanding.

Surgeon Antisell, medical director of the corps, and Surgeon Chapel, medical director of First Division, are entitled to high commendation for their excellent preparations made for the wounded, and their faithful attention to them at the hospital depots.

I forward such subordinate reports as have been received, and respectfully refer to them for the commendations due to individuals and commands. The report of Brigadier-General Crawford, commanding First Division (absent, wounded), and other officers of his command have not been seut in.

I have the honor to be, colonel, with much respect, your obedient servant, A. S. WILLIAMS, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Lieut. Col. J. H. TAYLOR,

Chief of Staff and Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Addenda.]

Itinerary of the Twelfth Army Corps, September 1-November 30, 1862.

FIRST DIVISION.

September 1, division moved from Bull Run and encamped near Fairfax.

September 2, moved toward Alexandria, Va., arriving on the morning of the 3d instant, and halted outside the city.

September 3, moved tc Georgetown, D. C., and bivouacked in rear of Fort Richardson.