ing to the earth, rent by shell or round shot. Grape and canister mingled their hissing screams in this helling carnival, yet within all this, and through it all, the patriots of the North wrestled with hearts strong and nerve unshaken-wrestled with the rebel hordes that thronged and pressed upon them as to destruction, never yielding, though sometimes halting to gather up their strength, then with one mighty bound throwing themselves upon their foes to drive them into their protecting forest beyond. We slept upon the bloody field of our victory."

Sept. 15th.-Commenced our march in pursuit of the enemy. Crossed the left of the battlefield at 11 a.m. and-comrades will pardon me if I omit a description of the scene that presented itself to view; to attempt to do so would be futile; it is beyond the power of my pen, and would only be drawing a picture that it is just as well our children should not look upon. That the sacrifice in lives was great, history has already told. Among the noble ones who fell was the gallant Major-general Reno, who was shot through the breast by a bullet while commanding his division. The enemy fell back to Sharpsburg, near the Potomac River, where he made a stand.

BATTLE OF SHARPSBURG TURNPIKE.

Sept. 16th.-Cannonading commenced at noon. The enemy threw many shells around and among us, killing a few men and horses; the air was filled with the whizzing of bombs; many of the enemy came in our lines "sick of the rebel army," they said. This was the third day's fight; firing ceased at dark.

BATTLE OF ANTIETAM.

Sept. 17th.-Fourth day's fighting. It was reported that General McClellan had given the rebel generals two hours in which to surrender, but that they had declined to accept the proposal. Firing began at 7 a.m. and at ten o'clock the battle raged in all its fury. The din of musketry, the roar of artillery, was one continual thundering the shells were falling so thickly and rapidly among us we were compelled to change our position. The front of the battle line was about five miles in length; General McClellan, in person, commanded the right wing, General Burnside the left, and General Sumner (I believe) the centre.

On the left the battle raged fiercely all day, with heavy cannonading, rapid volleys of musketry and charging of bayonets.

In the afternoon four companies of the Sixth New York were sent on a reconnoitring expedition, in which they captured some of Ashby's cavalry. Cannonading was kept up all night. The fight was a fierce and hotly contested one. A large piece of woods in which the rebels were concealed was a perfect sheet of fire from the artillery and musketry. During the battle a detail was made from I and M squadron to cross the Stone bridge and learn if any of the enemy was near the old Stone house. There were plenty of them there. Thomas Leach of Troop M was wounded in the slight skirmish that took place.

Sept. 18th. All was quiet; the guns were still under flag of truce from the enemy, the men were busy burying the dead; it was the sacred rite, the last act of comradeship, by both the "Grey" and the "Blue," that could be shown to the fallen soldier.

The battle had been fought and won, the enemy had been driven from his position and left us in possession, but at what a cost in life and limb!

At the Battle of Middletown Heights or South Mountain the Union loss was 443 killed, 1806 wounded, 76 missing, making a total of 2325.

At the Battle of Hagerstown Heights or Antietam the Union loss was 2010 killed, 9416 wounded, 1043 missing, making a total of 12,469; making a total loss in the two battles of 14,794.

The Confederate loss in the two battles was a total of 25,542.

[In explanation of my departure from the usual custom of writing a regimental history, and giving an account of the movements of the army during this campaign, instead of confining myself to those of the Sixth New York Cavalry, I would say to the reader that the regiment, being at that time attached to General Burnside's corps, as escort and advance guard, and being broken up in squadrons, companies and squads on special duty, was seldom anywhere as a regiment, but in that detached shape was practically all over the field, thus making this short but general account necessary in order to record the services rendered by it.]

On the night of the 18th the regiment was stationed at Antietam Creek, picketing that part of the line.

To avoid confusion to future readers, it might be well to state here that the battle above described was called "Antietam" by the Federal authorities, and "Sharpsburg" by the Confederates.

Sharpsburg was a small post village in Washington County, Md., sixteen miles south from Hagerstown, and about twelve miles west of Middletown (from which

it is separated by the South Mountains), and about the same distance north from Harper's Ferry, and three miles from the ferry on the Potomac at Shepardsville, Va.

About this time General Burnside issued an order that no whole rails should be burned. The order was obeyed, for thereafter, only broken ones were burned.

Sept. 19th.-Heavy cannonading was heard in the direction of the Potomac-our right wing was engaging the enemy as he attempted to cross the river.

Sept. 20th. The booming of cannon was heard beyond the Potomac-the rebel forces had retreated across the river. Stonewall Jackson's expectations were wholly defeated; after all his strategy and dashing movements toward the North, he had found his match in coping with Generals McClellan and Burnside he had discovered the mistaken idea he cherished in presuming his ability and power to roam at will through the North, and winter in the "Old Keystone State."

For the first time in ten days the regiment unsaddled its horses.

Sept. 21st. Four companies were sent east of Sharpsburg, at the residence of a man named Sherman. The inhabitants of Washington and Frederick Counties were nearly all loyal-Sharpsburg was partly "secesh," but its buildings had been bored and well ventilated by the shot and shell of the recent battle.

Sept. 22d. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued on this date, freeing all slaves from Jan. 1st, 1863. In the report of Col. Wm. H. Irwin, Fortyninth Pennsylvania Infantry, commanding Third Brigade, Second Division, Sixth Corps, camp near

Williamsport, Md., Sept. 22d, of the Battle of Crampton's Pass and Antietam, I find this mention: "The wounded were carried to the rear to a temporary hospital, where Assistant Surgeon Richard Curran, Thirty-third New York Volunteers, was assiduous in his attention to the wounded." And again, further on in the report, "Assistant Surgeon Richard Curran, Thirty-third New York Volunteers, was in charge of our temporary hospital, which unavoidably was under fire; but he attended faithfully to his several duties, and I beg to mention this officer with particular commendation. His example is but too rare, most unfortunately." (Doctor Curran was, later on, commissioned assistant surgeon of the Sixth New York Cavalry, and still later on surgeon of the Ninth New York Cavalry.)

Sept. 23d.-A ride through Harper's Ferry showed the result of the battle there many of its beautiful and costly buildings were in ruins, and many blocks had fallen.

Sept. 26th. For eight days the regiment had been bivouacking in the road in the same place. Rumors were floating through the camp that the South had asked for thirty days' armistice for the purpose of forming a kind of treaty.

Oct. 3d.-The Army of the Potomac was reviewed by President Lincoln.

Oct. 7th.-Reveille at four o'clock. "Boots and saddles" at five o'clock; at ten o'clock the regiment received orders to move to Pleasant Valley; arrived there at 2 p.m.; the dustiest march of the campaignthe eyes, mouth, nostrils and ears were completely filled with the combustion of pulverized material from the pike; one could, with much difficult straining of