LOUDON HEIGHTS, VA., September 26, 1SC2. f
To Brigadier-General George S. Greene, Com
manding Second Division Eleventh Army
Corps :
I have the honor to report that on the morning
of September seventeenth, 18G2, the late Colonel
Wm. B. Goodrich, of the Sixtieth regiment New-
York State volunteers, being in command of this
brigade, was ordered to take the brigade, then
composed of the Sixtieth and Seventy-eighth regi
ments New-York State volunteers, Third Dela
ware and Purnell Legion, into the field, on the
right of the line of battle. Before getting into
line, the Purnell Legion was ordered into some
other position of the field, which reduced the line
to the three first-named regiments. On getting
into position skirmishers were thrown out on the
right and left, who cleared the woods of the ene
my s sharp-shooters. While thus engaged, and
about an hour after the commencement, the Col
onel commanding was mortally wounded and
borne from the field. The command then de
volved upon Lieut.-Col. Austin, of the Seventy-
eighth New-York volunteers, who remained in
command during the day. About an hour and a
half after this time orders were received to with
draw the brigade from the field, and the line was
shortly after re-formed about half a rnile to the
rear of its former position. The brigade remained
in this position till nearly dark, when they re
ceived orders from yourself to rejoin the division.
This report is made from recollection only, no
data having been kept, as the command was not
handed over to me till late in the evening. I
deem it just, however, to make honorable men
tion of the coolness and bravery of officers and
men in action, especially of the true soldierly
bearing of Col. Goodrich, the daring and courage
of Lieut.-Col. Austin, and the valuable service of
DOCUMENTS.
461
Capt. Redington, of the Sixtieth New-York, and
First Lieutenant McGregor, of the Seventy-eighth
New-York, the two last having charge of the skir
mishers.
Respectfully submitted.
CHARLES R. BRUNDAGE,
Lieutenant Commanding Tldrd Brigade.
LIEUT.-COLONEL KIMBALL S REPORT.
HEADQUARTERS NINTH NEW-YORK VOLUNTEERS, }
NEAR SHARPSBCRGII, MD., Sept. 20, 1862. )
COLONEL : I beg to report that in accordance
with your orders I left Frederick with my regi
ment on the morning of the thirteenth, and took
position about three miles on the Jefferson road.
I here received orders from Colonel Rush, of the
United States Lancers, to reconnoitre the enemy,
who was reported in front in position with artil
lery and cavalry. I did so by throwing forward
company B, Lieut. Bartholomew, on the left, who
soon reported the enemy as having left the posi
tion he occupied the night before, with three guns
and a small cavalry force, and the road in front
clear. Meanwhile, I detached companies C and
H, Capt. Parisen and Lieut. McKechnie, to the
right, in the woods, who soon discovered, engag
ed and drove a large picket force of the enemy s
cavalry across the fields toward Middletown.
While the operations were going on, I advanced
the main body of my regiment, consisting of five
infantry and one battery company, with five how
itzers, on the main road as far as Jefferson, as
support to the Lancers. It was my intention to
cut off the retreat of the enemy s cavalry at the
junction of the roads between Middletown and
Jefferson, but the pursuit and fire of Capt. Pari
sen was too vigorous, and the enemy s horses too
licet, for the accomplishment of this purpose. I
then received your order to return and bivouac at
Frederick, which I accomplished at about eleven
o clock at night, after a hard day s work of six
teen hours and a march of eighteen miles. Al
though meeting no large force of the enemy, I
may properly say that this was the commence
ment of the series of successes which for the next
six days crowned the efforts of our army, and re
sulted in driving the rebel troops from Maryland
soil.
After returning to Frederick an alarm of fire
was given, and it was discovered that the jail was
in flames. By your order I detailed companies
B, G and K to assist the Provost-Guard on the
3ccasion, which duty they performed with alac
rity, assisting to work the engines and guarding
the prisoners till two o clock on the morning of
the fourteenth. The utmost praise is due to offi
cers and men for their patience and determination
during the entire day and night, to be ready for
any emergency that might offer. In an hour
after we took up our line of march on the Middle-
town road, and proceeding about ten miles at a
quick pace, we found the enemy in a very strong
position, high up in what is called the South-
Mountain, where we arrived at about four o clock
in the afternoon. Our troops had already engag
ed the enemy s right wing, and were foi ;ing him
back with great slaughter, when your brigade was
ordered to take position at the left of the road
and support a battery of four pieces, which it did
successfully, the Eighty-ninth regiment resisting,
at the point of the bayonet, a charge of the en
emy in the most gallant and admirable manner.
Being upon the extreme right of the brigade, the
Ninth did not receive the main attack of the en
emy which was so furiously made on the left,
although in position to take advantage of any cir
cumstance that might offer. In this battle we
lost one man wounded, \vho was at a little dis
tance detached from the regiment.
The slaughter of the rebels during the afternoon
had been most awful. The Ohio troops being the
principal ones engaged on our side, and pitted
against the enemy, consisting mostly of North-
Carolina troops. Upon seeing the arrival of fresh
troops, the rebels broke and fled in disorder.
This ended the second day s campaign from Fred
erick. Again, I have to thank all officers and
men of the regiment for the discipline exhibited
on this occasion, and cheerful obedience to every
order, although nearly exhausted with fatigue,
hunger and want of sleep.
After bivouacking on the field, we again march
ed on the fifteenth, and on the evening of the
sixteenth, after dark, took position in front of
the enemy s right wing, your brigade being on
the extreme left of our own forces, and a small
creek (the Antietam) between us and the enemy.
In accordance with your orders, I immediately
threw forward company C, Captain Pariscp, to
act as picket-guard and skirmishers, which duty
was most admirably performed, our pickets fre
quently engaging the enemy s sharp-shooters
during the night, and keeping them at bay.
At daylight in the morning of the seventeenth,
six of the rebel guns commenced shelling us, with
such effect as to compel us to change our posi
tion. The Ninth lost here, in wounded, twelve
men. ,
After changing our position still further to the
left, I directed, in accordance with orders from
the General commanding, the battery, company
K, Captain Whiting, to open fire on the enemy s
battery, across the creek, which he did, soon
silencing it. Immediately after this we were or
dered to ford the creek and form in line of battle
on the bluff opposite, directly in front of the en
emy, which order was promptly executed, push
ing his entire line of skirmishers back from the
creek, and compelling him to retire to his main
force on his left, we proceeding by the right flank
along the bluff of the creek for about three fourths
of a mile to the brow of a hill, till within about
eight hundred yards of the enemy s main body
of artillery and infantry. Here we halted for
rest, when the rebel batteries opened an unmer
ciful fire of shot and shell upon us, killing and
wounding a number of my regiment, and shoot
ing my horse from under me by the explosion of
a shrapnel.
We were soon ordered to advance, which was
promptly done, the different battalions moving in
line of battle, and dressing on their colors, with
462
REBELLION RECORD, 1862.
as much coolness and accuracy as though upon
the drill ground instead of the battle-field. After
proceeding about two hundred yards, you order
ed the charge to be made, when we rushed for
ward with a wild huzzah, peculiar to the Zouaves,
and immediately received the fire of thousands
of the enemy s fresh troops, consisting of artillery
and infantry, which had been brought forward to
meet us. At this time the gallant Cooper fell.
A shell fell in my lines, killing eight men at one
explosion a round shot took off private Con-
wa} r s head. While the infantry-fire was like hail
around and among us, producing the most dread
ful carnage, not a man who was not wounded,
wavered or filtered, but all pressed on with
charged bayonets to the top of the hill, and drove
the enemy from his position.
At this time our color-bearers and guard had
all been shot down, when Capt. Lebair, of com
pany F, seized one, and Capt. Leahy, of company
I, the other of our standards, and advanced them
to the wall near the road, when the rout of the
enemy at this point became complete. After
crossing the road and ravine the enemy promptly
rallied and attempted to turn upon us by a flank
movement on our left, but were prevented by the
Eighty-ninth, under command of Major Jardine,
of the Ninth, who gave them the bayonet, and
\ captured their colors, which proved to be those
of a South -Carolina regiment, and completing the
victory at this point.
After resting here for a short time, and finding
the enemy massing fresh troops in large force, on
our left, we were ordered to retire and take posi
tion about four hundred yards in the rear of the
one we then occupied, which change was execut
ed in good order, and without confusion. After
remaining in this position for a short time, we
were positively ordered to withdraw from the
greater part of the field we had won. The men
retired in good order, at a slow step, and with
tears in their eyes at the necessity which com
pelled them to leave the field they had so dearly
won, and bivouacked for the night. Thus ended
one of the hardest battles ever fought on this con
tinent.
Where all behaved so gallantly, it would be in
vidious to mention one as distinguished above
another. Permit me, therefore, to call attention
to the names of all my commissioned officers en
gaged on the occasion. Captain Barnett, com
pany B, acting Major, (Major Jardine having been
detailed to the command of the Eighty-ninth New-
York volunteers,) behaved in the most gallant
manner, and although severely wounded in the
earl} - part of the action, continued with the regi
ment, urging on and encouraging the men in the
most fearless manner. He is one of the best
drilled and most efficient officers in the service,
and I would beg leave to call the particular at
tention of the General commanding to his merits
as a gentleman and a soldier. Captain Parisen,
company C, although nearly disabled by sick
ness, was every where present, and commanded
his company in the most admirable manner.
Captain Lebair, company E, (color company. ) did
! splendid service, and seized and carried the
colors when the sergeant bearing them was shot
down. Captain Childs, company G, wounded by
a shell early in the morning, was prevented from
taking further part in the action of the day.
Captain Lealw, company I, acted in the most
gallant manner, seizing and advancing to the
| foremost front one of our standards, when the re-
i gular bearer thereof was killed. Lieutenant Bar-
| tholomew, commanding company B, although on
any other occasion should have been in hospital,
led and marched at the head of his company the
entire distance, is deserving of all praise, and,
being on the right of the regiment, had great in
fluence upon its good conduct. Lieutenant Web
ster, commanding company .1), Lieutenant Bur-
dett, commanding company G, (after Captain
Childs was wounded,) Lieutenant McKcchnie,
commanding conipan}^ II, Lieutenant Klingsoch,
company E, and Lieutenant Powell, company I,
all performed their duty in the most gallant man
ner, and to my entire satisfaction. Lieutenant
Graham, commanding company A, (Captain Gra
ham being sick in hospital,) was wounded, and
since had" his leg amputated, behaved in the
most admirable manner. Lieutenant Horner,
acting Adjutant, (Adjutant Barnett being sick,)
behaved splendidly, and performed every duty in
the coolest manner and to my entire satisfaction.
Captain Whiting and Lieutenant Morris, of bat^
tery company K, although not under my im
mediate notice, being detailed on artillery ser
vice in another part of the field, I learn behaved
well Lieutenant Morris making some excellent
shots with his rifled guns, and silencing one of
the enemy s batteries. The thanks of the entire
regiment are due to Surgeon Humphries and As
sistant-Surgeon Harding, who were indefatigable
in their attentions to the wounded.
AVe have to lament the death of Second Lieut.
E. C. Cooper, who was wounded just as we com
menced the charge. He thought the wound
slight and refused to be carried from the field.
He was a good officer, a brave man, and a gallant
soldier, and much beloved, and his loss is deeply
regretted by the regiment.
I cannot close this report without calling your
especial attention to the good conduct and gal
lantry of Quartermaster-Sergeant Hannes, (slight
ly wounded ;) Sergeants Dews, Whitney, (wound
ed,) and Schmidt, Corporals Farrel, (wounded,)
Cornell, and Roberts, company B ; Sergeants
Forbes and Salisbury, and Corporal Vanduzer,
(all wounded,) company A ; Sergeants Geayer
and Stites, Corporals Fields and Stephens, (all
wounded,) company C ; Sergeants Fitzgerald and
Searing, company I) ; Smith, Henkenson, Jacob-
son, and Keating, (the latter both wounded,)
company E; Riley, River, Connor, (wounded,)
company G ; Johnson, Byrne, (wounded,) and
Hodges, company II ; Ross, company I ; Color-
Sergeant Myers, company C, (wounded ;) Color-
Corporal Van Cott, company A. I would also
call your especial attention to Bugler Home, who,
until wounded, sounded the various commands
with as much coolness and nonchalance as
DOCUMENTS.
463
though on the parade-ground instead of the bat
tle-ground.
The pioneer corps, under Corporal Vanduzer,
behaved well, indeed.
There are many non-commissioned officers and
privates to whose names I would individually be
pleased to call your attention, did space permit,
but suffice it to say that all behaved gallantly,
and are entitled to credit for good conduct on
the field.
Enclosed is a list of the killed, wounded and
missing ; the regiment went into action with
eight companies, comprising an aggregate force of
four hundred and sixty-nine, and lost, in killed,
wounded and missing, two hundred and twenty-
two, or nearly one half the entire number. Com
pany F being, detached on service at Plymouth,
N. C., and company K as artillery in another
part of the field.
In conclusion, my thanks are due to the Eighty-
ninth New-York volunteers, Major Jardine, and
the One Hundred and Third New- York volun
teers, Major Ringold, for the efficient and united
support rendered us during the entire engage
ment.
It is proper to add that on the nineteenth I
made a detail from my regiment under Lieut.
Powell, who buried our entire dead and marked
the bodies for identification.
Thanking you in behalf of my regiment for the
gallantry and coolness with which you led us,
and the confidence placed in us, I have the
honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient
servant,
E. A. KIMBALL,
Lieutenant-Colonel Commanding Ninth Mew- York Volunteers.
To Colonel II. S. FAIRCIIILDS,
Commanding First Brigade Third Division Ninth Army Corps.
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL CURTIS S REPORT.
HEADQUARTERS Focimi REGIMENT RHODE ISLAND VOLS., )
MOUTH AXTIKTAM CREEK, September 22, 1SG2. f
To His Excellency Wm. Sprague, Governor State
of Rhode Island:
Sin: I have the honor to submit the following
report of the part taken by this regiment in the
battle of Sharpsburgh on the seventeenth in
stant :
On the afternoon of the v sixteenth, Harland s
brigade, consisting of the Eighth, Eleventh, Six
teenth Connecticut, and Fourth Rhode Island,
left the bivouac it had occupied on the left of the
Sharpsburgh road, and proceeded in a south
westerly direction, following the general course
of the Antietam Creek for three or four miles,
and took up a position behind a range of hills
covering a stone bridge, which crossed the creek.
The regiment lay upon its arms all night, having
its front covered by its own pickets.
The Fourth had the left of the brigade line,
and upon its left lay Fairchilds s brigade, of Rod
man s division. About an hour after light, on
the morning of the seventeenth, the enemy s
pickets commenced firing upon those of the regi
ments upon our left, and shortly after they began
shelling the whole division line, their range being
very accurate. As soon as the firing commenced
the ranks were dressed and the men directed to
lie down in their places the three left companies
being in a more exposed position, were brought in
rear of the rest of the battalion.
Orders were received from Col. Harland to fol
low the other brigade to the left, but before that
brigade could move the enemy opened smother
battery on our right, enfilading our position with
a fire of round shot, and completely commanding
a little rise of ground on our left, which we should
have been obliged to cross to reach the ground
occupied by the other brigade. The fact was re
ported to Col. Harland by an officer who returned
with orders for the regiment to move to the left
and rear, through the same woods, in a direction
to be indicated by Lieut. Ives, of Gen. Rodman s
staff, who came back with him. The order was
executed, the regiment moving by the left flank
to the rear through a wooded gully, but partially
concealed from the enemy who continued their
hea/vy fire of shell and solid shot. The regiment
was then drawn up in a farm-lane well protected
by a hill. As the brigade filed through the
wooded gully a battery placed in rear of our ori
ginal position commenced replying to the enemy,
too late, however, to cover our retrograde move
ment, which was almost completed. Our loss in
this affair was two killed, eight wounded among
the latter the color-bearer and two color-corpo
rals.
After about an hour the brigade advanced in
line of battle to the top of the hill in front, making
right half-wheel, and after crossing several
fields, finally took a position on the top of the
hills, at the foot of which ran the Antietam Creek,
on the opposite side of which was the enemy.
The action on our right was now very sharp, both
artillery and infantry being engaged. Our divi
sion constituted the extreme left of the line. Af
ter a halt of some duration the division moved by
the left flank to the creek, and crossed at a ford
under fire from the enemy s skirmishers who
were sheltered behind a stone wall. The Fourth,
after crossing the ford, filed to the left, (the other
brigade going to the right, and the rest of liar-
land s brigade not yet having crossed,) and after
throwing out company H as skirmishers to cover
the front, and company K to the left, advanced
in line toward the stone wall, the enemy retiring,
but shortly after opening a fire of musketry on
our left, which was soon silenced by the fire from
our battery covering the ford. The enemy thvn
commenced a fire of grape and shell upon us, and
the Sixteenth Connecticut, which had just crossed
the ford and was taking a position to support our
left, retired, passing along our rear. After it had
passed, this regiment, by Col. Harland s orders,
took a more sheltered position at right angles to
our original one. From here we moved to the
right in the direction taken by Col. Fairchilds s
brigade, through a wooded ravine, through which
ran the creek. The steepness of the hill-side, the
thickness of the wood, and the accurate range
of the enemy s batteries made the passage through
this defile a matter of considerable difficulty.
Upon clearing the woods we lay waiting orders
464
REBELLION RECORD, 18G2.
for a short time under a hill-side which the ene
my were shelling, the rest of the brigade having
passed on while we were in the woods. From
here the regiment was ordered by Col. Harland s
aid to cross the hill behind which it was lying (a
ploughed field) and to form in line in a corn-field,
and to move to the support of the Sixteenth Con
necticut, which lay in a deep valley between two
hills planted with corn. The regiment moved
forward by the right flank in fine order, although
subjected to the fire of rebel batteries, of which
it was in full view. Descending into the valley
to its support, it found the Sixteenth Connecti
cut giving way and crowding upon its right, com
pelling it to move to the left, and rendering it
almost impossible to dress the line, which the
advance in line of battle across two fields of full-
grown corn had slightly deranged. It was now
subjected to sharp musket-fire from the front,
but as the enemy showed the national flag, (the
:orn concealing their uniform,) and as our troops
had been seen in advance on our right, moving
diagonally across our front, the order to cease
firing was given, and a volunteer officer to go for
ward to ascertain who was in our front was called
for. Lieuts. Gco. E. Curtis and Geo. H. Watts
immediately stepped forward, and placing them
selves one on each side of the color-bearer, (Cor
poral Tanner, company G,) carried the flag up the
hill within twenty feet of the rebels, when the
enemy fired, killing the corporal. Lieut. Curtis
seized the colors and returned, followed by Lieut.
Watts. The order to commence firing Avas then
given, and Col. Stecre sent me to the Sixteenth
Connecticut to see if they would support us in a
charge up the hill, but the corn being very thick
and high, I could find no one to whom to apply.
I returned to tell the Colonel that we must de
pend upon ourselves. He then sent to the rear
for support. Before they could arrive the enemy
outflanked us with a brigade of infantry, which
descended the hill to our left in three lines, one
firing over the other and enfilading us. The regi
ment on our right now broke, a portion of them
crowding on our line. Col. Steerc ordered the
regiment to move out of the gully by the right
flank, and I left him to carry the order to the
left, of which wing I had charge, the Colonel
taking the right, (the major being sick, and no
adjutant, there were only two field-officers to
handle the regiment.) The regiment commenced
the movement in an orderly manner, but under
the difficulty of keeping closed up in a corn-field,
the misconception of the order on the left and the
tremendous fire of the enemy, consisting of mus
ketry, shell and grape, the regiment broke. Col.
Steere, as I afterwards learned, was severely
wounded in the left thigh, immediately after I
left him to repeat on the lefc the order to leave
the corn-field. An attempt was made to rally
the regiment to the support of a battery at some
distance back from the corn-field, but before many
had been collected the battery retired, when the
efforts became unavailing.
I desire to bring to your notice Lieuts. Curtis
and Watts, who volunteered to carry the colors
forward in the corn-field, and the following non
commissioned officers and privates: Sergeants
Wilson, company A, Coon, company B, Morris,
company C ; corporals Leonard, company A, Far-
le} r , company C ; and privates McCann, company
B, and Peck, company C, who rallied, after the
regiment was broken, on the left of the Fifty-first
Pennsylvania, and continued fighting until all
their ammunition was gone, when I ordered them
to recross the river to rejoin the regiment. All
the food the men had during the entire day was
what very small quantities of salt pork and hard
bread they were able to find in an abandoned
camp, during the short rest after the shelling out
in the morning.
The entire loss during the day was twenty-one
enlisted men killed ; five officers and sevcnty-twQ
enlisted men wounded ; and two missing. A list
of the names as furnished by the captains of com
panies has been forwarded to the Adjutant-Gene
ral.
Col. Steere commends in the highest terms the
conduct of the regiment upon that day. I can
only add that throughout the day I never saw an
officer but that he was encouraging and directing
his men.
The men fought well, as is proved by the fact
that they were engaged constantly with the ene
my during nine or ten hours all of which time
they were under arms. That they finally broke,
under such a very severe fire, and the pressure of