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LATEST FROM WESTERN MARYLAND
With the Irish Volunteers: Assaulting the Sunken Road
(updated 11:45 a.m., Monday)
Dispatches From Antietam, Day 3 (Sunday)
Irish Join Throng Marking The Battle's 140th Anniversary
"The Confederates were chanting something I suspect meant to be a taunt of some kind. We responded by singing "The Battle Cry of Freedom," with extra emphasis on the chorus line "Down with the traitors!" Our only problem with this battle of words was that the Confederates were going to be able to back up their taunts, as the scenario called for their convincing victory. ..."
-- 1st Sgt. Joseph E. Gannon, 27th Connecticut Infantry (September 15, 2002, 6 o'clock)
CONFEDERATE DIVISION'S FORCED MARCH SEIZES VICTORY -- FEDERALS DRIVEN FROM FIELD -- RAIN PROVES MORE EFFECTIVE THAN ARMS IN DRIVING BOTH ARMIES HOME
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT WITH THE NATIONAL REGIMENT
Hagerstown, Maryland
September 15, 2002
4 o'clock
The last battle scenario of the weekend was a replay of Confederate general A.P. Hill's counterattack oin the Federal left-flank. The forecast of rain for most of Sunday caused a large number of reenactors from both sides to depart Saturday night. Then, Sunday morning the water ran dry in the Federal camp. To the credit of the organizers, the problem was fixed rather quickly, but it did cause further departures on the Federal side. My own group, the National Regiment, was reduced from over 300 to under 100. It appeared some of the other Federal battalions suffered less, but the numbers were down perhaps 50 percent. The Confederate numbers seemed down by a similar amount.
My company nearly ceased to exist, so I was forced to find another. So I did what any Irishman would do and sought another Irish-led unit. I soon spied Lt. Mark McNearny and was immediately welcomed into a new company combined from several units in the National Regiment. So welcomed in fact that I was made first sergeant of this new company.
Rain continued to fall softly off and on during the day, but never hard enough to put the final battle in jeopardy. At 1 p.m., we formed up and marched to the field. This scenario called for us to drive the Rebels for a time, as General Ambrose Burnside's 9th Corp men had done that day west of the stone bridge that now bears his name. Then the Confederate division led by A.P. Hill, after a 17-mile forced march from Harpers Ferry (today in West Virginia, covered in eight hours), fell on the left flank of the Federals and routed the Federal advance.
An exchange of taunts, with emphasis on "Traitors"
The Confederates, reduced in number or not, still presented a formidable appearance arrayed for battle on the hillside in front of us. We were in plain sight of each other before the battle began. This is not often the case. It led to a bit of good-natured banter. The Confederates were chanting something I suspect meant to be a taunt of some kind. We responded by singing "The Battle Cry of Freedom," with extra emphasis on the chorus line "Down with the traitors!" Our only problem with this battle of words was that the Confederates were going to be able to back up their taunts, as the scenario called for their convincing victory.
I brought a wee drop of libation to Lt. McNearny and we toasted our surviving the coming fight. Shortly we stepped off. Some of the Confederates advanced at us a short distance. Then we advanced most of our entire line and pushed them back up the hill. This of course was only a temporary situation. The woods to our left held trouble, in the form of several hundred more Confederates. This was A.P. Hill's counterattack.
As Hill's men came out of the woods, it was our little battalion that was shifted to the left to confront them. At this point, the fighting had reduced our numbers to perhaps 60, and there was no way we could stem their advance. The following few minutes were among the most exciting of the weekend, as we were routed, then ran, then stopped and reformed, only to be overwhelmed by their numbers again. And then we repeated this whole thing over and again. I have always found that sort of action during a re-enactment to be more exhilarating than maintaining a solid formation as you drive the opposition.
Shortly, though, we no longer had the numbers left to form any sort of line, and were run completely off the field. That ended the 140th Antietam re-enactment for us. I caught a ride back to the parking lot with several re-enactors from other units, and our consensus was that while the 140th Antietam had not been as good as the 135th, it had undoubtedly been one of the best re-enactments we've been. One even remarked on something I mentioned earlier. It was an especially good event when compared to First Manassas, last year's major event. So perhaps that's the final word.
-- 1st Sgt. Joseph E. Gannon, 27th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry
Some related sites:
Official Web Site of the 140th Anniversary Re-enactment of the Battle of Antietam
Sharpsburg Annual Heritage Festival
Antietam National Battlefield
Maryland Department of Tourism
Maryland Memories: For information on and to purchase tickets for the 140th Anniversary Commemoration of The Battle of Antietam Civil War Reenactment.
Excerpts from Fox’s Regimental Losses pertaining to the Irish Brigade (Potomac Legion Battalion site)
Excerpts from the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion: Irish Brigade Report for Antietam (Potomac Legion Battalion site)
The Columbia Rifles, a campaign-oriented Civil War living history unit
E-mail us for more information
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