CHAPTER X. SEPTEMBER 7-22, 1862. The flag of our country is floating on high; CAMPAIGN IN MARYLAND UNDER MCCLELLAN. BATTLE OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN AND DEATH OF GENERAL RENO. TAM. BATTLE OF ANTIE THE main body of the rebel army did not advance beyond Chantilly, although their cavalry and horse artillery followed our retreating troops up to the immediate vicinity of the fortifications of Alexandria. On the 3d of September, General Lee turned his back upon Alexandria, and put his army in motion up the Potomac for Leesburg. By the 7th of September, the rebel army had been thrown across the Potomac into Maryland, by a ford near Leesburg, and was threatening Washington and Baltimore from the North and West. Meanwhile the Army of Virginia, had been merged in the Army of the Potomac, and the whole was being rapidly reorganized, and put into condition to renew offensive operations under General McClellan. The President, on July 1st, had called for three hundred thousand more volunteers; and recruits and new regiments were added to the battered veteran organizations. Some of the new regiments were laboring under the delusion that there were enough old troops to do the fighting, and that the new levies had been recruited for garrison duty, but most of them found before long that there was fighting enough to go round. The reorganized Ninth Corps was put under command of General Reno, and consisted of four divisions, commanded respectively by Generals Willcox, Sturgis, Rodman, and Cox, our division (the 2d) being commanded by General Samuel D. Sturgis; the 4th Division, commanded by SKETCH MAP OF MCCLELLAN'S MARYLAND CAMPAIGN. General Jacob D. Cox, had formed a part of the West Virginia army, and was generally known as the "Kanawha Division." 1 1 One interesting fact connected with the 4th Division was that the 23d Ohio Volunteers, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel R. B. Hayes (President Hayes), formed a portion of it. The 4th Division waged war on the Pope principle, plundering the country unmercifully, the President's regiment being fully as bad as the rest in this respect. General Reno took Lieutenant-Colonel Hayes severely though justly to task, in the presence of his men, for their piratical con. duct, shortly before the battle of South Mountain; and some scribbler in a communication published in the Boston Journal some years ago writes that a member of the 23d Ohio murdered General Reno in that battle to prevent the general from court-martialing his lieutenant-colonel for allowing such misconduct. I need not say to any one familiar with the circumstances of General Reno's death that he was not so killed. ED. Our brigade (the 2d) was strengthened by the addition of a new Massachusetts regiment (the gallant 35th); and the 21st received forty-five excellent new recruits, the first since the twenty-three men who had arrived May 7th at Newbern, and the last for an indefinite period. In the new movement against the invading rebels the 1st and 9th Corps formed a grand division under General Burnside. September 4th. At seven o'clock P. M. the 21st left their camp outside of Alexandria, and marching through that city, and across the Potomac over Long Bridge, passed through the city of Washington, about daylight of the 5th, and went into bivouac in a pleasant grove at the north end of the city, after a march of fifteen miles. A wagon full of letters was soon unloaded in our camp which were read with more than ordinary eagerness, as it was the first mail which we had received for a round month. On the 7th of September we received orders to move into Maryland; and, starting about the middle of the forenoon, marched about ten miles over a fine road, and halted early in the afternoon, in the pleasant town of Leesboro'. There was a good deal of straggling on the march, and plundering of orchards and chickens by some of our corps, the "Kanawha Division" setting a very bad example in that direction. September 8th. We remained at Leesboro', and made out muster and pay rolls. All sorts of rumors of the rebel invasion were flying about; but the army was stronger in numbers than ever before, more united in feeling, and contented with McClellan's leadership seemed to feel entirely confident that we could easily drive the enemy across the Potomac. September 9th. We started at six A. M., and marching about twelve miles reached Brookville at noon, and went into bivouac. September 10th. We remained in our pleasant quarters at Brookville. The rebel advance was said to be retiring be fore us, and the new men were interested in hearing that the enemy was getting himself into a trap; but "bagging" and "trapping" were not popular expressions among the veterans. September 11th. We started at seven A. M., and after a day's march of eighteen miles, through a rich and fertile country, halted in a lovely spot near Newmarket at five o'clock. Heavy showers fell at intervals during the day, but it was the first rain for several days and was not unwelcome. September 12th. Starting at seven A. M., we crossed the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and after a slow march crossed the high stone bridge over the beautiful little river Monocacy, and went into bivouac in sight of Frederick City, about sundown. We had heard artillery firing ahead during the afternoon, and were stirred by the news that our advance had had a sharp skirmish with the rebel cavalry in the streets of Frederick, and had driven them from the city. We were now in the most beautiful region in Maryland; and, cheered by the warm welcome which we received from many of the inhabitants (in spite of the shameful pillaging by our campfollowers and stragglers), felt for the first time like a delivering army. I shall always remember a dear old lady, who came out of a house that we passed that day, and waving a flag over her head promised us victory in the impending conflict. September 13th. Stories about the large force of rebels holding the line of South Mountain, some twelve or fifteen miles in our front, were floating around the camps in the morning. Soon after noon we received marching orders, and passed through the main street of the beautiful old town of Frederick the warmth of our reception by the Union people of the town exceeded anything in our previous experience; the street and houses were filled with women waving flags and handkerchiefs, and their earnestly uttered blessings upon our arms were made doubly effective by the mingled sound of the distant artillery. On our passage through the town, we witnessed General McClellan's enthusiastic reception: as he appeared, the people gave themselves up to the wildest demonstrations of joy; and a dense crowd, mainly composed of women, breaking through all restraint blocked the street around him, laughing and crying in hysterical excitement as they tried to get closer and closer to the delivering leader. Our gallant brigadier could n't let us part without at least a salute in honor of our reception; so the brigade was halted in the street, and the regiments faced to the front; but, before arms were presented, General Reno, displeased at the block of the marching column, gave him an emphatic order to right face his men, and attend to business. After a march of about ten miles we went into bivouac near Middleton, close under the South Mountain range. During this short march we saw a terrible example of the discipline then enforced in the rebel army: two corpses in ragged gray uniforms were hanging on a tree beside the road, and we were told by citi zens that they were two of Jackson's men, whom he had ordered to be hung for stealing. Although the rebel army (ragged and half-fed) had just passed over the road by which we were moving, the ripe apples were left hanging untouched on the trees that lined the road; but, in sad contrast with rebel discipline, the straggling plunderers from our well provided delivering army left few apples, chickens, or young pigs behind them on the march. THE BATTLE OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN, FOUGHT SEPTEMBER 14, 1862. September 14th. About nine o'clock artillery firing opened, three or four miles away on the mountain; and at noon General McClellan, with a brilliant staff, rode past us to the front. At two o'clock we were ordered up the mountain to take a hand in the fight, which was said to be fiercely contested; and at once moved forward. Soon leaving the turnpike, as we began to ascend the thousand feet of elevation that we had to climb, we diverged to the left and continued our march up the mountain by the "Old Sharpsburg Road," running through Fox's Gap. General Hooker's Corps were now engaged a mile or two away on our right, and troops of the 9th Corps were fighting sharply in our front. It was past the middle of the afternoon as our brigade approached the summit, and were halted in the road close upon the fighting |