A Squirrel Hunt on a Large Scale: The 10th Maine at Antietam

It was scarcely 7:30 in the morning of September 17, 1862, when James S. Fillebrown moved into the East Woods with the 10th Maine when a volley from the opposing 21st Georgia ripped into them. One of the shots pierced the neck of Colonel George Beal’s horse which became frantic and charged about in terror. “In his pain, he made for me and dashed against me with such force as to knock me from my horse to the ground,” Fillebrown explained to his wife a few days later. “I soon rallied and caught my horse, but the poor fellow came again with redoubled fury and this time after separating me from my horse kicked me with both feet in my stomach causing the most intense pain and suffering, I ever experienced.”

          The rest of the regiment quickly took cover and opened fire in return. “It was a squirrel hunt on a large scale as you could see our men creep along from tree to tree,” Fillebrown continued. “They fired in this way till our ammunition was gone and some of them fired more than they carried into the fight. Being supplied with fixed water-proof cartridges, some of the men fired so fast as to heat their guns to the extent that the cartridges exploded before the balls were forced down.”

The 10th Maine served in the First Brigade (General Samuel Crawford) of the First Division (General Alpheus Williams) of the 12th Army Corps during the Maryland campaign.  The brigade featured three veteran regiments (10th Maine, 28th New York, and 46th Pennsylvania) who had seen heavy action at Cedar Mountain in August along with three newly mustered regiments of Pennsylvanians: the 124th, 125th, and 128th.

          The following letter, written to Lieutenant Colonel Fillebrown’s wife Anna in Auburn, Maine, was originally published in the October 2, 1862, edition of the Lewiston Falls Journal.

 

Lieutenant Colonel James S. Fillebrown of the 10th Maine was severely injured when Colonel George Beal's horse reared and struck him in the abdomen in the opening moments of the regiment's fight in the East Woods at Antietam. Regardless, Fillebrown ended up writing the regiment's after action report since both Colonel Beal and Major Walker also went down with wounds. 

 

United States Hotel, Boonsboro, Maryland

September 19, 1862

          We have just had another severe fight with the enemy near Sharpsburg in which the 10th Maine took an active part, it being on the right of General Banks’ army under the immediate command of General Joseph Mansfield in person. I fear our loss is equal to that of Cedar Mountain if not more although we had at our last accounts only 309 guns in line. Our whole corps left South Mountain on Monday and were ordered up to a point beyond here on Tuesday and at night were marched under cover of darkness to the battlefield where we were halted to rest in a plowed field to lay on our arms.

          Wednesday morning at daylight our pickets began to fire in the woods near us, a sure indication we were upon the enemy and in less than 10 minutes we were on the move for a fight. We were the nearest regiment and in front, but before we took arms, General Mansfield rode up to our front and said, “Men, you are called upon today for active duty and I ask no more of you than to maintain the reputation you have already achieved. Your officers will see that you are not sacrificed.” The old man’s white locks and calm expression as he sat before us inspired confidence in all and as we moved up, self-reliance was in each man’s face.

          As soon as it was sufficiently light for our artillerists to commenced operations, the ball was fairly open the like of which I hope we never shall again see or hear. The discharges from the batteries were more frequent than I could count and I could think only of the awful destruction of life they were causing. Best’s regular battery, attached to our brigade, covered the front and these six 12-lb Napoleons truly made their mark. We were ordered to the left into the woods with orders from General Mansfield to hold them till reinforcements should arrive.

 

The 10th Maine as part of General Samuel Crawford's brigade of the 12th Corps went into action around 7:30 a.m. in the East Woods. The regiment marched up in column of companies per General Mansfield's direct order but once the Confederates opened fire, Colonel Beal deployed the regiment into line of battle and ordered the advance. This simplified map (numerous Federal and Confederate units have been left out to not overly clutter the map) above shows the portion of the field where the 10th Maine did its heaviest fighting at Antietam. 

“On the Rebel side we saw the men we were firing into, dodging from tree to tree, aiming at us, yelling, shaking their fists sometimes, and saucy generally. It was a desperate fight we made of it. Indeed, as far as we and our immediate enemies were concerned, it partook the character of a heavy skirmish, every man fighting for himself and so it happened that the advanced men were sometimes within 10-15 yards of each other.” ~ Major John M. Gould, 10th Maine

 

Let me assure you that in those woods the 10th Maine had just as much of a chance as did the enemy and we improved it. Not a mound or tree that gave us protection we did not improve, and the lifeless remains of 43 Rebels, among them lieutenants, captains, and one colonel as we advanced proved the unerring aim of our men’s rifles. It was a squirrel hunt on a large scale as you could see our men creep along from tree to tree. They fired in this way till our ammunition was gone and some of them fired more than they carried into the fight. They actually relieved their comrades who were killed or wounded and being supplied with fixed water-proof cartridges, some of the men fired so fast as to heat their guns to the extent that the cartridges exploded before the balls were forced down. All the Rebs made out of this fight they are welcome to, but with all our successes we have our sorrows and losses.

          We are pained to note the death of General Mansfield who fell in our front. He had just given the order to cease firing, thinking that we by some mistake were firing on our own men, but when a ball that shattered his horse’s leg passed him, he turned to us and shouted forward when another Rebel bullet entered his back and passed out his left breast causing his death a few hours after.

Of our own regiment, Colonel George L. Beal was wounded by the same bullet through both legs near the hips and as it is only a flesh wound, we hope to see him back soon. During the first of the fight, his horse was wounded in the neck and soon escaped. In his pain, he made for me and dashed against me with such force as to knock me from my horse to the ground. I soon rallied and caught my horse, but the poor fellow came again with redoubled fury and this time after separating me from my horse kicked me with both feet in my stomach causing the most intense pain and suffering, I ever experienced for some few hours. I am very sore but hope to be out in a few days.

 

“We had no slow balls or buckshot that day nor did the enemy fire many bullets over our heads. On the contrary, their officers were continually shouting “Aim low! Give ‘em hell! Give it to the damned Yankee sons of bitches!” The last order one would think they had learned in infancy by the ease and frequency of their giving it.” ~ Major John M. Gould, 10th Maine

 

          Captain Nehemiah Furbish and Lieutenant William Wade of Co. I were both killed and Lieutenant Hebron Mayhew of the same company was wounded in the wrist. Lieutenant Alfred Turner of Co. B is also wounded in the leg. Lieutenant Edward Brackett of Co. D is mortally wounded and we fear for the worst. [Brackett, wounded in the bowels, died September 18, 1862] We buried 17 of our men yesterday and we fear our list of wounded is heavy, but I have been unable to get anything of a list yet and am unable to give you a fair report. It cannot be much short of 75. We are now in line of battle supporting General Franklin’s corps.

 

 

Sources:

Letter from Lieutenant Colonel James Sullivan Fillebrown, 10th Maine Volunteer Infantry, Lewiston Falls Journal (Maine), October 2, 1862, pg. 1

Gould, John M. History of the First-Tenth-Twenty-Ninth Maine Regiment. Portland: Stephen Berry, 1871, pgs. 238-240

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