A Keystone Tenderfoot Survives Antietam

“I have learned that I am reported killed which has given me a great deal of uneasiness,” reported Captain James Archbald of the 132nd Pennsylvania to a friend in Scranton after the Battle of Antietam. His regiment, thrust into action for the first time during the fighting near the Sunken Lane, lost heavily and what Archbald saw on the battlefield haunted his dreams that night.

          “The adjutant and I lay close together but I could not sleep as I still heard the terrific cannonading or the whizzing of bullets through the corn, so affected was my imagination,” he continued. “In my sleep the battle was partially forgotten as I as so much exhausted. Still, I awoke several times to find I had been dreaming of that fearful struggle.”

          Captain Archbald’s description of Antietam first saw publication in the October 4, 1862, edition of the Carbondale Advance.

 


Camp on the battlefield of Sharpsburg, Maryland

Friday, September 19, 1862

Friend Mac,

          Knowing the interest of our Scranton friends in our welfare and the anxiety with which they await the particulars of the fight of Wednesday last, I will give you a brief account of the fight as regards the 132nd Pennsylvania regiment.

          We were marched from our encampment near Keedysville on Wednesday morning about 6:30 and marched until about 8 o’clock through fields of corn and over the hills, fording one stream where the privilege of taking off our boots and stockings was given. This was unusual to us. I suppose they thought as a hard day’s work was before us we would march better with dry feet. I certainly felt revived but was quite uncomfortable for a time as I, as well as hundreds of others, came out of the stream through a thick growth of nettles.

          This was soon forgotten in the excitement. After crossing the stream, we marched to the summit of the next hill and formed in line of battle under some difficulty as the whole regiment was excited by the shells which were bursting over us. However, we advanced through the woods, over the fence, when we were thrown into some disorder. We recovered partially by the time we came to the next fence; here we were again broken and our line became more broken as we pressed over the ploughed field, it being up hill and with furrows. Several of my men gave out with exhaustion.

          A cornfield was next passed; here we did well, but when we arrived at the meadow at the foot of the hill and under fire of the enemy, our men were very much fatigued, having come on the double quick for the last half mile under such unfavorable circumstances. Our line was broken and the men instead of being two ranks deep were at least four. An effort, with tolerable success, was made to draw the men up in line of battle. General [Nathan] Kimball gave the word “forward” and forward we went, but as we had to pass through a garden, around a barn, and over a fence, our companies were somewhat mixed.

          I heard an order from Colonel Oakford for the 132nd to go in the orchard to our right. I jumped over the fence followed by perhaps 50 men. Then General Kimball’s aide gave the order to march to the left, which we did for a few hundred feet until we were in the open field. Here we were reformed and ordered forward to the crest of the hill where we found the 108th New York. We walked over them for they were lying down and with but few exceptions firing from that position.



          Here we fought four and a half hours until we had fired 60 rounds and some of the cartridges of the dead and wounded. Our bayonets were fixed for a charge upon the rifle pits of the Rebels and the cornfield occupied by them. Just at this point the Irish Brigade came to our relief and we were ordered to the rear to form our regiment. I gave the order for “Co. I to the rear” and we went but was followed by only 20 men. I went again to the front and brought out 20 more.

          We left the field in tolerable order, a few of my men lingering to fire a round or two at the Rebels on our right who were making a charge upon a battery of ours. We passed the 14th Connecticut coming into battle; a ball passed our brave lieutenant colonel but killed his friend Captain Willard of the 14th. We marched to the rear half a mile to a ravine and had roll call while the balls and shells flew over our head. burying ourselves in the ground before us or ricocheting over the hill. We had 39 men and 3 commissioned officers.

          We rested here from half past 12 until nearly 3 p.m. having in the meantime distributed among us 40 rounds of ammunition. At 3 o’clock we joined our brigade and took our places in line of battle as the reserves, being the third line from the front. We were lying behind a cornfield and immediately behind a rail fence. The Rebel shells, which were fired at a battery in our rear, burst over our heads or flew by us with a fearful whizzing sound. None of our regiment was killed through our brigade suffered some loss. Night coming on stopped the work of death.

          The adjutant and I lay close together but I could not sleep as I still heard the terrific cannonading or the whizzing of bullets through the corn, so affected was my imagination. In my sleep the battle was partially forgotten as I as so much exhausted. Still I awoke several times to find I had been dreaming of that fearful struggle. I heard General Kimball speak to General [William] French of our behavior in the highest terms.

Brig. Gen. Nathan Kimball

I could mention a number who particularly distinguished themselves but it would be injustice to the rest for there was no cowardice. Several never heard the order to fall back but went with our relief, the Irish Brigade, and charged with them into the cornfield and rifle pits, helping to take 1,100 prisoners. One of my men, after the charge, fell in with the 88th New York, and fought the rest of the afternoon with them, reporting himself the next day at noon.

          Poor young West sat on the crest of the hill and fired 40 rounds when he fell wounded through the bowels. He was brave even to rashness and lived about 15 hours. Moses H. Ames was shot through the breast during the latter part of the action and was killed almost instantly. There were none braver than he as he fell in the front ranks. Corporal Gardner fought nobly and was retiring with honors from the front when he fell pierced through the head with a rifle ball. He had five cartridges left, having shot at least 55 shots as all had 60 rounds before we went into the fight.

          The loss of our young friends leaves a gloom over us and as we and the 42nd [Pennsylvania] met after the action, we shook hands and felt as if a brotherly love bound us closer together. I could mention many incidents worthy of notice. Many of my men I did not recognize as they were so covered with dust and smoke. One of the men, as we were falling to the rear, picked up a tin cup and put it in his haversack. A moment afterwards a rifle ball struck the haversack, tearing the bottom of the cup off and after passing through his coat, flew on its way. The cup probably saved his life.


          Our brave and respected colonel fell during the early part of the engagement. He was encouraging us on to the front when he fell pierced through the breast by a ball. Captain Chase, with assistance, bore the colonel from the field to a place of safety behind a haystack. He only lived 20 minutes. I did not know until the close of the engagement that we had met with such a heavy loss. The colonel told me one evening at Camp Whipple that he never should return alive- that it was patriotism which actuated him in going.

          Yesterday was the most solemn day I ever spent, surrounded by death and the dying. Our present camp is where the engagement began early in the morning and our men had driven the enemy to their stronghold when we came up. I visited the rifle pit and cornfield this afternoon in company with our brave adjutant and Lt. Miller. While there I met two ladies and entered into conversation with them. They were Mrs. Harris, secretary of the Ladies’ Relief Society of Philadelphia, and Miss. Gilson, also of Philadelphia. During our conversation with them, I learned that Mrs. Harris and I have mutual friends so we were soon well acquainted. I told her where my wounded were and she said she would visit them.

I shall not attempt to describe the horrors of that field. As near as we could estimate, our loss in killed was about one-fifth of that of the Rebels. I have learned that I am reported killed which has given me a great deal of uneasiness.

 

Source:

Letter from Captain James Archbald, Jr., Co. I, 132nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Carbondale Advance (Pennsylvania), October 4, 1862, pg. 2

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