battery. At
that critical turn, Captain Tompkins called on our infantry support to
advance and do their duty, which they did, enabling us to load again. The
enemy, after failing to take the battery, retreated slowly, leaving his
battle-flag behind, which, by right, should have been given to the
battery, as it fell before the infantry support advanced. Our ammunition
giving away, Captain Tompkins sent word to be relieved. John Leech
deserves due mentioning here, for carrying notice through the hottest
fire, regardless of his personal safety, to bring rescue to his comrades.
Shortly afterwards, Battery G, Rhode Island, came to relieve us. We left
the field under a heavy fire of the enemy's batteries, leaving our dead
and wounded behind. Battery G fired only a few rounds, and left the
position we held for four hours and a half. The ground was taken by the
enemy. We returned to our former rendezvous, near Hoffman's farm, and
received a written compliment from General Sumner for our good behavior.
Our loss was: Killed--Sergeant Reed, John Lawrence, Joe Bosworth, Stone.
Wounded--Budlong, John Church, Robert Raynor, F. C. Preston, Sherman
Larkin, Zimmerli, Corporal Childs, Fred. Phillips, Francis Phillips,
Cargill, Abner Wilder, and Theodore Reichardt. We lost nine horses. During
the afternoon, we loaded ammunition. The battle raged till night set in,
principally near Sharpsburg. Colonel Miles surrendered Harper's Ferry,
with eleven thousand five hundred men, to Stonewall Jackson.

_Thursday, September 18._--Antietam. Both armies are skirmishing briskly
since daylight. Our battery left Hoffman's farm in the morning, and went a
little nearer to the battle-field. Lieutenant Jeffrey Hassard started,
with eight selected men, to obtain the bodies of our dead, but was not
able to accomplish it, the enemy's sharpshooters firing on our approach.
During the afternoon a truce was concluded between the two armies, for the
purpose of burying the fallen. The remains of Sergeant Reed, John
Lawrence, Joe Bosworth and Ed. Stone, were recovered in a mutilated
state, and interred in the evening in the presence of the battery.

_Friday, September 19._--The enemy has fallen back to the Potomac.
Thousands of dead are covering the field yet. We remained quiet all day.

_Saturday, September 20._--Antietam. We exchanged three guns with Pettit's
New York battery. Our battery marched back to Boonsboro, close to
McClellan's headquarters, in the aftern