Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 20.djvu/254

 248 Southern Historical Society Papers.

face the fiery edge of battle on the banks of the Chickahominy. Hooker's veteran division assailed with intrepid daring Lee's right, but as Gibraltar has dashed for ages the Mediterranean wave, so dashed Lee the assaulting column. Then McClellan's oncoming hosts fling themselves with reckless courage on Lee's center, but " as roll a thousand waves to the rock, so Swaran's hosts came on ; as meets a rock a thousand waves, so Inisfail met Swaran." The sun rises to the zenith, and Lee's army still holds its front of flame defiant to McClellan's hosts. Burnside occupies the Federal left, but a dangerous bridge across the Antietam has to be crossed ere he can have an equal chance in the fight. But only after being held in check, with enormous slaughter, for four and a half hours by 219 men of Toombs' brigade, by a heroic dash he crosses the bridge and pushes Lee's column back into the edge of the village of Sharpsburg. But Lee, anticipating this movement, sends five brigades, under A. P. Hill, from his left and center, and Burnside is hurled back with great loss. 'Tis the bloodiest day in the ides of Maryland. The September frost had already painted the forest with crimson war had that day left her carmine footprints on her soil. It is a drawn battle. Lee remained on the battlefield till the night of the i8th, and then quietly withdrew and crossed the Potomac into Virginia.

General McClellan had on and near this battlefield 87,164 troops, and General Lee had 40,000. (See "Battles and Leaders" Vol. II, p. 603.)

In the eighteen days of the Maryland campaign, which includes Harper's Ferry, Lee's army, never larger than 40,000, fought the battles of South Mountain, Crampton's Gap, Harper's Ferry, Sharps- burg (Antietam), and Shepherdstown, losing in killed, wounded and captured, 11,172; while McClellan, with an army of 87,000, lost, killed, 2,662; wounded, 11,719; captured, 13,494, a total of 27,875. (See Vol. I, p. 810, for Confederate loss, and the same volume for Federal loss.)

Lee retires his army to Fredericksburg, on the south bank of the Rappahannock, and McClellan moves his army to the other side. Both armies go into winter-quarters. McClellan's head, like Pope's, has fallen under the official axe of the War Department, and Burnside is now the commander. Burnside's army crossed on pontoons and made several heroic attempts to storm Marye's Heights, but were driven back with great slaughter.

Burnside on December 1 3th, 'had 116,683 present; Lee, on Decem-