Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/228

214 wounded advancing at the head of his men, and Colonel Gibson led the command the rest of that awful day.

About 12 o'clock Wright's men went to the rear and had a dinner of roasted green corn and hardtack. They were called again to arms at 4, and fought until dusk. The battle closed, with Lee still in possession of the field. When the roll was called that night only 40 of the 100 or 150 Third Georgians who had gone into battle were left to answer.

The killed, wounded and captured of both armies numbered about 22,743.

One shudders at this cruel sacrifice of life on both sides, and hopes in the onward march of civilization the day may come when the whole world will shrink from the resort to "'blood and iron" in the settlement of national troubles.

It was a Virginian who told the story of an old lady, standing in her doorway as the soldiers marched past and tearfully exclaimed, "God bless every one of your ragged, dirty souls!"

With some such feeling one learns how the men in camp "washed up their scanty clothing," and in the enjoyment of baths and mineral water gained in health and strength.

Major Montgomery, who had been wounded at Manassas, now rejoined the command. This officer was a West Point graduate and inclined to "put on style." One day he ordered a dress parade, but the heroes of Sharpsburg were not in a stylish mood, and to a man resolved to poke fun at the Major.

At the command to "order arms" the guns "came rattling to the ground from one end of the line to the other."

"We will try that again, and all together," said the deep-voiced Major.

The second time was worse than the first, and each gun sounded like a "fire by files."

The disgusted officer put up his sword and turned on his heel with the emphatic, "You all go to hell."

At a later day the regiment passed in review before Generals Lee, Longstreet and Pryor. "Do some of your old-time drilling," urged the Major.