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this conflict that the men had witnessed as they reached the summit of the hill.
On the following morning, Sept. 15, the regiment was ordered up the road where Burnside's troops had charged the day before.
The hill was very steep.
When the summit was reached a halt of some duration was made.
The view of ‘Pleasant Valley’ from this point was very beautiful and when ‘Jack’ Adams began a song, the whole regiment added its chorus of voices.
Meanwhile several of the generals held a consultation in what had been an old hotel and in which, on the previous day, the Rebel headquarters had been established.
Many of the Rebel dead were lying about, stiff and stark, in their dirty-white uniforms.
Cartridge boxes, cartridges, broken bayonets and knapsacks, cooking utensils and clothing strewed the ground, much of the latter having been taken from the merchants of Frederick City and other towns through which the Confederate Army had passed.
Soon the regiment was on the march after the retreating ‘Rebs,’ toward Boonesboro.
All along the road were found evidences of their hasty departure.
Most of their wounded had been removed and when Boonesboro was reached the little church there was found to be filled with them, and they were being tenderly cared for by the ladies of the place.
Boonesboro seemed to be Union in sentiment.
Everyone was at the door or window to see the troops pass and all the pails and other articles that would hold water were placed at their service.
The inhabitants had not been pleased by even their very brief acquaintances with the ‘Johnnies.’
This was the only town in which the inhabitants evinced any desire to receive the Union troops cordially.
‘On to Keedysville’ was the order, and in the afternoon of Sept. 16, this little place on Antietam Creek was reached.
During this march the column was pressed over to the side of the road to give a cavalry force the right of way in pursuit of the retreating rebel column.
Each trooper had, in addition to his carbine and sabre, his haversack with his own ration, also his canteen, and a ration of forage, in the shape of a bundle of hay, for his horse.
As they went clattering and banging
Salem Press. Co., Salem, Ma., 1906.
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