Graphic Battle of Antietam Letter – 8 Pages of Great Content – Lt. Ralph Buckley, 124th Pa. Infantry – “WE DISCOVERED THAT THE GUM BLANKET WITH WHICH I HAD MADE MY PILLOW WAS SATURATED WITH BLOOD”
Ralph Buckley enlisted on August 9th, 1862 and quickly was made 1st Lieutenant. A month later he led Company B into the bloodiest 1-day battle in the Civil War… Antietam. The letter is written in nice dark ink and is easy to read. Here is the content:
- Near Harper’s Ferry Sandy Hook Sept. 21st /62. Mr. Thomas Hargreves, Ever Respected Friend I have no doubt you have been anxiously expecting a line before this time. I can only excuse myself on the grounds of want of convenience & time, which areas you know the only two requirements necessary to do anything. That is if the disposition is right & I hope this apparent neglect has not led you (to) suppose that there is any change in that quarter. You will expect me to tell you about our doings.
- If it was not for my wish to gratify your desire, I assure you I would not say a word about it, for WE HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO FORCED MARCHES FOR 14 CONSECUTIVE DAYS. OUR RATIONS CONSISTING PRINCIPALLY OF GREEN CORN & APPLES, OCCASIONALLY A POTATO & THESE ARTICLES WAS STOLEN OR FORAGED, AS THE MEN CALL IT.
- This was done against orders from Head Quarters under heavy punishment. We left Fort Blinker yesterday 2 weeks. We were ordered to leave all baggage behind, only taking guns & woolen blankets & was also ordered to have 3 days cooked food, but owing to our imbecile (Quarter Master of the Regt.), the food was not on hand.
- We started for the Georgetown Bridge at 7 o’clock in the evening & halted at 1/2 past 2 o’clock next morning behind Taney Town. This march was performed in the road with men enough in column. You would think to eat the Southern Confederacy up between sunrise & sunset with guns & their apparatus sufficient to blow the world from its axis. Also, the ammunition wagons & provision train for this vast army also occupied the road & Cavalry too, the guns, their fixings, took the middle of the road. A line of Infantry in four ranks on each side & the Cavalry the outside of the road. The dust occasioned by the travel was almost suffocating.
- The order halt for the night found our Regt. & all others dwindled down 3 or at most 4 hundred men, they having gone out of ranks from fatigue. Those that was not too much exhausted & had any thing to cook went at it. I threw myself down & knew nothing before the tap of the drum next morning.
- The troops had been marching all night past us & thousands upon thousands halted with us. The farm upon which we lay was stripped of its fences just to cook breakfast. Corn field & they’re not small fields here, were drawn upon for food. Day light finds us again in line & was marched in the same order as in the preceding day.
- After marching some miles we again began to squander. (I should of said that those who fell out of ranks before our last halt came in at night, so we started full) & the Col. drew us in a piece of woods to rest & allow the stragglers time to catch up.
- Upon stacking arms we had 17 guns & this number was about a fair average for all the Companies. After an hour’s rest, we fell in & reached a small town named Middle Town & halted in a potato field & surrounded by corn fields.
- It would of done you good to have seen the boys digging potatoes & corn husking, tearing down fences. On the go in the morning & halted in a piece of woods, but no corn nor potatoes this time. No, no nothing to eat nor nothing to wear. (As I said before, we were not allowed to take any clothing with us.) A DIRTIER SET OF MEN YOU NEVER SAW.
- A STREAM OF WATER AT THE FOOT OF OUR ENCAMPMENT WAS SOON BESIEGED & IN A FEW MINUTES WAS THICKENED WITH MUD, BUT THE BOYS WERE IN IT. AS THOUSANDS CHANGED, CHANGING THEIR COATS, REMOVING THE OLD DIRT & PUTTING ON NEW ONES IN THE MORNING.
- I was ordered back to Fort Blinker & a hard trip I had. I described it partly but hurriedly in a letter to Mrs. Buckley, & of course you have seen it so I will not repeat here.
- After finding the Regiment, the troops marched 4 columns, 2 on each side of the road through all kinds of places & over all kind of things & the road was given up to the cannon wagon, etc., etc., etc.. Still nothing to eat from day to day, it being impossible for the provision trains to reach us, & so we went from day to day.
- When we arrived at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountain, the day after the fight [South Mountain], THERE IN TIME TO SEE THE HORRORS OF THE ENGAGEMENT, WITH HAVING THE EXCITEMENT WHICH DESTROYS THE GLOOM INCIDENT TO THIS INHUMANE SLAUGHTER, THE SIGHTS I WILL NOT DESCRIBE ENOUGH. THEY WERE PERFECTLY HORRIBLE.
- As the enemy was not here, on we went & ARRIVED ON THE EXTREME RIGHT OF OUR LINES ABOUT 3 O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING OF THE FIGHT NEAR SHARPSBURG, & OUR REGT. WAS LED (NO, DROVE IN TO IT AT DAY BREAK).
- OUR COMPANY LOST ONE KILLED & 4 WOUNDED SLIGHTLY, BUT IT IS A MIRACLE HOW ONE OF US GOT OUT OF IT, FOR WE WAS THE VERY EXTREME RIGHT OF OUR LINE, & THE ENEMY SEEMED TO HAVE ALL HIS FORCE TO TURN US BUT FAILED IN EVERY EFFORT TO DO SO.
- I WILL NOT SAY WHAT OUR REGIMENT DID. I WILL LEAVE THAT TO OTHERS. I BELIEVE THEY WILL GAVE ME CREDIT AT ANY RATE. If they do not, no difference.
- We were in to it until dark when apparently by mutual consent both parties ceased firing & everything turned to a lull. For awhile when all hands seemed to remember that they had friends to look after, an old boy acquaintance would meet you, have come through all right. Yes, but so & so is laying there & there & everywhere indeed. After looking after our own, I fixed a pillow by picking up a bunch of hay & a gum blanket & making a bundle out of it, I LAY DOWN WITH DEAD ALL AROUND US. I WAS SOON ASLEEP. Lieut. Wood, Co. A., SOON THREW HIMSELF DOWN BY MY SIDE & COMPLAINED OF A BAD SMELL WHICH I ATTRIBUTED TO THE DEAD AT OUR FEET.
- HE BELIEVING IT WAS AT OUR HEAD, SO WE GOT A BURNING STICK TO MAKE THE SEARCH, WHEN WE DISCOVERED THAT THE GUM BLANKET WITH WHICH I HAD MADE MY PILLOW WAS SATURATED WITH BLOOD. Everything being quiet except the rumbling of the ambulances conveying the killed & wounded, the occasional firing of the pickets, I was soon asleep. All hands long before day light were examining the equipment & arms for this day’s action, but for some reason not known to any one, we remained inactive, so the time was spent in roaming over the battle field. A common road only between our pickets, & of course could talk to each other.
- Next morning all was hush & soon in turn for a fight, but low there was no enemy. The bird had flown, but where no one seen when he went or where he had gone to, so we stacked arms & fell in line about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, for this place with a view of occupying Maryland Heights, so that if the enemy was driven from the Ferry, we could interrupt his passage back & such a march it was, & as usual 1 1/2 days & night & nothing to eat (well, I had 2 crackers).
- I never saw the Alps over which Napoleon crossed of which so much is said in history, but I gave it as my opinion that it is not worse than the crossing these heights as nature left it & the Pioneers & Engineers had increased the difficulties by throwing trees & other obstructions in our path, from whence we came to here is by the valley road, but a short distance, say 6 miles, which our march was at least 20 miles & this proportion was all good & all our marches & still the trap, the anaconda, the starving out, the surrounding, the surrendering of the enemy is all bosh.
- They are over the river & as far as we know we have not captured as much as a wagon wheel in their retreat, while on the mountain we heard cannonading to the right of Harper’s Ferry. The result of which we have not learned only that it was between a portion of Jackson’s rear guard on the Virginia side & Burnside upon this. The Reserves was in it. I do not hear that they sustained any loss.
- The army seems a good deal dispirited. You will often hear the hope expressed by the troops that they would be taken prisoners (Shall I tell you that I SAW PLENTY OF OUR TROOPS TAKING THE HAVERSACKS OF THE DEAD REBS & EAT THE FOOD?) YES, I WILL TELL YOU SO, IT IS A FACT. THERE WAS NOT A DEAD OR WOUNDED REB ON THE FIELD BUT WHAT HAD A FULL BAG OF VICTUALS. OUR BOYS THE REVERSE. I tell you this is glory to our men & they will throw it up that they would be better used as prisoners, more than now are. I will close now. There be plenty said I do not want to write nor even think. I am as hearty as at any period of my life & can eat anything edible. If I could only get good food I believe I would fatten up tremendously. My appetite & digestion is so excellent & there is not a more cheerful man on the field.
- We was glad to see D. Vernon & Daniel McClintock on the field. They came just before we left & from there we first learned of what the state was doing in the way of sending X & would be Congressmen & go to play soldier. I think both of them will return to Hagerstown at which place they left the patriotic defenders of the Keystone with another notion of rebellion & Rebels. They had creeped in there enthusiastic, being before cowards, used up, dessert gave up, starved out, sounds well enough on the pages of the Advertiser, but the sheet of reality which was spared before them there does not savor of any of sayings.
- Tell Mrs. Buckley not to send anything to me, as it is doubtful when we could get it. We have not got the box that Black Beaty brought here. Remember me to everybody. I hope you are all as well as myself in health & spirits & like me in all respects, except that you are at home & have plenty to eat & not the sod for your couch. R. Buckley.
We have not had a mail for 17 days.
On Reverse: Direct Lieut. Buckley Co. B. 124th Pa. Crawford’s Brigade Banks Corps Washington, D. C.
#L9-21-62PA – Price $1,395
