It is well that it was not possible for Gen. McClellan to hear all that was said of him by the soldiers of his army when this was fully understood by them; the feeling that here was one more illustration of the superior generalship of the enemy was very depressing.
About 12 o'clock our battery pulled out of park, moved across the fields to the Hagerstown Pike, and started towards Sharpsburg. Our route carried us along that part of the road over which there had been such a fearful struggle on the 17th; nothing had been disturbed (except that the wounded had been removed), but lay just as it had been left on the evening of that day. As we reached that part where the cornfield was upon our left and the Dunker Church upon our right, the sight became sickening, even to men who had become inured to such scenes, for there lay within the reach of our vision hundreds, yea, thousands of dead, just as they had fallen, swelling into most horrible shapes, twice their natural size, and mortification, which had been hastened by a light rain on the night of the 18th, and a very hot sun on the morning of the 19th, had turned the exposed parts of the bodies black. We were glad when we had passed beyond the battlefield.
It was our impression that we had started in pursuit of the enemy, but that was soon corrected, for before we reached Sharpsburg we were ordered into camp, upon ground which had evidently been occupied very recently by the rebels, as was made plain to us by the debris which lay around, and emphasized by large numbers of a certain kind of live stock, which for some reason (probably an over-crowded condition) had left them, and now proceeded to fasten themselves upon us, much to our discomfort.
On the 20th our camp was moved to a more acceptable place, and we remained in it just one month.
Oct. 1st President Lincoln visited the army, and remained four days. During his stay a grand review was held of the Army of the Potomac, which had been increased to nearly 150,000, and was in superb condition, while Lee was at Winchester, Va., with his army, reported to be in a wretched condition; still McClellan did not show any disposition to move upon him, notwithstanding he was urged time after time by the President to do so.
All through October the weather was of the finest, just such as was needed for a campaign, but all through the month Gen. McClellan was inactive, and it was not until Nov. 1st that he was ready; then he moved, but it was too late, for on the 7th there was a heavy snowstorm—winter had commenced, and now movement would be necessarily slow and tedious. His opportunity had been thrown away.
Oct. 20th Battery D left camp near Sharpsburg and marched to Bakersville, going into camp with our Division Artillery, where it was said we were to quarter for the winter; but at two o'clock in the afternoon of the 26th, orders were received to pack up, and we were soon on the march again, which was continued until nine o'clock, through a drenching rainstorm, and finally made camp in a plowed field, which was very inconvenient for men and horses, as the mud was ankle deep.
On the 28th, our march was continued three or four miles, and we made camp near Crompton's Pass. The next day we continued on, went through the gap, and camped near Knoxville, Md. We remained here over the 29th.
A new disease had broken out among our horses, three-quarters of them having swollen tongues, and so badly affected that their tongues would protrude from their mouths, rendering it impossible for the poor animals to eat their grain or hay; and added to this, a hoof disease, caused by their being so constantly in the mud, had become so bad that in many cases the hoof nearly rotted off, necessitating the shooting of a considerable number of them.
Oct. 30th we crossed the Potomac into Virginia, at Berlin, and next day commenced our pursuit of the rebel army, with a four gun battery, being obliged to leave two of our guns because of lack of horses.