"For an hour and a half we thus remained, and fought: one side with the energy of despair; the other, with an energy imparted with the consciousness of right and justice. The contest was fair and equal, and the right triumphed. At last the line began to waver, and General Green shouted, 'Charge!' With a yell of triumph we started, with levelled bayonets; and, terror-stricken, the rebels fled. Like hounds after the frightened deer, we pursued them fully three-fourths of a mile, killing, wounding, and taking prisoners almost every rod. Their colors fell: a private soldier leaped forward, and tore them from the staff.
"Across the fields we pursued the foe, who again took shelter in a heavy piece of timber, flanked by their artillery. A battery of twelve-pounder howitzers came to our support, and most efficient service it rendered. We formed in two lines in rear of the battery, and lay behind a low ridge, sufficiently high to protect from a direct shot, but which offered no shelter from the fragments of shells bursting near to and over us; these were continually striking amongst us, often grazing a cap or an arm, but doing no particular harm. The howitzers were doing splendidly, when suddenly we heard, 'But eight rounds left!' Twenty more rounds would silence the rebel battery, but we had them not. Soon the rebel fire was more rapid, and a yell in the distance denoted an advance of their infantry. Shall we retreat? No! we will hold our ground, or die! On they come, yelling defiantly: 'tis A. P. Hill's division, second to none but Jackson's. We look anxiously for another battery. It comes! It comes! We are safe! The gallant Eighth Rhode Island Battery comes up in splendid style; our ranks open right and left for them, the exhausted battery of howitzers wheeling out of line. The Parrotts were unlimbered, and shell, five-second fuse, called for, and they opened in glorious style.
"But what means that shout so closely on our right? They have flanked us, and are charging our battery! A half right wheel was made, and we were partially under cover of a narrow ridge. A portion of our front rank, with the colors, advanced, and opened a fire upon their column, but, as it was intended, it only drew them on; shouting fiercely, they dashed forward, expecting to have an easy capture. We waited until they were within six rods, when, with a yell such as freemen know how to give, we rose and poured the contents of our rifles into the mass of graybacks emerging from the woods. They reeled and staggered for a moment, then rallied, and returned our fire for half an hour, then wavered. Perceiving this, Lieutenant-Colonel Tindell, commanding brigade, ordered a charge. As we started, they broke and fled in confusion. Our brigade advanced to the woods, but was soon replaced by a New Jersey regiment, which quickly broke and fled. On came the rebels, yelling and exultingly waving their colors, across a field, and entered a cornfield to the south, to flank our men who were engaging a division. Their triumph was short, for they suddenly found themselves nearly surrounded by General Franklin's troops, who came in from the north and east, over the identical ground we fought over, and precipitated themselves upon the flank of the enemy, six hundred of whom threw down their guns and surrendered, those remaining fleeing in dismay from the field.
"This coup de grace closed the heavy fighting upon the right, and we retired from the front, lacerated but cheerful, feeling that our duty was faithfully performed, and knowing that the rebels were defeated."
The next two days were occupied in burying the dead and collecting the wounded.
On the 19th, the regiment left for Harper's Ferry, arriving at Maryland Heights on the 20th. A few days after it forded the Potomac River, and went into permanent camp on Loudon Heights.
The regiment sustained a loss at the battle of Antietam of five killed and thirty-eight wounded. The list is as follows:
Killed.—Sergeant James B. Carter; Corporal Martin Lazrus; privates, John Bacon, Elbridge F. Meachum, George O. Sherick.
Wounded.—Lieutenant Ernest J. Kreiger; sergeants, George A. McKay, Jerry G. Clafflin, Isaac Jones, James Hansell; corporals, Edward Goodsell, Henry H. Bailey, Hiram J. Bell, John F. Ely, Austin Bull, James Bryant, J. Kurly; privates, George A. Wood, Joseph Kubler, Laurine Lamphier, Pliney E. Hill, George Steinberger, E. C. Miller, Daniel Weatherlow, David Everett, Alfred W. Mosley, Averett C. Reed, Alson Coe, Alfred E. May, Thomas Woolf, Henry Wilcox, George Houck, William Cromwell, Caleb Bryant, George Wandal, Nick Bauer, Charles Briedenbach, Charles Graiter.