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Antietam National Cemetery History
Thinking about the upcoming Antietam Muster^ I decided I should reread some of my materials about this vicious struggle along the Potomac River. The battle of Antietam is a personal conflict for me as my GGGrandfather Joseph Pinner with the 3rd North Carolina was wounded in this slugfest.
The Battle of Antietam, despite having occurred 159 years ago, is the bloodiest day in American History. Over 23,000 men were killed, wounded or missing after the day long fight between the Potomac River and Antietam Creek. The actual number of casualties is certainly higher considering the lack of accurate Confederate records.
In 1864 Lewis P. Firey, a Maryland state senator began the process to establish a National Cemetery at Antietam which culminated in the purchase of 11 acres. The removal of the bodies from the battlefield to the National Cemetery began in October of 1866. There are 4,776 Federal soldiers from various battlefields are interred of which less than 40% are identified. The National Cemetery was dedicated on September 17, 1867 the 5th Anniversary of the battle. The original list of the soldiers buried, both known and unknown, that were buried in 1866 are listed alphabetically by state arranged in a semi circle layout*
A board of Trustees were appointed to oversee the operation to remove the soldiers and interment in the National Cemetery. Below is a report regarding this operation:
“The local Trustees did not confine their action to the removal of the dead who fell at the battle of Antietam, but deemed it proper, at the suggestion of the authorities at Washington, to remove all the Federal dead who had been buried in Washington, Alleghany, and Frederick counties, Maryland, believing that course to be in accordance with the patriotic spirit with which the appropriations were made for the establishment of the Cemetery. They were exhumed, placed in coffins, and delivered to the association Superintendent, who buried them at the expense of the association. In the burial of the dead every coffin was numbered, and a corresponding number entered in a book kept for this purpose, with the name, company, regiment and State, when they could be ascertained, so that, at any time, by reference to the records, the location of any grave can at once be found. The dead were buried under the immediate supervision and eye of the President, who held the tape line over every coffin deposited, and entered the name, number and company in his field book, before any earth was replaced. The trenches for the reception of the bodies are six feet in width and three feet in depth, one-third of which are quarried out of solid rock, which, to a great extent, underlies the ground of the Cemetery, and the surrounding country. Two feet are allowed for each body. The coffins containing the bodies were furnished free of charge, through the generosity of the General Government.”**
The operation to inter the Federal soldiers into the National Cemetery is described below
“The removal of the dead was commenced in October, 1866 by the United States Burial Corps, detailed by the General Government for the purpose, under the superintendence of Lieutenant Jonx W. Sheere, and they continued their work until January, 1867, when, by reason of the severity of the weather, operations in that department were stopped. They had been removed up to that time about three thousand bodies. They resumed
work in April 1867, and finished their work in August of the same year.”***
Today the natural beauty of the surrounding country embraces this special “field of honor” honoring the sacrifice of these brave men.
The Soldier Monument located in the middle of the cemetery was erected in 1880. The story behind the soldier unfolds like this:
“On September 1, 1871, the executive committee for the board of trustees, comprised of S. Rutledge McNary of Connecticut, George B. Wright of Ohio, Brig. Gen. Erza A. Carman of New Jersey, and Secretary-Treasurer Thomas A. Boullt, entered into a contract with James C. Batterson of Hartford, Connecticut, to within the space of two years from the first of October next, to erect a monument in the Antietam National Cemetery and "finish the same complete entire according to the design hereto annexed and the accompanying specifications for foundations," for the total sum of $30,000.
...The monument was to be of white granite from the granite .works at Westerly, Rhode Island. It was to be 22 feet square at the base and 44 feet 7 inches in height from the foundation to the top of the statue. The statue itself, 21 feet 6 inches high, was to be of a soldier on guard. The $30,000 included the making, delivery, and erection of the monument, except for the underground foundation.”****
The “Private Soldier Monument” has the following inscribed on its base:
“Not for themselves, but for their country”
To Be Continued
Regards
David
^https://civilwartalk.com/threads/civilwartalk-antietam-muster-2021-oct-8-10.181040/#post-2380721
Sources:
*History of Antietam National Cemetery
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009611188
Pages 57-202
**ANTIETAM NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD AND NATIONAL CEMETERY AN ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY by Charles W, Snell and Sharon A. Brown
http://npshistory.com/publications/anti/adhi.pdf
Page 16
***History of Antietam National Cemetery
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009611188
Pages 17-18
****ANTIETAM NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD AND NATIONAL CEMETERY AN ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY by Charles W, Snell and Sharon A. Brown
http://npshistory.com/publications/anti/adhi.pdf
Pages 23-24
****ANTIETAM NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD AND NATIONAL CEMETERY AN ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY by Charles W, Snell and Sharon A. Brown
http://npshistory.com/publications/anti/adhi.pdf
Page 220
Thinking about the upcoming Antietam Muster^ I decided I should reread some of my materials about this vicious struggle along the Potomac River. The battle of Antietam is a personal conflict for me as my GGGrandfather Joseph Pinner with the 3rd North Carolina was wounded in this slugfest.
The Battle of Antietam, despite having occurred 159 years ago, is the bloodiest day in American History. Over 23,000 men were killed, wounded or missing after the day long fight between the Potomac River and Antietam Creek. The actual number of casualties is certainly higher considering the lack of accurate Confederate records.
In 1864 Lewis P. Firey, a Maryland state senator began the process to establish a National Cemetery at Antietam which culminated in the purchase of 11 acres. The removal of the bodies from the battlefield to the National Cemetery began in October of 1866. There are 4,776 Federal soldiers from various battlefields are interred of which less than 40% are identified. The National Cemetery was dedicated on September 17, 1867 the 5th Anniversary of the battle. The original list of the soldiers buried, both known and unknown, that were buried in 1866 are listed alphabetically by state arranged in a semi circle layout*
A board of Trustees were appointed to oversee the operation to remove the soldiers and interment in the National Cemetery. Below is a report regarding this operation:
“The local Trustees did not confine their action to the removal of the dead who fell at the battle of Antietam, but deemed it proper, at the suggestion of the authorities at Washington, to remove all the Federal dead who had been buried in Washington, Alleghany, and Frederick counties, Maryland, believing that course to be in accordance with the patriotic spirit with which the appropriations were made for the establishment of the Cemetery. They were exhumed, placed in coffins, and delivered to the association Superintendent, who buried them at the expense of the association. In the burial of the dead every coffin was numbered, and a corresponding number entered in a book kept for this purpose, with the name, company, regiment and State, when they could be ascertained, so that, at any time, by reference to the records, the location of any grave can at once be found. The dead were buried under the immediate supervision and eye of the President, who held the tape line over every coffin deposited, and entered the name, number and company in his field book, before any earth was replaced. The trenches for the reception of the bodies are six feet in width and three feet in depth, one-third of which are quarried out of solid rock, which, to a great extent, underlies the ground of the Cemetery, and the surrounding country. Two feet are allowed for each body. The coffins containing the bodies were furnished free of charge, through the generosity of the General Government.”**
The operation to inter the Federal soldiers into the National Cemetery is described below
“The removal of the dead was commenced in October, 1866 by the United States Burial Corps, detailed by the General Government for the purpose, under the superintendence of Lieutenant Jonx W. Sheere, and they continued their work until January, 1867, when, by reason of the severity of the weather, operations in that department were stopped. They had been removed up to that time about three thousand bodies. They resumed
work in April 1867, and finished their work in August of the same year.”***
Today the natural beauty of the surrounding country embraces this special “field of honor” honoring the sacrifice of these brave men.
The Soldier Monument located in the middle of the cemetery was erected in 1880. The story behind the soldier unfolds like this:
“On September 1, 1871, the executive committee for the board of trustees, comprised of S. Rutledge McNary of Connecticut, George B. Wright of Ohio, Brig. Gen. Erza A. Carman of New Jersey, and Secretary-Treasurer Thomas A. Boullt, entered into a contract with James C. Batterson of Hartford, Connecticut, to within the space of two years from the first of October next, to erect a monument in the Antietam National Cemetery and "finish the same complete entire according to the design hereto annexed and the accompanying specifications for foundations," for the total sum of $30,000.
...The monument was to be of white granite from the granite .works at Westerly, Rhode Island. It was to be 22 feet square at the base and 44 feet 7 inches in height from the foundation to the top of the statue. The statue itself, 21 feet 6 inches high, was to be of a soldier on guard. The $30,000 included the making, delivery, and erection of the monument, except for the underground foundation.”****
The “Private Soldier Monument” has the following inscribed on its base:
“Not for themselves, but for their country”
To Be Continued
Regards
David
^https://civilwartalk.com/threads/civilwartalk-antietam-muster-2021-oct-8-10.181040/#post-2380721
Sources:
*History of Antietam National Cemetery
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009611188
Pages 57-202
**ANTIETAM NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD AND NATIONAL CEMETERY AN ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY by Charles W, Snell and Sharon A. Brown
http://npshistory.com/publications/anti/adhi.pdf
Page 16
***History of Antietam National Cemetery
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009611188
Pages 17-18
****ANTIETAM NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD AND NATIONAL CEMETERY AN ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY by Charles W, Snell and Sharon A. Brown
http://npshistory.com/publications/anti/adhi.pdf
Pages 23-24
****ANTIETAM NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD AND NATIONAL CEMETERY AN ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY by Charles W, Snell and Sharon A. Brown
http://npshistory.com/publications/anti/adhi.pdf
Page 220