The faces of Antietam

Does anyone know where Carman's archive is located today? Is it accessible on line?

Carman's manuscript is not merely a collection of first-hand accounts. It is an organized description and analysis of the entire Maryland Campaign based on the accounts he gathered. The original documents he gathered, I believe, are stored in several locations, including the files at Antietam battlefield.

I just found a copy of the Antietam part of Carman's manuscript today on this site (link is on upper left). His manuscript has been published in 3 volumes, edited by Tom Clemens, available at Amazon. If you are at all interested in Antietam or the MD campaign, Carman's manuscript is essential reading and forms the foundation of pretty much all research done since.

[Edited to add] My avatar is a photo of Ezra Carman.
 
Carman's manuscript is not merely a collection of first-hand accounts. It is an organized description and analysis of the entire Maryland Campaign based on the accounts he gathered. The original documents he gathered, I believe, are stored in several locations, including the files at Antietam battlefield.

I just found a copy of the Antietam part of Carman's manuscript today on this site (link is on upper left). His manuscript has been published in 3 volumes, edited by Tom Clemens, available at Amazon. If you are at all interested in Antietam or the MD campaign, Carman's manuscript is essential reading and forms the foundation of pretty much all research done since.

[Edited to add] My avatar is a photo of Ezra Carman.

Thanks very much. This is helpful.

I had been told that the original texts of the first-hand accounts were at Dartmouth College but had been unable to run this down.
 
I don't know too much about him but I had a cousin, Harrison White who died at Antietam. He was also a cousin of Gen McClellan. He was in Co. B 28th Pennsylvania "Goldstream Regiment" He was shot through the body somewhere near the West Woods anView attachment 138378 d theView attachment 138379 Dunker Church. He was taken to a field hospital where he died that night. He was 19 years old.
Newspaper clipping reporting the death of Harrison White from the 30 September 1862 edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper follows.

clipping_11109348.jpg
 
William Tarbit was born in Northern Ireland in 1831.He was married in 1849 and was living in County Durham ,England in 1851 his occupation listed as a ropemaker. He brought his wife and young son to America in 1857 where he found work and settled in Reading ,Pa. he had three more children by 1861.He enlisted in Co. B of the 128th Pa. Vol. Infantry in August of 1862. His regiment having little training fought in the East Woods and Miller's Cornfield at Antietam. His regiments losses that morning were about 34 killed and 85 wounded. He survived to return home in Berks Co, Pa. where he raised a family of at least nine children. He died in 1895 at the age of 64 he was my 2nd Great Grandfather.
 
The 128th Pennsylvania was a 9 month regiment that had been mustered into service a little over a month before Antietam. As of its arrival in Washington, DC, on August 16, 1862, the regiments field officers had not been commissioned. Following the battle the 128th's Official Report was written by Major Joel Wanner who had assumed command following the death of Colonel Samuel Croasdale and the severe wounding of Lieutenant Colonel William Hammersly as the regiment was deploying for battle. His report follows (OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, Vol 19, Part 1, Pages 493 - 494):

HDQRS. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHTH PA. VOLS.,
Camp on Maryland Heights, Md., September 23, 1862.

Colonel J. F. KNIPE,
Commanding First Brigade.

Colonel Croasdale, in command of the One hundred and twenty-eighth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, having been killed, and Lieutenant-Colonel Hammersly so badly wounded as not to be able to attend to the duties, it becomes my duty as next in command to report to you the position and part taken by the regiment in the fight on the 17th instant.

Having been ordered under arms before daylight, we were formed in column of divisions and marched toward the scene of action about 6 o'clock, and when in front of the enemy General Mansfield commanded the colonel to deploy his regiment, but as the regiment was new and inexperienced (having been in existence but five weeks), and being within range of the enemy, who were concealed in a corn field in front of us, about 60 or 70 yards distant, thus bringing us under fire immediately, there was much confusion in accomplishing the movement. Before they could be deployed, in fact very soon after giving the order, Colonel Crosdale was killed by a ball through the head, and about the same time Lieutenant-Colonel Hammersly was wounded in two places in the arm. I endeavored to finish the deployment, but it being the first time the regiment had been under fire, I found it impossible to do so in the excitement and confusion. At the suggestion of Colonel Knipe, of the Forty-sixth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, I ordered the regiment to charge into the corn-field and dislodge the enemy, while the regiment on our right was charging into the woods. They started off in gallant style, cheering as they move, and penetrated the corn field, but, in consequence of the overpowering numbers of the enemy concealed, were compelled to fall back, which they did in tolerable order.

The Forty-sixth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Knipe commanding, were on our left and held their position. I attempted, with the assistance of Colonel Knipe and Lieutenant-Colonel Selfridge, of the same regiment, to rally and form my men on their right. While thus employed we were ordered to fall back to the woods, by order of General Williams, and another brigade advanced to relieve us.

I desire here to bear testimony to the bravery and gallantry of Colonel Knipe and Lieutenant-Colonel Selfridge, of the Forty-sixth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, and at the same time thank them for the valuable assistance rendered myself and the officers under me after the fall of Colonel Croasdale.

I have sent in a report of the casualties.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

JOEL B. WANNER
Major, Commanding.
 
The 128th Pennsylvania was a 9 month regiment that had been mustered into service a little over a month before Antietam. As of its arrival in Washington, DC, on August 16, 1862, the regiments field officers had not been commissioned. Following the battle the 128th's Official Report was written by Major Joel Wanner who had assumed command following the death of Colonel Samuel Croasdale and the severe wounding of Lieutenant Colonel William Hammersly as the regiment was deploying for battle. His report follows (OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, Vol 19, Part 1, Pages 493 - 494):

HDQRS. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHTH PA. VOLS.,
Camp on Maryland Heights, Md., September 23, 1862.

Colonel J. F. KNIPE,
Commanding First Brigade.

Colonel Croasdale, in command of the One hundred and twenty-eighth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, having been killed, and Lieutenant-Colonel Hammersly so badly wounded as not to be able to attend to the duties, it becomes my duty as next in command to report to you the position and part taken by the regiment in the fight on the 17th instant.

Having been ordered under arms before daylight, we were formed in column of divisions and marched toward the scene of action about 6 o'clock, and when in front of the enemy General Mansfield commanded the colonel to deploy his regiment, but as the regiment was new and inexperienced (having been in existence but five weeks), and being within range of the enemy, who were concealed in a corn field in front of us, about 60 or 70 yards distant, thus bringing us under fire immediately, there was much confusion in accomplishing the movement. Before they could be deployed, in fact very soon after giving the order, Colonel Crosdale was killed by a ball through the head, and about the same time Lieutenant-Colonel Hammersly was wounded in two places in the arm. I endeavored to finish the deployment, but it being the first time the regiment had been under fire, I found it impossible to do so in the excitement and confusion. At the suggestion of Colonel Knipe, of the Forty-sixth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, I ordered the regiment to charge into the corn-field and dislodge the enemy, while the regiment on our right was charging into the woods. They started off in gallant style, cheering as they move, and penetrated the corn field, but, in consequence of the overpowering numbers of the enemy concealed, were compelled to fall back, which they did in tolerable order.

The Forty-sixth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Knipe commanding, were on our left and held their position. I attempted, with the assistance of Colonel Knipe and Lieutenant-Colonel Selfridge, of the same regiment, to rally and form my men on their right. While thus employed we were ordered to fall back to the woods, by order of General Williams, and another brigade advanced to relieve us.

I desire here to bear testimony to the bravery and gallantry of Colonel Knipe and Lieutenant-Colonel Selfridge, of the Forty-sixth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, and at the same time thank them for the valuable assistance rendered myself and the officers under me after the fall of Colonel Croasdale.

I have sent in a report of the casualties.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

JOEL B. WANNER
Major, Commanding.
Thanks ErnieMac would you have any idea how many men were in his regiment when they went into battle at Antietam.
 
Thanks ErnieMac would you have any idea how many men were in his regiment when they went into battle at Antietam.

I'm not ErnieMac, but I'll share what I've found in case it helps.

According to the OR Series 3, Vol 3 p. 760, the 128th mustered in with 950 infantry.

Regarding how many fought at Antietam, Carman (vol. 2, p. 583) says "The three new regiments -- 124th, 125th and 128th Pennsylvania -- were quite full when the army left Washington, but hot weather and unaccustomed marching had caused much straggling and sickness, and the regiments did not average more than 670 each, or 2,010 in the three." Clemens' footnote on the same page states that "No numbers for the 128th Pennsylvania have been found, but Carman's estimate of around 700 is reasonable."
 
I'm not ErnieMac, but I'll share what I've found in case it helps.

According to the OR Series 3, Vol 3 p. 760, the 128th mustered in with 950 infantry.

Regarding how many fought at Antietam, Carman (vol. 2, p. 583) says "The three new regiments -- 124th, 125th and 128th Pennsylvania -- were quite full when the army left Washington, but hot weather and unaccustomed marching had caused much straggling and sickness, and the regiments did not average more than 670 each, or 2,010 in the three." Clemens' footnote on the same page states that "No numbers for the 128th Pennsylvania have been found, but Carman's estimate of around 700 is reasonable."
Thanks Andrew
 
The 950 man figure would have been expected at muster in for a newly recruited regiment. The 128th had spent several weeks in the fortifications of Washington where they would have lost men due to illness common in a camp environment. The regiment then marched from DC to the Antietam battlefield dropping men as stragglers along the way. 700 men does seem reasonable.
 
William Tarbit was born in Northern Ireland in 1831.He was married in 1849 and was living in County Durham ,England in 1851 his occupation listed as a ropemaker. He brought his wife and young son to America in 1857 where he found work and settled in Reading ,Pa. he had three more children by 1861.He enlisted in Co. B of the 128th Pa. Vol. Infantry in August of 1862. His regiment having little training fought in the East Woods and Miller's Cornfield at Antietam. His regiments losses that morning were about 34 killed and 85 wounded. He survived to return home in Berks Co, Pa. where he raised a family of at least nine children. He died in 1895 at the age of 64 he was my 2nd Great Grandfather.
William Tarbit's Pension Index Card from Ancestry.com.
32959_033128-01870.jpg
 
T
The 950 man figure would have been expected at muster in for a newly recruited regiment. The 128th had spent several weeks in the fortifications of Washington where they would have lost men due to illness common in a camp environment. The regiment then marched from DC to the Antietam battlefield dropping men as stragglers along the way. 700 men does seem reasonable.

They would have looked like a brigade to their opponents.
 
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