LETTERS FROM THE
8TH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
PUBLISHED IN THE TIFFIN TRIBUNE
TIFFIN, OHIO
This work may not be used in any form without permission.
Researched by Stephen J. Hartzell
October 10, 1862
THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM
Letter from Capt. Ogle.
CAMP ON BATTLEFIELD, NEAR THE
Potomac, Sept. 18
Mr. A. V. Ogle;
I set down to give you a short history of yesterday’s fight. Our regiment (the 8th) is one of General Kimbal’s Brigade, French’s Division, of Sumner’s Corps, was led to battle by Lieut. Col. Frank Sawyer. Yesterday the Waterloo of America was fought. It was the greatest battle of the rebellion, and we whipped them. The line of battle was twelve miles long. The battle opened at daybreak, and musketry and cannon was kept up constantly all day till nine at night. I can put no estimate on the number killed and wounded, I was over part of the battlefield this morning, perhaps a mile of it, and it was the most frightful sight I ever beheld. We mowed them down in large numbers, then we were mowed down likewise, but not so bad as they were. There were three distinct lines of dead rebels, lying on a little 10 acre field. I counted on this field 350 dead rebels, 30 horses and 12 smashed cannon. They laid in a horrid mangled condition. Some lay side by side touching each other; others lay in mangled piles.
We charged upon them and they charged upon us, and were only 200 feet apart, but we got the first fire, and the way they lay there was truly astonishing. We killed all of the first line, and the next line came out of the woods just as we reloaded, and they too were laid like the rest. On we went and met the North Carolina line of troops. These troops let us come up and the 10th fire, the 14th North Carolina surrendered to the 8th Ohio. It was Kimbal’s Brigade that broke their line and drove them into two flanks or wings and thus the day was ours.
French’s Division went into the fight with 4800 men, and came out with a loss of 2000, killed and wounded. The 8th Reg. went in with 324 men and had 169 killed and wounded. Company A went in with 38 men, and had in killed and wounded, I here give you a list of them as follows;
KILLED
Wm. H. Richardson
David Zonker
WOUNDED
Sergeant David J. Goodsell, slight in hand
Private William Newson, in leg
Private Edward T. Naylor, slight in head
John Redd, slight in hand
Joseph Sopher, left arm shot at the elbow
Wm. H. Pochmire, in the leg
E. Jones, slight in the wrist
Nicholas Watcher, slight in the left cheek
Henry Hieserman, slight in the hand
Abel Smalley, slight in the head
My 1st Lieut., Geo. S. Smith got his left eye shot out, and his left cheekbone shot away, there is some hope of his recovery.
Lieut. Barnes, of Company D, was wounded in the top of the head, and I think will get well, but some doubts. Also Lieut. Harper Bill, of Company K was shot dead. Lieut. Thompson of Company F, had both eyes shot out, I think he will die. He is from Fremont, Ohio. Many other officers were wounded, also many of the different companies of the 8th, which I have not the time now to give their names.
There is a few of my company was not touched, or hurt in the least. George Baugher was through all the fight, and came out without a scratch, he fought like a tiger, and was one of the lucky ones. Our Hospitals are piteous sights, so many wounded and are laying there in agony.
We have sent to Washington and Frederick to get shovels to bury the dead. The secesh dead are none of them buried and they make a horrid scent; too bad to stand. We are so near the battle ground, and the smell of the dead is almost suffocating. The number is so great that it will be three days yet before the secesh are all buried. None of them are yet buried, and the stench of them and the horses is horrid. One whole battery is killed, 22 horses, just above us, and in every direction you go dead secesh are piled up.
I can’t give you the number of their loss or ours, but it is immense. Fighting on a line 12 miles long and 200,000 on a side. Supposed to be the greatest battle yet fought.
I cant write any more at present, so good night.
Yours, & c.,
B. F. Ogle
Permission was received September 11, 2001 from Steve Hartzell to publish this information.