810. BATTLE OF ANTIETAM The battle of Antietam marked America's bloodiest day in its history. After the battle casualties on both sides mounted to nearly twenty-five thousand. One of the regiments that suffered most that day was the 15th Massachusetts Volunteers. They lost nearly 320 men out of 584 present for duty. Afterwards, citizens from throughout the north flocked to the battlefield to help and George M. Morse of Massachusetts was one of them. He came to the surrounding hospitals and in the following letter reported home on the casualties of the 15th Mass. he encountered. The majority of the men he mentions are from company C, 15th Massachusetts and while most would survive their wounds others would not and more sadly some would be killed later in the war. A great war-date Northern citizen's letter, 8pp. 8vo., written by a certain George M. Morse, Frederick, [Md., Sept. 28, 1862], giving a detailed account of the casualties he encountered just weeks of the battle. In small part: "...we...have visited several hospitals & now will tell you the result...at the New Episcopal Church [the] pews [are] all taken out and 58 patients. At the Old Episcopal Church 50 among them H[enry] G. Howe [Co. C, 15th Mass. Vols] has been here & gone. G[ilman] W. Lathe, [Co. C, 15th Mass. Vols] wounded in the calf of leg...[Sgt.] Sumner Kilburn gone to Baltimore. Otis Osgood bullet through elbow, he thinks he is doing well, good appetite...at City Hotel Hosp. Is E.M. Stevens wounded slightly...at the Gen. Hospital we find [Harvey B.] Olcott came last night flesh wound...Olcott was taken prisoner & says Tom Caulfield & Frank Osgood are not wounded but prisoners. Caulfield had a bruise on the leg and that is all. Batterson is dead he was wounded on the field & died there. Olcott saw his dead body. Others saw him put his hand to his side & say 'I am a dead man.' Leonard Towsley died yesterday. [Alexander] Lord [KIA Gettysburg] saw him buried. Lord has a wound through the chest thinks he is doing well...Joe Johnston is moved to Washington Mt. Pleasant Hospital wound dangerous but they think improving [he died of those wounds Oct. 4, 62]. W.B. Maynard died & is buried. He was a Northboro man wounded in the neck...we propose to go to Keedysville tomorrow & see what more we can find at the Gen. Hospital they have had 4716 different patients and there are ten or a dozen other Hospitals in the city. These include the rebels...there were 100 ambulances come in this evening each bringing in two or more wounded. Dr. Hitchcock & Col. Crocker are here. Col. Crocker thinks our wounded exceed 9000 and we have at least 5000 of the rebels to take care of...of all the filthy, dirty, stinking creatures the rebels are the worst. A tent with rebels in it although washed & scraped before being put to bed stinks like a [?]...Dr. H & Col. C. are doing everything...to induce the government to send the wounded home. They have consented but...will not pay the expense. The women of Frederick are doing everything they can for our poor fellows...it is awful to think of the suffering & misery of 15000 wounded men...Col. Crocker says no one can be any more kind than the Ladies of this place...they have been twice eaten out by the rebel & Union troops. They furnish cake & everything they have, but the meanest thing I see is the kindness with which the rebels are treated, just like our own troops...you can scrape off the lice &...oh what a stench they give the whole ward...Geo. W. Howe & Eager are here & will take their wounded home if they can get them leave...what is wanted here most is old shirts or old pants...when the wounded are brought in their clothes are torn off & thrown away...Gen. McClellan is in favor of sending the men home instead of collecting...then in the cities but the red tape will not allow it...I think none that I have seen will die...8 o'clock ambulances have just come in from Sedgwick Div. and I hope more of our men will be found in the morning...artillery are drilling in the fields, men are marching, cattle being driven, soldiers, soldiers everywhere...they are operating all day today at the Gen. Hospital. All the churches but one are stripped of their pews, school houses ditto...the New Episcopal Church a most beautiful structure with stained glass windows...[is] filled with cots...the bell on one church tolled for prayer...this is all that has reminded me that it was the Sabbath...Carruth did not pay me the money he collected. Tell him I will try & see his son [John E. Carruth] & do the best I can for him...people do not like New England money but I have had it refused only once and then only because they would have to give me too much of their own...Gov. money is the best...". Awkwardly, Morse signed the middle of the letter, thinking to stop, but then continued latter that night not signing that section of the letter. Light soiling else very good. $400-500