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“…we made a hard march of twenty miles. Some were sun-struck, and some died on the road. I saw one poor fellow lying by the side of the road in a frightful fit; and the surgeon said that he could not recover.
Hundreds and thousands tired out and were left behind; and hundreds more were crawling along with blistered and bleeding feet. Scarcely any rations were to be had, and all suffered from hunger.”

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“Could not get anything to eat at any price. Money was of no more value to purchase food, than grains of sand. The soldiers were ordered out of nearly every house which they stopped at.”

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Thomas Clark was wounded in the Battle of Antietam. He stayed with Ellie Reutch in Shepherdstown, Virginia for two or three days before he died. She fed him and cared for him. “It becomes my painful duty to inform you of the death of your husband. He died in this town some two or three days ago.
He was wounded in the breast and leg in the battle of Maryland. I attended to him myself some two or three weeks before he died, and took him his meals. He told me to write and tell you that he was getting along very well and would try to get home as soon as he was able. He got worse afterwards and died…”

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“We or rather I was in Md ten days, during which time I was in Frederick City and Hagerstown. In the former county we were [received] with a good deal of kind feeling, but with not so much in the latter (Washington Co.), as that county had already furnished 14 companies to the Federal Army, 11 of which surrendered at Harpers Ferry.”

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“…the hottest battle of war was fought near Sharpsburg Md on the 17th inst. The battle lasted all day and the loss was terrific on both sides, the enemy fighting with more desperation than ever before. We call it a victory and the Yankees did so at first too; we held the ground and both sides were too much worsted to renew the fight next day. We fell back across the Potomac and the enemy then commenced shelling us and boasted that they had driven us across. They acknowledge the loss of sixteen generals. We had two general killed and ten wounded.”

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“I heard the other day by a gentleman just from Frederick City that the enemy had fifteen thousand sick and wounded there.”

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“When we marched through Frederick City and the citizens found out that we were out of rations, they promised to give us supper of which most of the men stood in need, as we had nothing to eat throughout the day. As soon as we stirred up the rebels and found that they were so close to town, it knocked the supper business out.”

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"I have been somewhat dis appointed in not seeing you up here to see the men playing soldier, and now since Gov. Curtin is expected here tomorrow, (Saturday) I will feel sure that you are coming, and look for you, my but they do look pretty, Just come and see. Three Regiments were in yesterday afternoon and make a long line of people, who with their glittering bayonets under the rays of the shining sun, accompanied by their Bands, or marshal music, and the heavy and steady tramp of three thousand men, make all who stand and look on, feel, that they are not soldiers, all this can but give a very faint idea of the appearance of one hun dred and fifty thousand human beings marched into the field of battle by the warming and thrilling sound of
almost countless drums and Oh! What, or who can describe the feeling of that immense congregation of human souls when the sound of the booming cannon first disturbs the quiet of that breast and paints death and destruction all around. We may try to form some idea of the scene presented by a battlefield, both while in the actual contest and after, but can never, in my opinion, realize the horrors of such a sight until we ourselves behold it, and such; humanity forbids us from wishing. May it never be seen in our land, but may the Flag continue to wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave. "

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“Saturday was a day of interest and satisfaction to me having never seen the like before, when I cast my eyes along the line, which was formed along the one side of the street, with arms presented and beheld the field of bayonets elevated above the heads of thous-ands, and the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which is the Key-stone of the Arch, moving steadily and silently along that line, with his penetrating eye firmly fixed upon them, and his countenance remaining unmoved and apparently speaking of the condition of the Country and the object for which so many sons of labor had been called together, I was led to exclaim, ‘who can tell what a day may bring forth.’"

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“The citizens of Chambrg. [sic - Chambersburg] are calm, and do not apprehend an attack from the rebels from the South. I… find that the opinion of some is that war is the only remedy. if such be true then the Northern boys must go to the work, and what could be more cheering to the hearts of freeman such as we are, than to see that the whole north will move to the work, as one mighty machine none of the parts being wanting, but all complete… secession will be crushed out of existence, and like a mighty cloud, it will rain Union sentiments on every farm and plantation south of Mason's and Dixon's Line. Let us start the ball rolling, and send secession to the place from whence it came…”

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