some distance in the front. During the balance of the day my regiment was continually exposed to the destructive fire from the enemy's batteries, yet I had not a man who left his post or went to the rear. My regiment remained in front line until the 19th ultimo, when I was ordered to be in readiness to march, the enemy having retreated.

My loss in killed is 6, including Acting Adjt. J. D. Weaver, who died on the 18th ultimo; wounded, 18; missing, 1. I cannot particularize any of my officers, from the fact that they all did nobly. Captain S. O. Bull, acting major, ably assisted me during the whole engagement, as also did all the officers of the regiment.

Very respectfully,

R. McMICHAEL,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Fifty-third Regiment Pa. Vols.

Lieutenant CHARLES P. HATCH,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Third Brigade.

Numbers 58. Report of Brigadier General Oliver O. Howard U. S. Army, commanding Second Division, of the battle of Antietam.

HEADQUARTERS SEDGWICK'S DIVISION,
Near Sharpsburg, Md., September 20, 1862.

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by General Sedgwick's division in the battle of the 17th instant:

The division, consisting of General Gorman's, General Dana's, and General Burns' brigades, commanded by myself, left camp near Keedysville about 7 a. m., and proceeded in three lines, moving by the right flank in a westerly direction, forded the Antietam, ascended a gentle slope, continuing, in the same direction for about a quarter of a mile beyond. At this point the lines were fronted, and established rom 60 to 70 paces apart, facing toward the south and Sharpsburg. General Forman commanded the front line, General Dana the second, and I the rear line. The advance was ordered for the three lines simultaneously. The three moved forward with very little wavering, under fire from the enemy's batteries, which at first were concealed from us by a skirting of woods. The left of the third line was slightly disordered by fences, woods, and our own batteries. We passed through a large corn-field, skirting of woods, then a plowed field, a second skirting of woods more extended than the first, where I was ordered by an aide from General Sumner to detach a regiment to the support of General Mansfield. I halted the Seventy first Pennsylvania, Colonel Wistar, in the place indicated, on the right of the third line.

At this point the musketry fire began to tell upon us, and I received an order from General Sedgwick to move up my entire line. I delayed the third line for the detached regiment to come up, and then moved on across the Sharpsburg turnpike. Just after passing the turnpike, I noticed confusion on the left, and quit a large body of men falling back. I judged them to be troops that our division was relieving. To what brigade they belonged I did not know. I pushed the third line on a little farther, and into the woods beyond the turnpike, preserving about the distance first indicated. In these woods the first line had passed to the south opening, and near a dirt road engaged the enemy,

20 R R_VOL XIX, PT I