Here is a small excerpt from Harper's Weekly's article on The Battle of Antietam explaining the story of one man.
"He tells me his tale in a simple way:
"I had nothing," he says, "except my pay,
And a wife and four little girls, and so
I sent all my money to them, you know!
When I lost my limb, Sir—but that I'm lame,
I do not complain, for, you see,
'Tis the fortune of war, and it might be worse;
And I'd lose the other to stop the curse
Of his terrible strife! But I meant to say,
When I left the hospital t'other day,
I did think I had a kind of a claim
To be sent to my village free.
"Don't you think it hard yourself, Sir? True,
There's a hundred dollars of bounty due
In three years, or when the war's ended; but how
Long may that be—can you tell me now?
I did not enlist for bounty, I trust
My conscience I never have sold;
But how does it look for a soldier to 'tramp,'
Begging his way like a vagabond scamp,
From the fields where he often risked his life,
To the home where he left his babes and wife,
In a uniform made of tatters and dust
Instead of the 'blue and gold?''
Harper's Weekly described the Battle of Antietam and life of a soldier in detail. The soldiers all had wives and kids at home. Many of
them were poor and did not have a lot to send back to their families back at home. People left and right were dying and loosing limbs
on the battle field. No one would complain, however. The significance of The Battle of Antietam was that it was the deadliest and
bloodiest battle in American history. At least one out of four soldiers either died,was injured, or captured. The victory of this battle led
Lincoln to make the move on slavery. The Union army won this battle. According to them, this battle "saved" the nation.
"He tells me his tale in a simple way:
"I had nothing," he says, "except my pay,
And a wife and four little girls, and so
I sent all my money to them, you know!
When I lost my limb, Sir—but that I'm lame,
I do not complain, for, you see,
'Tis the fortune of war, and it might be worse;
And I'd lose the other to stop the curse
Of his terrible strife! But I meant to say,
When I left the hospital t'other day,
I did think I had a kind of a claim
To be sent to my village free.
"Don't you think it hard yourself, Sir? True,
There's a hundred dollars of bounty due
In three years, or when the war's ended; but how
Long may that be—can you tell me now?
I did not enlist for bounty, I trust
My conscience I never have sold;
But how does it look for a soldier to 'tramp,'
Begging his way like a vagabond scamp,
From the fields where he often risked his life,
To the home where he left his babes and wife,
In a uniform made of tatters and dust
Instead of the 'blue and gold?''
Harper's Weekly described the Battle of Antietam and life of a soldier in detail. The soldiers all had wives and kids at home. Many of
them were poor and did not have a lot to send back to their families back at home. People left and right were dying and loosing limbs
on the battle field. No one would complain, however. The significance of The Battle of Antietam was that it was the deadliest and
bloodiest battle in American history. At least one out of four soldiers either died,was injured, or captured. The victory of this battle led
Lincoln to make the move on slavery. The Union army won this battle. According to them, this battle "saved" the nation.