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[[pencil note across top of letter]] Battle of Antietam - in Maryland Sept. 17 - 1862 ^[[Heart of fighting]] Dunkard Chapel of Red brick - mile north of Sharpsburg Sometimes called battle of Sharpsburg]] Camp Near Sharpsburg, Sept. 28th 1862 My Dear Mother- I wrote you a line, telling you about our great seven days fighting, ending in the great battle of [[underlined]] Antietam [[/underlined]], and of my safe egress from all kinds of deadly missles and hoarse artillery. We have been through all kinds of hardships, and the last ten days have brought some of the hardest work and fatigue we have yet had in all our marches, and rapid moves since leaving the Peninsular.- We left Rockville and marched to Fredrick, where the enemy was in force near by, and only left the town on our approach. Our reception was a perfect ovation and triumph. The ladies turned out "en masse" and flags and handkerchiefs were waving from every house in town, and a general delight seemed to pervade the people, as they saw the Union flag again later, where the rebel army, only a short time before thought they had taken up their permanent abode.- Last Sunday, week we crossed the Blue Ridge, and was the most terrible day we have yet had, going though mountain defiles, over creeks, and hills, and all manner of obstacles with artillery and immense bodies of troops, and bad roads, made it the worst of all our bad days.- We reached Middletown Heights just in time to see the fight which occurred there and resulted in the disastrous defeat of the rebels, not withstanding their position