This tablet is also known as the Battery B, 4th U.S. Artillery Tablet and is located on the east or right side of Hagerstown Pike if you are traveling north northeast. The tablet is just after the turn for Mummas lane which is also on the right side like the tablet. The tablet is a few feet away from the 3rd Maryland Volunteer Infantry Monument. These Union tablets are included in the Antietam Campaign War Department Markers marker series. The markers are made of cast iron with a concrete sub structure. The tablets are 12 square feet, black, with white, raised letters. This tablet reads:
U.S.A.
Battery B, 4th U.S. Artillery
Capt. Joseph B. Campbell, U.S.A. Commanding.
(September 17, 1862.)
Early in the morning this battery advanced from its bivouac north of Jos. Poffenberger's, passing through the North Woods to the ploughed field immediately south of them. One section, under command of Lieut. James Stewart, was advanced to a position east of D.R. Miller's house and about 205 yards from this road, and shelled the woods around and north of the Dunkard Church. In a few minutes Stewart crossed the road and, taking position about 80 yards west of this point, engaged the Confederate artillery and infantry. He was soon joined by the other four guns of the battery which took position on his left, one gun on the road, a few feet in advance, working effectively against the Confederate infantry in the cornfield. The Battery was charged by [J.B.] Hood's Division. The charge being repulsed by a rapid fire of double charges of cannister, with the assistance of the infantry supports - the Brigades of Gibbon and Patrick. In this contest Captain Campbell was wounded and the command fell to Lieut. Stewart. After a close and severe engagement in which the Battery lost 9 men killed and 31 wounded and 26 horses killed, it retired to the field north of the Miller House, where it again went into action.
Between 1896 and 1898 to commemorate the Battle of Antietam, September 16-18, 1862, the War Department erected tablets describing Confederate and Union actions of the battle. These tablets contribute to the National Register under Criterion A and are within the period of significance, 1800-1899. The monument is classified as contributing structure number TAB-103.
From the Nomination Form:
In the 1880s, interest in visiting and memorializing battlefields by aging veterans was on the rise. The first indication of this increase in battlefield visits was in 1888 when a macadam road bed and sidewalk system was constructed by the War Department from the cemetery and battlefield site to the Antietam railroad station in Sharpsburg.
A Congressional Act passed in 1890 authorized dedication of the park. Field surveys of the battlefield by the War Department recorded the progression of the battle of both Union and Confederate armies, through tablets constructed in 1896-1898.
Both the Antietam National Battlefield Site and National Cemetery were transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service in 1933. In 1934, the battlefield was less than 50 acres; it has greatly increased to a present acreage of 3,199 acres. With the authorization of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the Union and Confederate War Department Tablets were listed on the National Register on October 15, 1966, with a confirmation National Register form updated and approved by the Keeper on February 10, 1982.
During the 1996 LCS survey, Determinations of Eligibility (DOE) were completed on the war tablets. This was unnecessary, as the tablets were listed on the National Register by means of the act.
Short Physical Description
Union Tablet No. 103 is a 35” x 47” cast-iron painted tablet that is 1/2" thick with a 1" raised border, which is set on a metal a 3-1/2" diameter post. A historical description of the troop’s movement is cast into the tablet.
Union Tablet No. 103 is located on the west side of Old Hagerstown pass Cornfield Avenue. [note the nomination geniuses misspelled the word past, spelling it as pass]
Long Physical Description
The cast text on Union Tablet No. 103B states: “U.S.A. / BATTERY B, 4TH U.S. ARTILLERY, / CAPT. JOSEPH B. CAMPBELL, U.S.A. COMMANDING. / (SEPTEMBER 17, 1862.)/ EARLY IN THE MORNING THIS BATTERY ADVANCED FROM ITS BIVOUAC/ NORTH OF JOS. POFFENBERGER’S, PASSING THROUGH THE NORTH WOODS TO/ THE PLOUGHED FIELD IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF THEM. ONE SECTION, UNDER/ COMMAND OF LIEUT. JAMES STEWART, WAS ADVANCED TO A POSITION EAST OF/ D.R. MILLER’S HOUSE AND ABOUT 205 YARDS FROM THIS ROAD, AND SHELLED/ THE WOODS AROUND AND NORTH OF THE DUNKARD CHURCH. IN A FEW/ MINUTES STEWART CROSSED THE ROAD AND, TAKING POSITION ABOUT 60/ YARDS WEST OF THIS POINT, ENGAGED THE CONFEDERATE ARTILLERY AND/ INFANTRY. HE WAS SOON JOINED BY THE OTHER FOUR GUNS OF THE BATTERY/ WHICH TOOK POSITION ON HIS LEFT, ONE GUN IN THE ROAD, A FEW FEET IN/ ADVANCE, WORKING EFFECTIVELY AGAINST THE CONFEDERATE INFANTRY/ IN THE CORNFIELD. THE BATTERY WAS CHARGED BY HOOD’S DIVISION, / THE CHARGE BEING REPULSED BY A RAPID FIRE OF DOUBLE CHARGES OF/ CANISTER, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE INFANTRY SUPPORTS – THE/ BRIGADES OF GIBBON AND PATRICK. IN THIS CONTEST CAPTAIN CAMPBELL/ WAS WOUNDED AND THE COMMAND FELL TO LIEUT. STEWART. AFTER A/ CLOSE AND SEVERE ENGAGEMENT IN WHICH THE BATTERY LOST 9 MEN/ KILLED AND 31 WOUNDED AND 26 HORSES KILLED, IT RETIRED TO THE FIELD/ NORTH OF THE MILLER HOUSE, WHERE IT AGAIN WENT INTO ACTION.”
My Sources
1.
NRHP Nomination Form
2.
Virtual Antietam
3.
Historical Marker Database
4.
The Battle of Antietam on the Web