90th Pennsylvania Monument at Antietam “A Hot Place”

The 90th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was raised in Philadelphia in September of 1861. The regiment saw it first large-scale combat during the Second Battle of Bull Run, where it lost 200 men, in August of 1862. Two weeks later, the 90th was at the Battle of Antietam where it fought at the Cornfield. This monument marks the approximate location of the unit during the battle.

This monument is a relatively recent erection. On September 17, 2004, the monument was unveiled. It was designed by Gary Casteel based on an earlier monument that was placed at the same spot in the 1880s by veterans of the regiment. The original monument was made up of three actual muskets being tied together with a bucket hanging down from it. This monument was removed in the 1930s because it had deteriorated. In the modern era, descendants of the veterans of the regiment raised money for a replacement monument and they won permission for it to be placed. This was very unusual because the National Park Service has looked askance at new monuments being placed at Antietam. However, because this monument is a replacement for an earlier monument, it was allowed.

Colonel Peter Lyle. commander of the 90th Pennsylvania Regiment, wrote in his official report that on September 14, 1862, the regiment was then “lying outside of Frederick, was under arms, and left Frederick about 9 a. m., taking the turnpike toward Middletown.” After Middletown, the unit participated in the Battle of South Mountain. Lyle writes:

“We then took up the march; passed up the turnpike a mile; took the road to the right; passed up the mountains, and were formed in line of battle, with orders to support Hartsuff’s brigade. While standing in this position we received orders to advance into the woods, where our troops in front were engaging the enemy.

The firing of musketry at this time being most terrific, we advanced in line of battle, moving obliquely to the left and front. Having received later orders to relieve Doubleday’s brigade, who were running out of ammunition, we moved up to the crest of the hill, took the position occupied by Doubleday’s brigade, and immediately engaged the enemy. The firing was kept up until darkness put an end to the engagement. We had but 3 men wounded slightly, who were by mistake included in the list furnished for the 17th instant. We lay on our arms all night, and during the night we took some 15 prisoners, some of whom were wounded.”

The Confederates withdrew and the 90th followed them to Antietam Creek. Lyle writes about the 90th’s movement across Antietam Creek and the fighting at the Cornfield:

“The same morning we started off in pursuit, and on Tuesday, having crossed the Antietam the day before, we came up with the enemy, and having formed in close column under fire from their batteries, entered the wood, and formed in line of battle on the left of Hartsuff’s brigade, the Pennsylvania Reserves being in the wood in front of us.

We again lay on our arms all night, and at daybreak the next morning (17th) we moved to the right, passed to the front through a cornfield, and took position on the left of Matthews’ battery [Battery F], First Pennsylvania, which we were ordered to support. Here we were exposed to a severe fire of musketry and shell, we being immediately in rear of the skirmishers, who were engaging the enemy in the corn-field in front. We were moved to the left behind a wood, and formed in close column. The shells falling around us, the battery was moved to the front, into the woods. Here we were subject to a raking fire of grape, canister, and shell. The battery fell back, and the regiment was deployed and moved to the front in line. We passed through the woods into a plowed field, where we engaged the enemy until our forces on the right and left gave way, when, having but about 100 men left, we fell back slowly and in good order, under cover of the woods, and then, being hard pressed by the enemy, we fell to the rear, finding that fresh troops were coming to our relief.” [OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, Vol 19, Part 1 (Antietam – Serial 27) , Pages 265 – 266]

 

While at the Cornfield, Color Sergeant Mason was “four or five yards” in advance of the regiment encouraging the men by displaying their flag when he was shot. Confederates rushed to seize the Union colors and one Confederate soldier had the flag in his hands when ten men of the 90th organized by Private William Paul came forward and fought the Confederates and regained their flag. Paul was later awarded the Medal of Honor for this act of heroism.

During the Battle of Antietam the 90th was in Christian’s Brigade under Hooker. After having lost 200 men at Second Bull Run and having been engaged as Chantilly and South Mountain, the regiment lost 98 total casualties at Antietam. The situation for the regiment was very perilous at Antietam. During the fighting at the Cornfield, the brigade commander William Christian appeared to have a mental breakdown and fled the field under fire. The 90th’s commander, Col. Lyle, had to assume command of the brigade. General Ricketts demanded that Christian resign and he did. After Lyle took command of the brigade, it fought well, as did the 90th, but it was “A Very Hot Place” under Christian and during the time that no one appeared in command of the brigade.

Sculptor Gary Casteel did a good job with this monument. From a distance, it looks like the original monument. There is no base that the statue appears to be attached to. It looks like it is just three muskets with a cook kettle hanging down.

On the pot, it is inscribed “HERE FOUGHT THE 90TH PENNA. (PHILLA.) SEPT. 17TH, 1862 A HOT PLACE.”

As you can see in the photo below, the monument is unobtrusively secured into the rocks over which it stands.

Across from the monument is the Cornfield. I was on a six hour tour with the National Park Service Rangers at the site.

Here is the view from the 90th Pennsylvania monument towards the New York State Monument near the Visitors Center from where the Confederate attacks were coming. The monument is on Cornfield Avenue East across from the 137th Pa. Monument.

If you go to Antietam, go across the Potomac to Shepherdstown. West Virginia for dinner. It is a small college town with some decent restaurants. I was with Damien Shiels, the scholar of Irish in America’s Civil War, and we went to a new restaurant Alma Bea at 202 E Washington St, Shepherdstown, WV 25443. They had great food including both vegetarian and BBQ! And, if you have not gotten enough Civil War tourism at Antietam, there was a battle in this city a couple of days after Antietam.

All color photos taken by Pat Young.

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Sources:

The 90th Pennsylvania Infantry in the Cornfield: “Solitary and alone, we gave and took our medicine” by David Welker

Bates, Samuel P. History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-65, Harrisburg, 1868-1871

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