behind AotW

This is a considerably post-war engraving of Dr Thomas McEbright, who as Surgeon, 8th Ohio Infantry, established his “operative depot” in the Roulette barn and treated wounded soldiers there after the battle of Antietam.

On 24 September 1862 on Bolivar Heights near Harpers Ferry he wrote a letter to the editor of his hometown newspaper describing the battle and the horror afterward. Notable in the letter is this brief description of Sharpsburg farmer William Roulette during the battle:

Covered by the houses and stone wall, the barn and out houses, the natural features of the ground, the home of Mr, Rulette [Roulette] was the pivot of the field, when our Regiment passed his cellar door the gentleman who had been up to this time cooped in the cellar emerged and with hat in hand I think did some of the tallest one man hollowing and tip-toe shouting I ever witnessed.

Tallest one man hollowing and tip-toe shouting, indeed.