Battle of South Mountain

Battle of Antietam

The battery was commanded by Captain James R. McMullin. It was armed with six 14-pounder James Rifles. Lieutenant Crome was mortally wounded and three enlisted men were wounded.

From Captain McMullin’s Official Report for the 1st Ohio Battery at Antietam:

In obedient to orders from you, my battery took position about half way up South Mountain and to the National road, when I immediately engaged a six-gun battery of the enemy for some thirty-fire or forty minutes, when he opened another battery to the left of the first, the range being nearly or quite 1,700 yards. In about an hour the enemy’s first battery was silenced. My guns then continued to play upon the enemy’s second battery until late in the afternoon, when it was moved out of range.

About 11 o’clock, in obedience to an order from yourself, I sent one section, under command of First Lieutenant George L. Crome, to take position on the top of South Mountain, which Lieutenant Crome reached with difficulty, being compelled to move his pieces by manual force, and opened on the enemy, in position behind a stone wall, with canister at a distance of 40 yards. After expending four double rounds, Lieutenant Crome was struck in the breast with a musket-ball while engaged in loading one of this pieces, three of his cannoneers being wounded. The enemy was driven from his position, and the section remained on the field. Lieutenant Crome lived about two hours, when he expired. His loss is to be deeply regretted, for he was a brave and noble man, who at the first call of this country left the endearments of home for its defense. Yet it is a consolation to his friends and companions in arms to know that he died at his post in the discharge of more than his duty.

Lieutenants McClung, Fair, and Channel (the latter on detached duty from the Twelfth Ohio Volunteers Infantry), and the men of my battery, all did their duty. Not a single exception came under my observation or to my hearing.

Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain