Photo: Moreau Salisbury gravestone at Woodlawn Cemetery

Battle of Antietam(George Corse-Sandy Creek in the Civil War)
Hundreds of men who had sons serving in the ranks had come to Washington to see what would be the next move on the military-chessboard and among others from this vicinity was the Hon. Oren R. Earl of Sandy Creek, Mason Salisbury and Lorenzo Salisbury. The last two named had boys serving in Co. G of the old 24th and they arrived just in time to see the battle of Antietam. As the wounded were being carried back both parents found their boys among the desperately wounded. Who can describe the meeting, the joy at finding them alive and their sorrow at finding them wounded? When the time came for their wounds to be dressed the doctors decided that amputation was necessary to save their lives. The knives are ready and the surgeon is waiting but Mason is pleading to save the boy’s limb and thinks with proper care it may be saved. The surgeon tells him that there is not one chance in ten to save his life. Still the father pleads to save him.

At last the surgeon tells him to take him away from there and do the best he can for him. Next in turn comes poor Merrick, a brave boy, with a musket ball that has lodged in the knee joint. It cannot be extracted; it is bedded in the bone. The surgeon tells the father that it is a clear case that it must come off. Lorenzo objects to it and cites the case of Mason as a precedent and he is finally allowed to take his boy; but on going the doctor tells him that the boy cannot live in that condition to exceed five days, and before the time expired he started for home with him a corpse while Moreau Salisbury who had the best of care that could be given him under the circumstances lingered between life and death for months, but with a strong hold on life and a constitution of iron he at last pulled through.