The Express.
London, England, 1862-10-03 00:00:00

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AMERICA.

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DICHPATCH,CFPAM GEN. M
THE GREAT BATTLE OF THE 17th ULTIMO.
NEW YORK, SEPT. 24.
The steamship Romania was intercepted off Cape
Race, September 19.
The following are the latest despatches from
General. M'Clellan's head-quarters :

'CLEOI,%N.

FIRST DISPATCH.
Headquarters of the Army of the Potomac,
Sept. 19, 8.30 a.m.
_ _

Major-General H. W. Halleek, General-in-Chief.

Bat Mile occurred yesterday, except skirmishing. last
night the enemy abandoned his position, leaving his dead
and wounded on the field. We are again in pursuit. Ido
not yet know whether he is falling back on an interior
pedalo'', or crossing the river. We may safely claim a vie•
tory. Grzaor B. M'CLELLAtt, Major•Geoeral.

ISKCOND DISPATCH.
Head -quitters of the Army of the Potomac,
Friday, Sept. 19, 101 a.m.
Major-General H. W. Hillock, General-in-Chief. _

Pleasanton is driving the enemy across the river. Oar
victory was complete. The enemy is driven back into Vir-
ginia. Maryland and Pennsylvania are now sale.
Gro. B. M'Cutcas, Major-General.
The latest reports from Lead-quarters are as
follows :

Headittarters of the Army of the Potomac,
Friday Morning, Sept. 19.
Yesterday was occupied in burying the dead and oaring
for the wounded. The rebels meat in a flag of truce in the
morning, asking permission to bury their own dead, which
was granted. At first the orders were very stringent egged
holding intercourse with the rebels, but during the after-
noon they were relaxed, and the troops of both sides freely
intermingled. At daylight, this morning, it was discovered
that the enemy had changed their position. Whether their
whole force has crossed the river, or taken • new position
nearer the river, is not at present known.
Philadelphia, Friday, Sept. 19, Midnight.
Porno's Press has just received highly interesting intel-
ligence from General M'Clellan's army up to not* to-day,
which the editor kindly tarnishes to the Associated Press.
The substance of its special correspondence is briefly as fol-
lows:

Early last night the enemy commenced crossing the
Shephercistown-bridge and two fords above and below it.
During the night 3CClellan advanced a battery and shelled
them from the surrounding hills. The dead and wounded
found this morning evidence the ability of our signal officers
io directing the fire of guns.
On discovering the movement of the enemy, early this
morning General Plessaaton was dispatched in hot pursuit
with two batteries and two regnuents of infantry through a
gap of high hills, and he succeeded in cutting off a large
amount of their ammunition, supplies, he., besides a small
portion of General Martyr Gregg's South Carolina brigade.
General Pleasanton shelled the enemy with effect as they
passed through the ravine.
The last seen of the enemy they were flying in the direc-
tion of Winchester, and it is supposed they would retreat
precipitately on to Richmond.
Our entire army had crossed Antietam Creek this morn-
ing, and was massed between Antietam Creek and the
Potomac, opposite Shepherdetown, and there was every
evidence that ll'Clellan would cross the river.

The lair of cetera and field officers in oar army is so large
so to be naaooonntoble.

Rebel deserters represent the lass of the enemy's officers
equally severe. It was understood that General Burnside
ham crossed into Virginia, vitt Harper's Fenn and is moving
on the enemy.

Deserter, report that the recent movement of the rebels
le escaping into Virginia was entirely conducted by Stone-
wall Jackson, the other chief officers, Lee, Loogstreet,
being either wounded or too much fatigued to be efficient
They also state that it was believed in the rebel army
that a force of national troops bad passed through Thorough-
fare Gap and intercepted their advance.

The New York Tina and Tribune have a full
account of the great battle of the 17th.
The Federal plan of battle was generally as fol-
lows :—General Hooker was to cross the Antietam
Creek on the right, establish himself on the enemy's
left, if possible flanking his position, and to open the
fight. Sumner, Franklin, and Mansfield were to
send their forces also to the right, co-operating with
and sustaining Hooker's attack while advancing also
near the centre. The heavy work iu the centre
was left mostly to the batteries. Porter,
massing his infantry, was to support in
the hollows. On the left Burnside was
to carry a bridge across the creek, advancing then
by a road which enters the Pike at Sharpsburg,
turning at once the rebel flank and destroying his
line of retreat. Porter and Sykes were held in
reserve.

The battle began with the dawn and lasted till
dark. An advance of a strong line of the Federal
skirmishers was met by a similar movement on the
part of the enemy, who were ferried back, while
the right of the Federal line (General Hooker's com-
mand) came into action with the enemy's left. The
enemy's left was forced back for nearly three miles
from the ford by nine o'clock a.m., and the Federal
troops had crossed the creek, when they were re-
lieved by General Sedgwick's coming to the front.
The division under French occupied a position to
" the left of Sedgwick's, and was engaged by half-past
ten o'clock. The Irish brigade, ender General
Meagher, joined French's brigade at half-past 10,
and the most severe and deadly musketry fighting
commenced. The enemy were driven back on their
second line, and after a contest of four hours
this position was forced also. General Cauld-
well's division was next brought, into action,
and General Burnside advanced from the extreme
left on the flank of the enemy, and by 12 o'clock
the rebel line of battle, having been forced
back on the right, was crescent shaped. Towards
night the Federal infantry got to work
on the extreme left ; the rebel ranks gave
way at all points, but in good order, and the
day's fighting was brought to a close by a heavy
artillery tire. Before 1 o'clock iu the day General
Mansfield was mortally wounded, and Generals
Hooker, Sedgwick, Dana, Richardson, and Meagher
bad been more or less severely wounded. The tide of
victory rolled backwards and forwards during the
day. The moat desperate portion of the battle
took place for the possession of corn fields and
woods, which were carried and lost four times in
suocession. The movement of General Burnside
was the turning point of success. The fate of the
day depended on him :
Attacking first with one regiment, then with two, and
delaying both for artillery, Burnside was not over the
bridge before 2 o'clock—perhaps oat till 3. He advanced
slowly up the slopes in front, his batteries in rear
covering, to some extent, the movement of the infantry.
A desperate fight was going on in a deep ravine on hi,
, right, the rebel batteries were in full play, and apparently
very annoying and destructive, while heavy column. of
rebel troops were plainly visible, advancing as if careless
of concealment, along the road and over the hills in the
direction of Burnside's foram It was at this point ot the.
that N'Clellan sent him the order to advance sad carry the
batteries in his front at all hazards.
Burnside obeyed it most pliaatly. Getting his troops
well in hand and sending a portion of his artillery to the
i front, he &dimmed them, with rapidity and the most deter-
' mined vigour, 'freight np the hill in front, on the top Of
which the rebels bad maintained their most daegerous
battery. The movement was is plain view of irelellan's
position, and as Franklin oa the other side sent his bat.
Sarin into the field about) the same time, the battle
seemed to open in all directions with greater activity than
TIN fight in the revise was in full progress, the lotteries
whit* Porter supported were firing away with saw vigour,
Inraklin was blazing away on the right and 1122-lop, &teemed
weeds along the whole line wenerested and veiled with white
. . . .

elands of make All dal had bees clear add bright eine*
the early cloudy woreiogr, aid new t►h w►ole roagodloout,
eaggiedied some shoal with the egiaudour of as diorama

OCTOBER 3,i- 18e.
. gip amber the. Fear miles of battle, its glory all visible,
I ita Mirrors all bidden, the fate of the republic hanging on the
hour—could any one be insensible of its grandeur !
There are two AWs on the left of the road, the furthest
and lowest. The rebels have batteries on both. Burn-
side is ordered to awry the nearest to him, which is the
furthest from the road. His guns opening first from this
new position in front more entirely controlled and silenced
the enemy's artillery. The infantry came on at once,
moving rapidly and steadily op long, dark lanes, and
broad, dark reosem, being plainly visible without a glass as
they moved over this green hillside. The next moment the
road in which the rebel battery was planted was caeopied
with clouds of dust swiftly descending into the valley.
Underneath was a tumult of waggons, guns, horses.and men
flying at. speed down the road. Blue flashes of smoke
burst now and then among them, • horse or • man or
half a dozen went down, and then the whirlwind swept on.
The bill was carried, but could it be held The rebel
columns, before seen moving to the left, increased their
pace. The guns on the bill above send an angry tempest of
shell down among Burnside's guns and men. He had formed
hie columns apparently in the near eagles of two fields bor-
dering the mad—high ground about them everywhere, ex-
cept in rear. In another moment • rebel battle line ap-
pears on the brow of the ridge above them, moves swiftly
down in the most perfect order, and though met by theta-
rot discharges of musketry, of which we plainly see the
Bashes, does not fire • gun. White spaces show where men
ere falling, but they close up instantly, and still the line ad-
TRAMS. The brigades of Burnside are in heavy column ;
they will not give way before • bayonet charge in line.
The rebels think twice before they dash into then, hostile
MOW

There is a belt, the rebel left gives way and scatters over •
the field, the rest stand fast and fire. More infantry comes
up ; Burnside is outnumbered, flanked, compelled to yield the
bill he took so bravely. His position is no longer one of
attack ; he defends himself with unfaltering armoires, but
he sends to 'Mellen for help. liPaellan's glass
for the last half-hour has seldom been turned
away from the left. He sees clearly enough that Burn-
side is pressed—needs to messenger to tell him that.
His face grows darker with anxious thought. Looking
down into the valley where 15,000 troops are lying he tarns
a half-questioning look on Fits-John Porter, who stands by
his side, gravely scanning the field. They are Porter's
troops below, are fresh and only impatient to share in this
fight. But Porter slowly shakes his head and one may be-
lieve that the same thought is priming through the minds of
both generals. " They are the only heroes of the army ;
they cannot be spared."
M'Clellan remount' his hone, and, with Porter and
a dozen officers of his staff, rides away to the left, in
Burnside. direction. Sykes meets them on the road—a
good soldier, whom opinion is worth taking. The three
general' talk briefly together. It is easy to see that the
moment has come when everything may turn on one
order given or withheld, when the history of the battle is
only to be written in thoughte, and purposes, and words of
the general. Burnside's messenger rode up. His message
is—" I want troops and guns. If you do not send them,
I cannot hold my position for half an hour." Mlllellan's
only answer for a moment is a glance at the western
sky. Then he turns and speaks very slowly :—" Tell
General Burnside that this is the battle of the war. He
mint hold his ground till dark at any cost. I will send him
Miller's battery. 1 can do nothing more. I have no infan-
try." Then as the messenger was riding away he called him .
back :—" Tell him if he cannot hold his ground, then the
bridge, to tin last man!—always the bridge!—if the bridge.
is lost, all is lost."
The sun is already down ; not half an hour of daylight is
left. Till Burnside's message came it had seemed plain to
everyone that the battle could not be finished today.
None suspected how sear was the peril of defeat, of
sudden attack on exhausted forces--how vital to the
safety of the army and the nation was those fifteen
thousand waiting troops of Fitz-John Porter in the hollow.
But the rebels halted instead of pushing on, their vindictive
cannonade died away as the light faded. Before it was
quite dark the battle was over. Oily a solitary gun of Burn-
side's thundered against the enemy, and presently this also
ceased, and the field was still.
The peril came very near, bat it has passed, and in spite
of the peril, at the close of the day was partly a success—Da
a victory, but an advantage had been gained. Hooker, Sam.
ner, and Franklin held all the ground they had gained,
and Burnside still held the bridge and his position
beyond. Everything was favourable for a renewal
of the fight in the morning. If the plan of the battle is
sound, there is every reason why M'Clelbur should win it.
He may choose to postpone the battle to await his
reinforcements. The rebels may choose to retire while
it is possible. Fatigue on both sides might delay the
deciding battle, yet, if the enemy means to fight at
all, he cannot afford to delay. His reinforcernsta may be
coming, but where are his supplies? Hia losses are arbor-
mom. His troops have been massed in woods and hollows,
where artillery has had its most terrific effect. Oars have
best deployed and scattered. From infantry fire there is
lees difference.
It is hard to estimate losses on a field of such extent, bat
I think ours cannot be less than 6,000 killed and wounded—
it may be much greater. Prisoners have been taken from
the easety—l hear of a regiment captured entire, bat I
doubt it. All the prisoners whom I saw' agree in saying
that the whole army is there. Hill and Longstreet are
either killed or prisoners.
The following despatch relates to the war on the
Mississippi :
.

" Caro. Friday, Sept 19.

"The fleet carrying the rebel prisoners to Vicks-
burgh was fired into at Prentice, opposite Napo-
leon, Ark. Several balls passed through the
latan, killing a number of rebel& None of our
men were hurt. The gunboat landed, and gave
the inhabitanta fifteen minutes to remove the
women and children, at the end of which time the
town was burned."