The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-08 00:00:00

TUE BATTLE OF SUNDAY.

Sunday morning broke upon the hostile armies as
fair as that of the preceding day. Contrary to the
universal expectation on our side, the enemy again
allowed the early hours, so well suited to offensive
mar cc•ivres, to pass away undisturbed by the sounds
of battle. The adaptation of their plan of attack to
our new line doubtless necessitated this. About
nine o'n!oek a few shots were heard at various
points of our front, but it was only at a little before
ten that the report of whole volleys announced the
resumption of the fight in good earnest. The firing
that had begun upon our left at once assumed the
fiercest character. The enemy repeated the tactics
of the previous day by throwing themselves first
upon our extreme left, formed by General Beatty's
brigade of Negley's division. It stood the onset for
some time, but finally retired.
Desiring to unite the two portions of General
Negley's command, General Roseneranz ordered
General Wood's division to take the position of the
two brigades stationed further to the right. The
rebels, perceiving the withdrawal of Negley, and
belie'ving it to be a retreat in good earnest, quickly

also moved upon the centre, and the action speedily
became general. Finding themselves unable to
make an impression on Wood, the enemy, after the
lapse of an hour or so, seemed to concentrate their
main strength upon the centre, now again com-
manded by Thomas.

During the night our troops had constructed along
the line barriers of logs and fence rails, and thus
comparatively sheltered, they kept up a continuous,
murderous musketry fire upon the enemy. Our
artillery was planted upon higher ground in the rear,
and fired over the infantry. Destructive as our fire
from small arms and cannon was, it did not stay the
advance of the rebels. At times they staggered,
but only to rally and push again forward to-
ward our line. With frantic yells, Longatreet's
and Hill's corps both came rolling steadily on, in
columns by battalions. Our centre, weakened to
the extent of almost one-third, was not strong
enough for success in this unequal contest. Closer
and closer approached the shouting hostile masses,
and at last forced Brannan's division to yield its
position.
Meantime, as General Reynolds was severely
pressed, General Wood was ordered to march in-
stantly by the left flank, pass Brannan, and go to
his relief. Davis and Sheridan were to shift over
to the left, and thus close up the line. As the oc-
casion was urgent, General Wood drew in his
skirmishers with considerable haste, and the rebels,
for the second time mistaking a withdrawal for a
flight, pressed forward like a torrent, and poured
musketry, canister, and grape into the flank of the
division, moving upon the double-quick. The men
endeavoured for a time to keep their files in order,
but as the pitiless storm of lead and iron continued
to be hurled against them, the regiments began to
spread out like a fan wider and wider until finally
they were torn to finders. This was especially the
case with the brigade commanded by Colonel Buell.
Parker's brigade alone passed on its destination
comparatively intact.

THE CRISIS OF THE DAY.

The battle now extended upon its most criticai
phhse. The breaks, temporarily caused by the
shiftings of divisions from one point of the line to
another, were so promptly perceived and turned to
advantage by the enemy that they proved fatal,
and cost the loss of the day. Davis' division, com-
ing up to take Wood's position on the extreme left,
was taken with great suddenness and fury by the
left flank, and pushed to the right in utter disorder.
Simultaneously the weak remnants of Van Cleve's
and Palmer's divisions, exposed by the withdrawal
of Davis', were attacked with equal vehemence on
the right, and forced back in great confusion.

The rout on the left and the right was now
com-
plete, and even the exertions of General Rosencranz
and his staff who, with drawn swords, attempted to
restore order, were of no avail. Streams of de-
moralised, uncontrollable men, fleeing toward the
rear, were all that remained of a large portion of
the army.
After that fatal break, our line of battle was not
again reformed during the day. The army was, in
fact, cut in two, M'Cook, with Davis, Sheridan,
and Wilder, being thrown off to the right; Critten-
den, except one brigade of Wood'e, being broken in
pieces, and Thomas, with his indomitable corps, and
Johnson's division of M'Cook's remaining alone on
the left. Thomas's division s—Negley's, Brannan's,
and Baird's—had been fearfully shaken and much
scattered by the fight over the log works, and Rey-
nolds' was the only one that retired in tolerable
order.