The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-30 00:00:00

711 E BAITLES IN MARYLAND.

We collect from the American newspapers the
information which has reached them respecting the
recent battles in Maryland.
The following particulars of the first battle in
Maryland are taken from the Baltimore American :
FREDERICK, SEPT. 15, 2 P.m.

The news that reaches hero from the front,
coming through a variety of sources, is all of a
gloriously encouraging character. Our troops have
been driving the enemy ever since they left Fre-
derick,and yesterdayfought them for four hours in a
general engagement, defeated them, and sent them
flying in rapid retreat.

The scene of the fight yesterday was upon what
is called generally the Seared Mountains of the
Catockin range, but on the map is called South
Mountains. Our forces on Saturday drove the rebel
rear-guard out of Middletown, and our advance
halted that night a short distance beyond that village.
Early on Sunday morning the onward movement
was resumed by General M'Clellan. The rebels
were directly in front, and retreated slowly, and
resolutely contesting every foot of ground. Up to
about two o'clock the engagement was principally
with artillery. The rebels placed their batteries in
every advantageous position, and shelled our ad-
vance, Onr artillery replied, and the firing at times
was very heavy; but the advantage from the higher
ground they occupied being with the rebels in this
artillery practice, our generals depended more upon
their infantry, and heavy columns were pushed
successfully forward, driving the enemy back until
about half the ascent of the mountain was gained.
In doing this work some splendid dashes were made
by our troops, in which Burnside's and Hooker's
corps, formerly
M,Dowell's, particularly distin-
guished themselves. Between 2 and 3 o'clock the
rebels were found drawn up in line of battle, their
left covering Turner's Gap, through which the pike
to Hazletown passes, and extending to Crampton's
Gap. Our right was led by Gen. Hooker in the ad-
vance, with Gen. Franklin on the left, and Gen.
Burnside's corps in the centre. Gen. Heintzelman's
corps was pressing up in the rear, and was, I believe, in
reserve. Some portions of it may have participated in
the fight. When the enemy were thus found drawn
up in line of battle on their chosen position the engage-
ment became general and fierce. The musketry
fire, as described by officers wounded in the battle
and now here, was the mast continuous and sus-
tained of the war. It rolled rapidly and fiercely
from right to left, and back and forward with irre-
sistible fury. Our artillery was brought splendidly
up, and played its part well. For two hours this
continuous exchange of musketry and artillery con-
tinued, until the enemy begax to show signs of
wavering. Our extreme right had been gradually
but surely pushing the enemy, crowding him to-
wards the " gap," and threatening his flank. At 5
o'clock a general charge was ordered, and our men,
responding willingly and bravely to the call, sprang
forward with an impetus that carried all before it.
The rebels fell back, endeavouring again to bring
their disordered column into line of battle, but
failed. Wildly cheering and determined to win,
onr lines pushed forward, and drove the enemy from
point to point ; and as the last rays of the sun gilded
the mountain and reached its summit, the pass was
won, and the enemy were in rapid and disordered
retreat down the slope toward Boonesboro'. The
pursuit was continued for two miles down the
mountains, until darkness put an end to the contest.
Onr troops bivouacked for the night on the battle-
field, whilst our pickets extended three miles for-
ward, and beyond the little village of Bolivar—not
the Bolivar of Harper's Ferry.
The rebels left their killed and many of their
wounded on the field. My informants had no know-
ledge of the enemy's loss except where they were
engaged immediately on the right, and can there-
fore give no estimate of the general loss on either
side. They found the ground over which they
passed thickly strewn with rebel dead and wounded.
Our man fought the whole day with desperate
valour, and literally drove the enemy the whole
time, giving them no time to rally, no opportunity
to recover, and thus kept them at a disadvantage.
The new regiments rivalled their elder compa-
-4.,__,,,, „„ vkittlelv they
went under fire. Among onr losses we have to
lament Gen. Reno, who was killed by a rifle ball
whilst feeling the position of the enemy on Sunday.
The battle is thus described in a despatch to the
Associated Press, dated Boonesboro', Maryland, the
15th :

The battle of South Mountain was fought yester-
day, resulting in a complete victory to the army of
the Potomac. The battle-field was located in a
gorge of the mountain on the turnpike road between
Middletown and Boonesboro'. Daring the forenoon
the firing was by artillery, endeavouring to ascer-
tain the rebel strength and position. About 12
o'clock the corps under Gen. Reno was ordered to
ascend the mountain on the left and make an attack
on the enemy's flank.
A 3 o'clock Gen. Reno's troops got into action.
The rattle of the musketry for about half an hour
w's terrible, when the enemy gave way, leaving our
men in possession of that portion of the ridge. The
loss on both sides in this action was considerable.
We had not a general or field officer injured at this
point, excepting Major-Gen. Reno, who was killed
by a Minie ball passing through his body.
Gen. Hooker, commanding M'Dowell's corps and
the Pennsylvania resarves, ascended the mountains
on the right for the purpose of making an attack on
rebels' lett. He got his troops into position and
moved upon the enemy about two hours before sun-
down, Here, as in the case of the other ridge of
the movztain, our troops were successful, driving
the enenVir before them with great slaughter. The
rebels suffered here more than at any other point
of the battle-field.
General Hatch, commanding a division under
General Hooker, was wounded in the leg.
Gen. Gibbons' brigade, composed of the 2d, 6th,
and 7th Wisconsin, and 19th Indiana Regiments,
were ordered to move up the gorge of the moun-
tain. This brigade did not get into action until
after dark. The action lasted until near 9 o'clock.
This brigade 1 st about 120 killed and wounded.
Among the dead is Capt. Caldwell, of the 2d Wis-
consin. The rebels were driven back for about a
mile, when Gibbons' brigade was relieved by a por-
tion of Sumner's corps, who held the position dur-
ing the night.
The rebel troops engaged were Longstreet's, D.
H. Hill's, and A. P. Hill's corps. Had our troops
had two hours longer of daylight the greater por-
tion of the rebel army would have been taken pri-
soners, as they were surrounded on three sides, the
only mode of escaping being a narrow defile in the
mountains, which the artillery would soon have
made impassable.

Among the rebel officers known to be killed are
Gen. Garland, of Leesburg,ound Col. Strong, of the
19th Virginia. The body fthe
to-day by a flag of truce. latter was obtained
At daylight this morning our „„
realised, the rebels, under
_night, having
Thep came to
cover -art fears were
left on their way to the Potomac.
this place, two miles beyond
there took the road toward Sharpsbnr left
ntahis, and
tife'seTohfeytheir
all their dead on the field, and
wounded not able to move were
foundin the
churches at Boonesboro'.
Gen. M'Clellan was on the field during the day
and night, and conducted all the movements in per-.
SOD.
Between 1,200 and 1,500 prisoners were taken
during the day, most of them by the troops under
General Hooker.
The rebel loss during the day and night was
fully 15,000 in killed, wounded, and missing. Gen.
Lee acknowledged to the citizens of Boonesboro'
that they had been defeated with terrible loss.
Oar loss in killed and wounded will probably
reach 3,000. We lost but few prisoners.
This morning at daylight General Pleasonton,
Illinois Cavalry, and Capt. Fitchall's,
with the Bth
started after the enemy. At Boonesboro' he
came up with the 9th Virginia Cavalry, with a bat-
Our cavalry charged
tery acting as a rearguard.
after them through the town, and two miles out on
the Hagerstown turnpike, capturing two of their
guns, and killing, wounding, and taking prisoners
about 30 of them.
General Richardson's division being in advance

took the road from this place toward Sharpsburg,
two and a-half miles from which town he came up
with the enemy in large force, who occupied a long
ridge of hills. They showed a line of batcie one and
a-half mile in length. The afternoon was spent in
ascertaining the position and force of t (- rebels, not
a sufficient number of our troops having came up to
bring on an engagement.
TUESDAY MORNING, Sept. 16—" During last
night the larger party of the enemy arrived on the
ground. It is now nine o'clock, and no engagement
has taken place. The rebels are rapidly
moving
across the river."

HANESEERG, Sept. 16, 8 a.m.—Despatches re-
ceived from Hagerstown say that General M'Clel-
lan came up with the rear of the rebel army at
Sharpsburg, and that a battle is now progressing.
TEN P.lll.—A despatch just received at head-
quarters says that Jackson re-crossed the Potomac
and General M'Clellan has engaged him with
tremendous force this side of Sharpsburg, 10 miles.
The whole rebel army in Maryland will be annihi-
lated or captured this night.

A second edition of the Boston Advertiser of the
17th contains the following, which are the latest
despatches published :

Frederick, Sept. 16.
The intelligence from the front this morning is of
the most cheering character, notwithstanding the
bad news from Harper's Ferry. General M'Clel-
lan was pursuing the enemy with a vigour most
destructive to them.

General M'Clellan pursued the enemy on Monday
morning with his reserves and a large body of fresh
troops. The enemy took the road towards the river
at Harper's Ferry and at Sheppardstown, and he
was pursuing them, inflicting great loss.
In the several contests on Monday where they
made a stand, our troops charged them with such
vigour that they fell back from point to point in
great haste.
The advantages obtained by the battle on Monday
are thought to be superior in importance to that of
Sunday.
Drayton's South Carolina brigade is entirely gone,
either having been killed, wounded, or taken pri-
soners.

Howell Cobb was wounded and taken prisoner,
and will be back to Frederick sooner than he boasted
he would.

General M'Clellan was pushing on them last
evening very close, and had already sent to the rear
8,000 prisoners and four batteries.
Colonel Strange, of the 19th Virginia, and Colonel
James, of the 3d South Carolina battalion, were
killed on Sunday. Their bodies were left in our
possession. The South Carolina brigade was severely
handled.

General Hatch, commanding Keye's corps, the
latter being sick, was slightly wounded.
A special despatch to the World, transmitted from
Frederick, Maryland, says :
After the battle of South Mountain Gap and Bur-
kittsville Gap, fought respectively by the forces of
Burnside and Franklin, on Sunday, the enemy, hav-
ing been driven from their position, fell back rapidly
on Boonesboro', and thence southward to Sharps-
burg, and began crossing the Potomac above and
below Shepardstown.
The pursuit by our troops was rapid, Hooker fol-
lowing by way of Boonesboro', supported by Sumner
and Banks, and capturing 1,000 prisoners during
the morning of the 15th.
The enemy breakfasted at Keedysville, three
miles from Boonesboro', but our cavalry soon drove
their rear-guard from that place.
Porter's and Reno's corps took a shorter road over
the mountain and arrived at Sharpsburg at sun-
down, capturing hundreds of prisoners on the way.
Franklin's corps, supported by Couch's division,
passed through Burkittsville Gap, which he had
taken so handsomely, striking the road leading
direct from Boonesboro' to Harper's Ferry, and
thence moving in the direction of the latter place,
gaining Elk Ridge Mountain, which flanked the
enemy's position, and brought them within good
range of our artillery.
Franklin's corps fought a brilliant battle on Sun-
day evening, Sept, 14, at Burkittsville Gap. The
advantages amore
olerribly f
e,
1-Miraan, thirag;t3lnhgailieri having
agreatea
charge up a hill, and captured a battery of six
pieces, Howell Cobb, and 900 of his Georgians.
Cobb is wounded and a prisoner. The 16th Vir.
ginia regiment was taken entire, and fragments of
many other regiments.
On Sunday Longstreet marched back from Ha-
gerstown to reinforce those troops fighting at the
Gaps. He arrived in time to join in the rout.
General Garland, of Virginia, Colonel Strange,
of the 19th Virginia, and Colonel James, of the 3d
South Carolina battalion, were all killed at South
Mountain Gap on Sunday evening.
We have taken since Friday last about 6,000
prisoners, with less than the usual proportion of
officers. The mountains are full of straggling,
starving, and demoralised rebels, who are giving
themselves up as fast as they can find their way
into our lines.

The Union army is in splendid condition. The
men are all in light marching order, and full of
buoyant spirits over their successes. Several regi-
ments of new troops were in the fight of Sunday,
and behaved with great bravery. The 17th Michi-
gan, out only two weeks, fought until their ammu-
nition was exhausted, then retired to the waggons
in good order, refilled their boxes, returned and
made a terrible charge over a stone wall and into
the timber, almost annihilating Drayton's South
Carolina Brigade.
Our total loss will probably not exceed 2,500
killed and wounded, with a very small portion of
killed. I can learn of few field officers killed. All
the churches in Middletown and Frederick are to
be occupied by the wounded.
The following are General M'Ciellan's official
despatches, a summary of which was sent by tele-
graph :

Head-quarters of the Army of the Poto-
mac, three miles beyond Middletown,
Sunday, Sept. 14, 9.40 p.m.
H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief.

Renonghaagyeemeaenrrti,edthtehecohrpeisghotf
After a very severe e
General Hooker and
commanding the Hagerstown road by storm.
The troops behaved
magnificently ; they never
fought better.
General Franklin has been hotly engaged on the
extreme left. do not yet know the result, except
the firing indicates progress on his part.
The action continued until after dark, and ter-
minated leaving us in possession of the entire crest.
It has been a glorious victory.
I cannot tell whether the enemy will retreat
during the night or appear in increased force
during the morning-
I regret to add that the gallant and able General
Reno is killed.
GEORGE B. M'CLELLAN7 Major-General.
Head-quarters of the Potomac, Sept. 15, 1862,
3 o'clock a.m.
Major-Gen. H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief.
I am happy to inform you that General Frank-
lin's success on the left was as complete as that on
the centre and left, and resulted in
his getting
possession of the Gap, after a severe engagement in
all parts of the line.
The troops, old and new, behaved with the utmost
steadiness and gallantry, carrying, with but little
assistance from
think
oouubrry
lowncas riivll
very
rryartillery
severe.
ae artillery,nv de rie.
nfa veryn try .
I do notstrong
positions defended
The corps of Generalsconsiderable D. H. Hill and Longstreet
were engaged with our
s right.
We have taken
:.raable number of prisoners.
The enemy
earie
troops are now advancingn t
irin ghe night. Our
know where he will next be
pursuit. Ido not
major-GeneraieAPCLELLAN.
rem_
)1
foutd.
anding.
131* 11
Head-quarters of the Army of t
Sept. 15, 1862, 8 0:10:o tkom tic,
a.m.
Henry W. Halleck, General-in-ehief.
I have just learned from Gen. Hooker in ihei ad-
vance, who states that the information is perfttetl
reliable, that the enemy is making for the rivbr in
a perfect panic ; and Gen. Lee stated last night,
that he must admit that they had been shoekin. gly