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

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 occupitd a long
ridge of hills. They showed a line of battle one and
a-half mile in length. The afternoon was spent in
ascertaining the position and force of e rebels, not
a sufficient number of our troops having come 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."

}IANESBERG, Sept. 16, S 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.M.—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 INI'Clel-
- was pursuing the enemy with a vigour most
destructive to them.

General 3PClellan 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
enemy were terribly repulsed, though having great
~.lvantstlyPq a nnßition I-Tg,..?.....L.1. z,rigarke made a
chargt, np a will. 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 stono 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'Clellan's official
despatches, a summary of which was sent by tele-
. graph :

Head-quarters of the Army of the Poto-
mac, three
Sept. 14 miles beyond Middletown,
Sunday,
H. W. Halleck' General.94o p
-in-:Cmh.ief.
After a very severe engagement,
ha
v ea c
rcarried a theheight
thecorps
General Hooker and
Reno
commanding the Hagerstown road by storm.
The troops behaved magnificently ; they never
betteFranklinr.
Gen has been hotly engaged on the
fofoughter
extreme left. Ido not yet know the result, except
the firing
indicates progress on his
part.
eti're crest.
The action continued until after dark, and ter-
minated leaving us in possession of the
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. 3PCLELLAN, 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 our own artillery, very strong
positions defended
I do not think our
by artillery and infantry.
The corps of our loss very severe.
were engaged Generalswith D. H. Hill and Longstreet
our right.
We have taken a
considerable
The enemy disappeat number of prisoners.
troops are now advanelan during the night. Our
know where he will next be pursuit. Ido not
ne found.

C'•
M'CLELLAN.
Major-General Commanding.
Head-quarters of the Army of the Potomac,
Sept. 15, 1862, 8 ,
OCiock a.m.
Henry W. Halleck, General-in-chief.
I have just learned from Gen. Hooker iu the ad-
vance, who states that the information is perfectly
reliable, that the enemy is making for the river in
a perfect panic ; and Gen. Leo stated last night,
that he must admit that they had been shockingly