The Portland daily press., 1862-09-22
BY TELEGRAPH,
TO THE
Portland Daily Press.
RETREAT OF THE ENEMY.
rhey get safely across Potomac.
Splendid charge of General
PleasantOn.
A YOUNG HERO.

Dy special messenger 10 the Associated Press !.
Yesterday our lines advanced towards tn.
enemy, when the discovery was made that tn.
army had retreated in the night, leaving thei:
pickets aloLg the entire line so as to proven.
us from gaining knowledge of their move
ments until they had accomplished their pur
pose. Those left behind to perform this dut
generally surrendered as soon as our skir
mishers appeared. 1t seems from statement
made by residents of Sharpsburg and vicinity
that rebel reinforcements were expected O.
Friday, but they did not arrive, and conse
quently it was decided to cross the river,
they were in no condition for such battle a.
that of the 18th. So they commenced leaving
at dark Thursday night, and the rear of this
line passed through Sharpsburg just before.
daylight yesterday morning. They crossed
the river at different points i'm the vicinity
Sharpsburg, as there are several fords within
two miles of that place although the contrary
has been represented. Our cavalry started in
pursuit as soon as the retreat was known, bu
beyond capturing a few hundred straggler
they succeeded in inficting but little injur,
upon the enemy. About a mile from the rive
quite a contest took place between Gen.
Porters corps and the enemy for the posses
sion of two guns which they seemed unable
to move fast enough. They were finally COM
PEELED to abandon them, one of which they
spiked. Their trains have all got off, notwith /.
standing it is said their horses are completely
worn out They seemed to have taken posi-
ton on the other side of the Potomac, bu,
they did not reply to our guns this afternoon,
with the exception of three or four shots. Al,
attempt was made to cross the river and flanL
them, but they were in too good position to
be attacked with success.
A Union man named Hughes came in from
Wiamsport this afternoon, and reports that
large force of the enemy had crossed this
morning at that place, but he would not say
how many for fear he might be caught. He
left in haste, and therefore did not count them
He said that about 2000 cavalry and 1000 in
iantry were on this side, and the column was
still coming over, the rear not being visible.
According to another report, it was only a
small party sent over to forage and harass the
inhabitants. With this exception the soil OF
Maryland is free from the invaders. A result
which all expected at an early day, although
few thought such a thing possible before
another great battle.
The retreat of an army so large as that o.
the rebels in the face of one like our own, was
certainly creditable to its commanders, es-
pecially when it is considered that they met
with but slight loss while it was being consum-
mated.
One thing however was i'm its favor, which
was, that they had Antictam Creek i'm their
'front.' about half the length of their line, over
which our troops could not cross but at one
point. Ii was at this point that Gen. Plea
anton's cavalry made such a splendid dash
across in the face of the fire from several bat
teries planted to sweep it in different positions
which rained a perfect shower of shell upon it,
while our troops were crossing, most of which
fortunately did not explode. As soon as the
cavalry crossed, they were followed by Gen.
Sykes division of rangers in support of three
batteries Tibball's, Gibson's and Robinsons
which after getting iuto position, silenced the
rebels at this point and relieved Gen. Summers
corps from fire from which they would have
otherwise been compelled to fall back.
Some of the most desperate fighting ever
recorded in history took place on this field.
In passing over the ground to-day, the evil
dence was manifest where the most deadly
contest occured-the dead and dying laying
thick and in rows where they had fallen on the
enemy's centre.
Three lines of battle had been formed from
point West Of Hagerstown turnpike across
the road and several fields near the Boonsbo-
rough turnpiks, a distance of about half mile,
and these lines were almost as distinct as when
the living masses formed them, the dead ly-
ing so close as TO be nearly within reach of one
another along the entire dstsnce while in ma
ny places they lay on one an other. The enc
my at this point were attrcked by Kings pick
etts and Sadgerrick's divisions, and the rebels,
although maintaining their ground for a time,
were compelled to give way, their loss being
fearfully large. Dronyeas bridade, which OPP
ened this attack, lost about half of its force,
but maintained its position until relieved by
fresh troops. This brigade lost about four
hundred and thirty-two in killed aud wound
ed out of about eight hundred and fifty who
went into the action. The enemy's loss in
killed, at this part of the field was at least two
TO our one, and many were of the opinion that
II would average the same all over the battle
ground. This is accounted for by the fact that
our men fire high, while the rebels seem to be
particularly instructed to fire low.
The prisoners say they always like to m eet
regiment of Zouaves with red trousers as
these serve as distinctive marks. In evidence,
of this, take the casualties of the 14th Brook
lyn and the 9th New York regiments. Three
fourths of the casualties occurring among
them in every battle, being in the lower limbs.
AT a piece of woods where they made stand
after being driven back, Gorman's brigade of
Sedgerrick's division suffered a heavy loss,
having S95 killed. and wounded about half of
their entire brigade. One regiment, the 18th
Mass, had 600 on going into the fight and were
only able TO muster POS ailer they came out
The division succeeded in driving the enemy
from the woods and held the position for more
than an hour, but were finally compelled to
abandon it and fall back. This is the only part
of the field we gained from which our troops
were compelled to retire. Those who fell at
this spot were found stripped OF their clothing
by the rebels, some of the bodies being entire
ly naked. AT place near a church on the
centre Of the battlefield, a Major, two Lieuts,
and three privates were found dead, having
been torn to pieces by shell. The church in
almost every part was riddled with balls. In
the haste of the retreat the enemy left above
800 of their wounded at houses and barns,
where they had established hospitals. and very
few of their dead were buried excepting ofii-
GERS, their graves being found in cornlields in
the rear of their lines. A large number of
their wounded were brought off the field in
our ambulances and cared for by our surgeons
AT one of their hospitals some of our wounded
had been taken and the officers having forgot
ten to parole them a Brigadier General return
| ed on Friday morning TO do SO, and had been
| gone but few minutes when a cavalry soldier
appeared, who gave chase firing his revolver
at the flying rebel but without effect.
An incident is related of a boy belonging to
the 9th New York regiment, whose name could
not be ascertained, who stood in front of his
regiment while it engaged the enemy at shot
range In which position he fired all his cart
ridges and then took his dead comrades cart
ridge box and fired the entire contents, in all
95 rounds, not receiving scratch the whole,
time, notwithstanding the ground was covered
| with dead and wounded. The regiment was
| ordered to charge a rifle pit where the rebels
| were concealed, and our young hero was the
first in it, the rebels flying at the approach of
the bayonet.
| The loss of the rebels in this battle was very
heavy and evidently exceeded ours.
| A wounded soldier of the I'd North Carolina
regiment said his regiment left Richmond a