The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1862-10-01
OUR Loss ABOUT TEG THOU
SAND! rtEe2 eil
Death of General Mansfeld.-Many
.. 2 Generals Wounded! p,

. Generals Wounded! y
Especial Dispatch to the New York Tribunel
THE GREAT BATTLE OF WEDNESDAY .4
WASHINGTON, September Is, 1862.
The following dispatch has been received
from one Of your special correspondents;
BATTLE-FlELD OF SHARPsBURG, MD..(
ID Wednesday Evening, Sept. II '62
The greatest battle OF the war was fought
to>day, lasting from daylight till dark, and
closing without decisive result. The whole
forces of Mcclellan and Lee were engaged
for fourteen hours. Two hundred thousand
men have fought with the utmost determin-
alton on both sides. Neither can claim a
complete victory, but Mcclellan has par
TALLY carried the rebel position, holding
most favorable ground for renewing the at
tack, and holding all the ground which was
gained at any time during the engagement.
All our own dead and wounded, and many
Of the enemy's are in our hands. wa
On the lett Of the rebel position, Hooker,
Sumner and Franklin have crossed Antetam
Creek, and have driven the enemy from the
ground they chose to cover their TANKS in
front of our batteries, and troops have stead
lily advanced and occupied to-night range oI
hills considerably beyond those first taken.
On the rebel right they have lost the
bridge over the creek, which war carried
after hard fight, and Burnside has crossed
with all his forces. .t
The result 0 / the days fight, therefore
30 hot iha hav Suh lnIt
ground, their position is contracted both
tanks attacked with success, and their
only lins of retreat seriously threatened.
Alter the brilliant victory on Sunday ai
South Mountain, near Middletown, McClel.
Ian pushed his army rapidly fosward, send.
ing cavalry and artillery out on The Hagers.
town Road, Burnside through Fox Gap tc
the Sharpsburg Road, and the rest of his
forces through Boonesboro to Kccdysyille
and thence toward Sharpsburg.
On the crest OF the hill this side of Sharps-
burg, the enemy were discovered in great
force. Their troops had been brought down
from Hagersown, up from Harper's Ferry,
and part Of the army held in Virginia as @
reserve. Lee, jackson, Longstreet, Hill and
all the best Generals left with them were
there, and with all OF their best troops.
Except occasional artillery contests, the
armies faced each other in quiet during the
rest on Monday ".H.F
On Tuesday there was no movement on
our side till toward night. The rebels had
kept batteries in position, but their infantry
was Withdrawn from view, and it was still
uncertain whether they were retreating or
reinforcing. ''.' 'faH - p
Abont four in the afternoon OF Tuesday
Hooker was ordered to cross Antietam Creek,
at the upper lord on the right, with his whole
corps, attack the enemys left and occupy a
position on their flank. He crossed without
opposition, sent forward cavalry skirmishers,
who were speedily back, and then, advarc-
ing with his whole force about six, took
possession OF strong ground, close to the
rebels left and Immediately became engaged
with artillery and infantry. Darkness ended
the fight with slight loss on either side,
Hooker carrying and holding the woods
from which the enemy's first fire came. 9s
There were constant alarms during the
night, the hostile pickets being close to each
other oil along the line. Early in the even
ing the rebels took to fighting among them.
selves, aud several heavy volleys were de-
Iivered there before they discovered their
mistake.
At daybreak the fight was renewed sud.
denly and vehemently, both sides opening
fire together. The number and position d
the rebel batteries the evening before had
disclosed that they were 10 great force on
the right, and word had been sent by Nc.
Clellan to Summers corps during the night.
1t did not arrive on the feld till nine in the
morning. Is. vtfs~ fs
McClelans plan of battle was briefly as
follows: Hooker was to cross the creek or
| The right, as before stated; Summer, Frank
lin and Mansfield 10 co operate with and
sustain his attack. In front the batteries
were to push forward with infantry supports
and an effort to be made to carry the nights
on the left. Burnside was to cross the creel
by the bridge, and attack the rebel right
| moving on ShTpsburg also, which was IL
their rear, and thus cut off their retreat. -
| Porter and Sykes were held in reserve. Th'
| plan, if successful, must result not merely
in the deieas, but the destruction or surrend
or, Of the rebel army. The ground is pc
culiar. 1"t 4- ,fatt q Hfasf rs
The rebel line was formed on crescent
| Sua peu EluEe, WHICH III iiOut StUpSb uuWu III
TO an undulating valley irregularly broker
by connecting ranges Of hills. Behind the
crest the rebel forces lay In uneven ant
strong positions, sheltered by ridges and hill
and especially strong on the Hanks. Antie
tam Creek, stream too deep to be fordet
except in very lew places sweeps By the bas'
Of their positior and protected it from as
sault. .slgaaF " fey~ aal gaI
McClellan's forces were first formed ii
front, ufterward thrown to the right an(
LETT. There is little OF no ground on ou
side equal in hight to the rebel position.
Hooker sustained, unaided, the attack oi
the rebel force nearly four hours. His lin
had been formed the night before and Tough
to day in the Same order. Ricketts, division
was on the left, Meade's Pennsylvania Re
serves in the center, Doubleday's division OIL
the right These terms are, Of course, to b
understood as referring only to Hooker,
line, not to the whole field. There was ar
tillery at all points. Meade gained groan'
in his first attack.
! Ricketts, also went forward through th