Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-09-19
THE VICTORY OF SUNDAY.
1900 Prisoners Captured!

|
| considering the forces engaged, As 4 spsc tato
would at first be inclined ~ suppose our lo.
| In killed and wound ID will not probably e1ces.
Ss, Sv+, ana mat judge 10 he high etinste
Sanoe General Pleasonton's brigade Of cayaIr,
advanced from Rockville. we have had sk,r
| mishee daily along the rout. Daring thos,
skirrnishes the eneny's force cousisted Of ahou
TWO regiments OF cavalry aud two or tire,
| pieces OF artillery. On Saturday, however
more regiments of cavalry were added makins
force equal If not superior TO our own
Inc force that opposed our advance xrtl to
oay was the rear guard Of the enemy, and th,
patle- ground Of yesterday evidently se
lected with view Of staying our further pro
gress.
THE BATTLE GROUND.
r he Rebel position was on the sides and su m
I nit OF the Blue Ridge Mountains on "a n aide
oiue Gap, known az Frog CAP, through which
INC main road on the turnpike, from Middle.
Town 10 Hngerstown, passes. The Gan is dis.
tant from Middletown about three miles aud
from frederick twelve miles Boonsboro, the
next important town to Middletown on the
turnpike If two miles from tie GAP on the other
s.oe oi the mountains. The mountains in the
NtIiHity oi tue zap are sep and rugged, and
rendered diric ult to uscend unless by the ordi-
mary OorouGhfares, on account OF numerous
fuEes ana loose rocks w hich afford no parma.
nent foothcld. From base to top they are COY
cred with thick wood, thereby giving prot.c
non 10 the party in possession. and making tho
progress q. the attacking force doubly hazard :
Gus Bolivar, village boastng of six or eight
dwellings, Is situated on the ma i'm road batyye.n
iiHiu"ieicWn ana the Gap, and about one and &
halI miles from the latter place. At Bolivar n
ROAD branches OF from each aide OF the main
Ioad, The two roads taking circIItous Course
10 the mountains, and gradually asC.ndin.
ulsln, JON the main road again 1T the Gap
Inc early portion of the Union army, or
WneTe lie !iie OF battle WAS first formed, w;ls
on piece OF rising sound on :he right and !a; :
oI ue lam road between Bolivar and the
IHouhtdlNs AS the dt, advanced and orr
forces NOV we'd for ard the position VAS CHANGED
Dut never lor tiie better. The nearer we ap-
proc the mountains, the more successtn,
could the enemy bring the artillery to bear ON
our columns. Nomatter what position we held
the Blue Ridge mountains commanded that
position. IL Will be observed at once that the
eNemy had a formidable ground OF defence
and nothing but undaun;ed courage wrcsted it
from him.
THE FORCES ENGAGED
Inc hrst division TO enter the held on ours;dn
was Cox's, of RenOs Corps. Next c;.,ne the
Pennsy lvania Reserve Corps Ricketts, aud
klnEs divisions, under the command of ,,p
gaiiai. and brave Hooker. We had batteries
stalcheo on both wings, but st no one tine was
theIe over ten or twelve pieces in practice
lhe elelnys force is supposed To have
amounted 10 about 30,0GJ men. The forces Of
Generals Longsreet and ID. Ill. Hill were en-
gaged.
THE BATTLE.
Ire oatie commenced with artillery n : \
m, E0btrtSon's United States Battery of iour
irt hclo pieces firing the first shot. This but
trry was stationed about six hundred wards to
The LETT OF the turnpike, the fire being directed
AZ no particular place but with yietg of shalI
ing lhr woods generally. AS to draw a reply
from me Rebels. The firing was contin uad TOR
over an hour. but the enemy did not rasnnnd
unul CoX's Division appeared in the main
road al aliC Ing TO take Il position. Two pieces
station III the Gap were then opened uuou Tho
CoIEHii. ne troops, however, turned into a
held al the left OF the road, and got ont of
uafin way before any IN inries were effected
ittie ihey remained III line ofbattle for az hour
and q half. In the meantime the enemy's posi-
non having been discovered, Robertson IN,
rected the fire Of his pieces to the Gap Soon
il'Sr the Rebels opened another battery at the
r1gnt OF tne Gap, and subsequently another
battery II .he left. 1t was then evident that
me ReDeIs l4itended to make a vigorous stand Oh
ne mountain. Since the preceding day thry |
lau brought up extra pieces of cannon for a.
before statfC, they had used but three m Tho |
lioSi IN the skirlnishes during the week. The |
heLfy Was liring from nine Pleces, ccnseouent- !
,, :, 20. 20 hahe vigorous reply, Haynes United |
>,ates BATTERY OF six pieces moved up to the |
elt 20 me assistance of Robertson -.
hsafy c;iinonading was :hen commenced
'ut, Is usual in artillery dusls, but little dam
ee " as effected on either side. At 10 a IN tn.
nemy withdrew his pieces on the l,.ftand r;pht
i the SIttp and worked principally with these
II lhe Gap. a Ealf an hour later all the enc |
~ : ans were silent, but upon the moving OF
>oA DIVISION soon after to the edp.. of tho !
woods On the side of the mountain at th- ,.ft
ic ii' pelS again produced their pieces at the |
ight Oh Lle Gap. Cooks Massachusetts, Bat /
-fy OF SAX pieces was now brought up To the
npport OF RobertsOn's, and n concentratfno
re was poured into the Gap, many of ti,c
leiis bursting directly over the Rebel guns.
4 first the enemy threw solid shot but afiar a
Lile changed his projectile to she'll.
4 hree times during the day the Rebels wers
'rced TO change the position OF their piecee, and
tt III the afternoon their guns wert silent al.
'gether.
by Ii O'Clock Cox's Division had arrived g.
le w oods, and few minutes later had entered |
II the purpose OF getting round the enemy's
ght.
AT this juncture Generals Mcclellan and |
ufn6i6e, with their .Iiiffs, rode upon the field !
, mere they remained during the continuance
COOKS battery took a favorable position for
ieiinG the " oods i'll advance Of the diyirion
u mad hardly got to work when the Rebels |
req tremendous volley of musketry at the
lnIonlers. This was repeated several times |
quick succession, until ut length the cou |
onlers abandoned their pieces, and ran TO tho |
ar, Leaving four or five OF their comrades dead
pom the ground. The drivers of the cois.o,. !
SO psrtook Of the panic, and dashed headIony |
rough - 0onks OF CoX's Division, which !
as drawn up in iire OF battle a few yards =,
rear Two companies Of cavalry .exi-
ent, which we've supporting the battery, a;.o |
lioptc through the line of infantry thus ]
iring four pieces Of artillery fthe other two | I
wing seen detached to another part of the {
ent caused temporary, and only tatnporsy
INFUSION among the troops. They quickly | I
-alR Rhtened The line and prepared to resist a ! I
InonsTauon observable on the mart of the | c
en.v 10 sCil., the abandoned pieces The re- | Q
is marched forward to secure .lleir antici |
teo prize, and st the game Iuor,ent the 23d |
10 and locih Pennsylvania Ier,raeats ad ! q
icea IN splendid order TO repuise fiiein The c
ctis had approached ID Within about ten feet | '
the guns whsil the contest commenced Each | u
'e seemed desperate In its purpose and the ! =
uEgle was most exciting At length the ith =
;" York came to the rescue and turned The | v
e OF fortune In our favor. Both parties sat. ! Y
en severely In the action. The rebels re- | II n
ated IN great confusion, while our men made | q
woods resound with cheers t1
OF me succeeding two hours the infantry | {,
Ger the command of Reno ceased operations | ~
'he arullery alone continued the duel. The g
MS used thus far were 6, 10, and 12-pounders u
nmons' Ohio Battery of four eJ-pounder q
cfs Were now placed in position on the left. L
Z commenced throwing shells to the rieht Of | G
Gap, at which point the Rebels had aeain q
toned q battery. The firing for a while Was III
eodingly animated, but the 2O-pounJers tC
wed too much for the Rebels, and tney were | i
npelled, in the course Of half an hour To | p'
inge the position Of their guns At theex N
auon OF the next half hour their gums were III
need. In this battle the enemy did NOT an al
aI 70 nave so many guns as usual or If he Ia
have them he did not bring them into prar- sc
:. The 3D. FOUNDER which ne was 80 fond of re
ng against as on the Penins ula did not male IN
appearance here. .-o'' ga
II n N, he hos al oF aap nj