The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-10-02
NUMBER H..


. columns apparently in the near angles of tw
I fields bordering the road - high around then
: everywhere except in the rear.
In another moment rebel battle.line ap
! pears on the brow of the ridge above them
moves swiftly down in the most perfect order
and, though met by incessant discharges o
musketry, of which we plainly see the flashes
does not fire a gun. White spaces show wher
men are falling, but they close up instantly
and still the line advances. The brigades Q
Burnside are in heavy column they will no
give way before bayonet charge in line. Tn
rebels think twice before they dash into thos
hostile masses. Fills
/ There is a halt, the rebel left gives way ant
scatters over the field, the rest stand fast ant
| fire. More infantry comes up, Burnside is ont
numbered, hanked, compelled to yield the hill
he took so bravely. Hsg position is no lonoe,
one of attack; he defends himself with unfal,
| tering frmness, but he sends to Mcclellan 70,
help. McClelan's glass for the last half hour
mas seldom been trrned away from the left.
| He sees clearly enough that Burnside is
| pressed-needs no messenger to tell him that
| His face grows darker with anxious thought.
Looking down the valley where Is, 900 troops
| are lying, he turns half questioning look on
Fitz John Porter, who stan1s by his side, grave
y scanning the field. They are Porter's troops
beoa, are fresh, and only inpatient tc share
in this fight. But Porter slowly shakes his
head, and one may believe that the same
thought is passing through the minds of both
Generals "They are the only reserves of the
army they cannot be spared" .
Mcclellan remounts his horse, and with Por-
ter and several officers of his staff ri des away
to the left in Burnside's direction. Sykes
meets them on the road-a good soldier whose
opinion is worth taking. The three Generals
talk briefly tsgetAer. 1t is easy to see that the
moment has come when evyrythingmay tucnon
the order given withheld, when the hi sto-
ry of the battle is only to be written in
thoughts and purposes and words of the Gene
raj.
Burnside's messenger rides up His mes
sage is II want troops aud guns. IF you do not
send them | cannot hold my position for half an
hour" McC?ellan's only answer for the mo
ment is glance at the western sky.
Then he turns and speaks very slowly sTell
Gen. Burnside that this is the battle of the war.
He must hold his ground till dark &C any cost
II will send him MilleE's battery. / can do
nothing more. | have no infantry Then as
the messenger was riding away he called him
back TELL him if he cannot hold his ground
then the bridge, to the last man always the
bridge !-Ifthe bridge is lost, all is lost"
The sun is already down not haitian hour of
da Wight is left. Till Burnside's message came,
1t had seemed plain to every one that the bat
tie could not be finished to-day. None sus>
pected how near was the peril of defeat, of sud
den attack on exhausted forces-how vital to
the safety of the army and the nation were those
fifteen thousand waiting troops of titz John
Porter in the hollow. But the rebels halted in
stead of pushing on, their vindictive cannons
ade died away as the light faded Before it
was quite dark the battle was over Only a
single gun of Burnside Numbered against the
enemy, and presently this also ceased, and the
field was still
The peril came very near, but it has passed.
ane in spite of the peril. at the Close of the day
was partly a success-not a victory, but an ad-
vantage had beeu gained HoJ ker, Sumner
and Franklin held all the ground they had
gained, and Burnside still held the bridge and
his position beyond. Everything was favora>
bic for renewal of he fight in the morning.
If the plan of the battle is sound rhere is every
reason why Nc C!ellan should win it. He may
choose to postpone the battle to await his rein
forcements. . ~.
The rebels may choose to retire while it is
possible. Fatigue both sides might delay
the deciding battle, vel if the dnemy means to
fight at all, he cam It off1rd to delay. His re-
Inducements may be coming, his losses are
enormous. His troops have been nassed IN
woods and hoows, where artillery has had its
most terrific effect. Ours have been depoyed
and scattered From infantry fire there is less
difference. 1t is hard to estimate losses on a
field of such extent, but think ours cannot be
less than six thousand killed and woun
ded-it may be much greater Prisoners have
been taken from the enemy-I hear Of a regi-
ment captured entire. but doubt it. Ali the
prisoners whom say agree in saying that their
whole army is there.