, 1862-09-23
TEE. GREAT BATTLE OF
SHARPSBURG,
Splendid Description Of the
Engagement.
DESPERATION OF THE REBELS,
Heroic Determination Of
our Troops.
TERRIBLE FIGHTING OF HQQKER'S
DIVISION,

DIVISION.
Correspondence Of the n +. Ttlbuno.1
BATTLE FIELD or SHARPsBCRG,
Wednesday Evening, Sept, II, 1852.
A fierce and desperate battle between 600
eco men has ragged since daylight, yet night
greatest fight slice Wsserloo-all over
the field contested With an obstinacy even to
Waterloo. If not wholly victory tonight /
belieyc It is the prelude to a victory to-mor.
row: But what can be foretold Of a future 0!
fight In which from fvt in the morning till
seven at night the best troops Of the conti-
nent have fought without decisive results
The battle began with the dawn. Morntng
found both armies just as they had slept, al
moet close enough to look into each other's
eyes. The left OF Meade's reserves and the
right Of Ricketts, line became engaged at
nearly the same moment, one with artillery,
the other With lntautry. A battery was al
most Immediately pushed forward beyond
The central woods, over p1oxed field, near
tie top of the slope where the coru-feid be-
gsn- On this open field. in the corn beyond,
sard IN the woods which stretched forward
Into the bread fields, like promontory into
The; ocean, we're the hardest and de.diisst
struggles Of tie day.
For halfan hour af:er the battle had grown
to its full strength, the line of fire swayed
neither way. Hookerss men were fully m to
tEe1r work Taey saw their general every
~hcTe IN trent, never away from the fire, and
ell The troops believed in their commander.
ano II uEnt with q ill. TEc-thirds of them
were tie same men who under Mcdowell had
blukrr at Manassas.
The bali hour passed, the rebols b2yan to
give way little, OILY little, nut ut the first
lodlca'1o of fcceuiug fir, Foreard Was the
"o'k, and on vent the lire with cheer and
a Tuth- Back across the corn-teld, Leaving,
dead and wounded bthsud them, over tha
1encc, and acrcss the road, and then back
again into the dark woods which closed
arouDdtrcm went the Tetrea1iny rebels.
Meade and his Fennsylranaas folio T-i hard
End 3ast-followed till they came sfthic easy
range OF the woods, among which they ~
ttGlr bs:afcn enemy disappearing folio wed
snl', with another cheer, and flung themselves
against the covcr.
But out Of ttose gloomy woods came sud
denly and heaylly terrible yolieys-yuilcys
which emote, and penE ard broke In moment
that eager front, and hurled them swiftly b 4ck
for half the distance they had won. rot
swiftly, nor IN panic, any further. C.o*,ag
up tht1r shattered hnee, they cane sloyly :
a*ny-a regim-nr where brigade had beca,
ta1tl, a brigade where division had been,
victorious. They had met from the Woods
TIT hrst volleys OF uluskctry irom fresh t1o ops
had met them and returned them till their
line had yielded and gone down before the
evEsns+sa *1'40 .1"A @4eAi aelA' unlIlon WAS
In ten minu' les the fortune of the dav seemed
to tnvc changel. It "as the Ieorls now WHO
wire advancing, pouring out Of the woods In
shdsess lines, sweeping through the corn. ED
iil1;. oui ~n'ea lae!t coinraoes Aad just He'd.
1,e,n h,'T T. - no,,1s MIs nes a. brigade to meat
ea11,i fnr arothar ~ Tna.s " @ sas MoIk. II
enourh rr1rss h. t,ot i f-cna ~ .a,l ctnse
riphr niehr he IN d",n.r ~ - J - n, t1sut. Ms
b1t lis Center was alrrsd fh-s,+a~as -
sent 10 Doubedar. Giu,. ,n "uu '.,,1r Jment, ae
ade instantly.'' 'o', ''SS oi'ss'
The hes:, R,igoda c,,,a d., a. ,.,,.
,iub1 ri 1h. r,,1 .r..1.1 1hr,nt 1. ns ~. W tae
frs,nt throu~h = s,orn, - ~ .ue , anaoeI N
shell and cIi,sh;u,r i3mts mr. +ho Is
bey ord, aud strsihr into the corn fd u n.ss. ust
irT as 1bey went ne r. ,ran+s - ~, u,..u, -"
ades shattered hu ths ~ss,.ai ~ W aaese olls
irfr t., ina rner T.. 1eoS. w, aau 5tfeau-
y ms. ete.s 1.,sStca as T., Pae. ~ aosksf,
c..,,ff 3-e+ s1et Naom ne kusw he
.aia' sa ''us'- '0'0k 'hey will bold It," he
Cen Harstufr toni IL.
hur nnT lint thcv 1e.,us s trvts ceas sssaaals'
xiedly. M 1he h;litrnn, ,shfct, ~ aoe o,. aus
beeIns ID A. ecrnd s,,d ~ fn..1 e4e Soln nsio
crest. No+ mo-, -ho .4Eu W i
moi one who hrnf h.fnr.. 70 .ta. A1t; siem-
tirst in yollrys ibrr IRA thon IT. Ell ;.t =,
wonderful rs1ndffv and afT:,nt q" rhn "". nnu ~
Inc crowned tic l,l, and s1ood ont dsrtlS Io1S
againe1 the sEy. fnt iiyhf..d and s,,.nnsaaa
over in fl ,me ., .mole Th.r,, n u. - 1,:t'
and 1:}th Nas,a1.h1, .f.s a,d ore.ha' ~ lstn
which / carnot rsncmh.r-a;d ae troaas a=nt II, ~
them. ~ '3~0'7 "4' W
There for half sn ,,orr tbar ba,a .ho
unyieldirg in purposr. Cxhanstjess n conr,G, ,4
TLere were oae,s n rhe 1;na ~, = u coutass-
ouailcd. Th,3r ,,s.,,,.rs, n,a ~ ~ ~" asfs
tyr1x in the f;,,hS ~. ~1s t "oulaso naui5
su,,1,fr, IA 80 ooa,a uS4t W laeae
-x,n uifhnnt +hot, Te.,. - oesel4alneo 90
thc hfii ana ,nto 1ho ,.s1 tau ~; - ~ 20 "a
fo tf1;n1 1Iaf sh.1r a,.,., Wy u1u ~. stop
,,one 1h,.r ..s.rc ttora ~ ~: "as nearly
shav won Tha ouStS ~ ~ M.o en1t nell aua
an,,.4 nsq tnrousu ue corn aqdtato the woods.
sere 1ett zrh, :, ntM IN & tem y; - I'suls brigade
dome Ttrre uaa M I,1.o a.aI'' Inas' eut IL Is
I'd. heroic f;rht,na N I III ,l;s 'dn.: aetst9sn.
Gen. Hartsnti ;s rtrt. e+,..-nI,< s az;
do not believe b. c.;nn:s ia 5,er.s ""aa t, 9us
II won. ''4' ''>-es'' wv oe''s~
The crisis os tba 4 ,,ht - 4h,,
rived. R;rI-etts1 1;-,.tn. 49, .uts Polas aaas af-
to advance and sxbans+a.d ~ euurA.onos .r
fallen b.cE' Pari t,f Weaesa,Se ~ sa.n.' ' naa
ordered in to thc;r r,.1;at IN, Tospa M3s
troops came back a1-a5n ana tha;r ~ snfu ~.
morfa1}r Tnnndaa ~ ~ ~. s1eu s=uesaI ~as
Tns fnn ov1ana.,1 - tno E1t nesertneless
To- I've hr,,E4n ~ ~ .useeu, aua 100 stsone
acvancc hnt ,o,,,d ,o7S ~, "o.u ns e99lo nol
dav INA .n+,. ~ u 49,. ne'u us stuunu. UJn?le'
~, hsd I;n,,'s u s;,4 suus ~ "ofk "a me risas,
Er,,a,r ~. a5 a si4,ueeu EGoel pastcsy that
t;;a;1,,.r ~ 49, n1I tF,"t;u 10 gAllius en-
:rh..,s. n.e suocss t1o2hcfs central line
,;11 -: VIZ =. "oods "a afon1 OF D3n3l=daY' :
- ~ "nicn me rebels held, but So long IL
Nv. snts Isnhttd that va; tlc5 did not car.
''f;.a tA. - IN MS ielt then a5ic:to take IRE
n.;..sSs ;is VIZ ~ Gus al!as lmprsgnable with two
rs.;;s;' a 80 u Mahen1id still fresh and ,nias
ro+{ rcs.+i ~ asa ~aEn ms center second time
vs1,co n.as an" aookct osterm'ned TO ad.
';,,sc,N Cuta - Tsle sent lo Csa *torl and
dr. s1,r fa..t.asa - siaasuelo nnsaaes-to nave
c.,,sus c,,,s ,orsa at once ne batteries In the
cn1icd ~ " nad aiua ~ Oh. t1s ~ao!e Hue was
ward 0D' 1uu @n' senc1al 11uaseu went Tor
~ INC Ils1t OF ina corn Held aud beyond Il
he1d / pors 4ns ~, " woocs Vace earned and firmly
ast.r,r;roS ~ ~ ~. hS} " s4e postlon. Ho,kei
ot h;a f;,.eh.st ~ 1871 .ahe H. ne roae ont IN front
-. t,.a, uts uoops Ga hail TO examine the
~ n,,I ,.o.t 9as.3, AZ Tue Top ne ulsm onut.
n.cnno,ss.-.,a| ~ "auo on 1o2t, completed bis
n,nsE.srr ~. . .cla,Eeo aeu fcmonnted- The
~ an,,t,s nIe ron Inc point OF woods WAS nll
IN ~ nI IT.. eA.1eln.lS hot AS ne put his foot
~ tnc 1t17up fresh To!ley OF rife bullets
oe - Nu,11'us oy. Inc tall so1dler:y f,urc 0!
tp toe ksneIai: the white horse which be rode,
tae cisEa!ea Place wherc he Was-all n ,de hlo
= Moss dangerously conspicuous mark. So
ne nag Eeen atl day, riding often without q
s'au o1hcer Or an orderly near hin1-all sent of
On urftnt du'y-yisio:e cryxhcro oo tna
a' a'.o. Ice fceel bullets had folio ~ed him Vi!