The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-10-03
THE GREAT BATTLE OF
SHARPSBURG.
Splendid Description of the
Engagement.
DENPEkATlON UF THE REBELS.
Heroic Determination of our Troops.
TERRIBLE FIGHTING OF HOOK.
ER,S BRIGADE.
DESPERATION OF THE REBELS.
Heroic Determination of our TrOOpS,
Correspondence of the n. Y. Tribune
BATTLE-FIELD OF SHARPsBURG,

-oo,ooO iiloH liao itSeu Slice uayllSnt, yet
| night closes on an uncertain field. 1t is
the greatest fight since WaterloO-all over
the field contested with an obstinacy even
to Waterloo. If not wholly victory to-
| night, believe it is the prelude to VIC
tory to morrow. But what can be fore
| told OF future of a fight in which from
| five in the morning till seven at night the
best troops of the continent have fought
without decisive result?
The battle began with the dawn. Morn
ing found both armies just as they had
slept, almost close enough to look into
each others eyes The left of Meade's re-
serves and the right of Ricketts, line be-
came engaged at nearly the same moment,
one with artillery, the other with infantry.
a battery was almost Immediately pushed
forward beyond the central woods, over
plowed field, near the top of the slope
where the corntield began. On this open
field, in the corn beyond, and in the woods
which stretched forward into the broad
fields, like prOmonotOry into the ocean,
were the hardest and deadliest struggles of
the day.
For half an hour after the battle had
grown to its full strength, the line of fire
fully up to their work. They saw their
general everywhere in front, never away
from the fire, and all the troops believed
IN their commander, and fought with a
will. Two-thirds of them were the same
men who under Mcdowell had broken at
Manassas.
The half hour passed, the rebels began
to give way little, only a little, but at
the first indication OF a receding fire, For
ward was the word, and Oh went the line
with a cheer and a rush. Back across the
cOrnfield, leaving dead and wounded be-
hind them, over the fence, and across the
road, and then back again into the dark
woods which closed around them went the
retreating rebels.
Meade and his Pennsylvanians followed
hard and fast-follOwed till they came
within easy range of the woods, among
which they saw their beaten enemy disap-
pearing-followed still, with another cheer,
and flung themselves against the cover.
But out OF those gloomy woods came
suddenly and heavily terrible volleys-yol-
leys which smOte, and bent and broke in
moment that eager front, and hurled them
swiftly back for half the distance they had
won. Not swiftly, nor in panic, any fur
Their. Closing up their shattered lines,
they came slowly away-a regiment where
a brigade had been, hardly brigade where
division had been, victorious. They had
met from the woods the first volleys Of
musketry from fresh troops-had met them
and returned them till their line had yield
ed and gone down before the weight Of
fire, and till their ammunition was ex-
hausted.
In ten minutes the fortune of the day
seemed to have changed. 1t was the reb-
els now who were advancing, pouring out
of the woods in endless lines, sweeping
through the corn-feld from which their
comrades had Just fled. Hooker sent in
his nearest brigade to meet them, but it
could not do the work. He called for an
other. There was nothing close enough,
unless he took it from his right His right
might be in danger if it was weakened,
but his center was already threatened with
humiliation. Not hesitating one moment,
he sent to Doubleday: ''Gve me your
best brigade instantly
The best brigade came down the hill to
the right of the run, went through the tim
Der in front through storm OF shot and
bursting shell and crushing limbs, over the
open field beyond, and straight into the
corn field, passing as they went the frag-
ments OF three brigades shattered by the
rebel fire, and streaming to the rear. They
passed by Hooker, whose eyes lighted as he
saw these veteran troops led by soldier
whom he knew he could trust 81 think
they will hold it, he said
Gen. Hartsuff took his troops very
on hat
| not hurriedly, up the hill from which the
corn field begins to descend. and formed
them on crest Not man who was not
| in full view; not one who bent before the
storm Firing at first in volleys, they fired
then at will with wonderful rapidity and
effect. The whole line crowned the hill
and stood out darkly against the sky, but
lighted and shrouded over in flame and
smoke. There were the 18th and 18th
Massachusetts and another regiment which
/ cannot remember-Old troops all of
them.
There for half an hour they held the
ridge, unyielding in purpose, exhaustless in
courage. There were gaps in the line, but
it nowhere qualed. Their general was
wounded badly early in the fight, but they
fought on. Their support did not come
they determined to win without them.
They began to go down the hill and into
the corn; they did not stop to think that
their ammunition was nearly gone. They
were there to win that field, and they won
it. The rebel line for the second time fled
through the corn and into the woods.
cannot tell how few of Hartsutf s brigade
were left when the work was done, but il
was done. There was no more gallant,
determined, heroic fighting in all this des-
perate day Gen. Hartsuff is very severely
wounded, but do not believe he counts
his success too dearly won.