Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1862-09-24

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the people to judge of occurring events
from the vague and indefinite, and gener-
ally conflicting, statements in the daily
newspapers. We have it is true, an occa-
sional telegraphic despatch announcing re-
suits, but leaving all else to conjecture.
The events succeeding the dispatches pub
lished in our last are summed up by the
correspondent of the New York Times
generally reliable-as follows:
Wednesday Evening, Sept IL, 1862
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 determination on
both sides. Neither can claim complete vic
tory, but Mcclellan has partially carried the
rebel position, holding most favorable ground
for renewing the attack, and holding all the
! ground which was gained at any time during
the fight.
All our own dead and wounded, and many
of the enemy's, are in our hands.
| On the left of the rebel position Hooker,
| Sumner and Franklin have crossed Autietam
| 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 occupy tonight a range of
hills considerably beyond those first taken
On the rebel right they have lost the bridge
over the creek, which was carried after a hard
| fight, and Burnside has crossed with all his
| forces.
The result of the days fight, therefore, is
that the rebels have everywhere lost ground,
their position is contracted, both ianks attack
| ed with success, and their rear and only lire
| Of retreat seriously threatened.
After the brilliant victory on Sunday at
| South Mountain, near Middletown, Mcclellan
pushed his army rapidly forward, sending
cavalry and artillery ont on the Hagerstown
road, Burnside through Fox Gap to the
Sharpsburg road, and the rest of his forces
| through BOonesbOrO to keedysvile, and
thence towards 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 Hagerstown, up from Harper's Ferry,
and part of the army held in Virginia as re
serve. 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
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rest on Monday.
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 uncer-
| tain whether they were retreatng or reinfor
| cling. About four o'clock in the afternoon of
| Tuesday Hooker was ordered to cross Ante
tam creek, at the upper ford on the right,
with his whole corps attack the enemy's left
and occupy position on their flank. lie
crossed without opposition, sent forward cav
airy skirmishers who were speedily driven
back, and then, advancing with his whole
force about six o'clock, took possession of
strong ground, close to the rebels left, and
Immediately became engaged with artil
lery and infantry. Darkness ended the fight
with slight loss on either side Hooker carry
ing and holding the woods from which the
enemy's first fire came.
There were constant alarms during the
night, the hostile picketS being close to each
other all along the line. Early in the even
ing the rebels took to lighting among them.
selves, and several heavy vo!leys were deiv-
cred before they discovered their mistake
At daybreak the light was renewed sudden
ly and vehemrntiy, both sides opening fire
together. The number and position of the
! rebel batteries the evening Lefnre had dis
| right, and word had been sent to McClel an
to advance Summers corps during the night.
1t did not arrive on the field till nine in the
morning.
McClellan's plan of battle was briefly as
follows: Hooker was to cross the creek on the
right, as before stated Sumner, Franklin,
and Mansfield to cooperate 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 heights on the
left. Burnside was to cross the creek by the
bridge, and attack the rebel right moving on
Sharpsburg also, which was in their rear,
and thus cut off their retreat. Porter and
Sykes were held in reserve. The plan, if
successful, would have resulted in the de-
struction of the rebel army. The ground is
peculiar. The rebel line was formed on
crescent shaped ridge, which in front slopes
broken by connecting ranges of hills. Be.
hind the crest the rebel forces lay in uneven
and strong positions, sheltered by ridges and
hills, and especially strong on the fanks.
Antietam creek, q stream too deep to ford
! except in very few places, sweeps by the base
of their position, and protected it from as
sault
McClellan's forces were first formed in
front, and aftsrward thrown to the right and
left. There is little or no ground on our side
equal in height to the rebel position
Hooker sustained, unaided, the attack on
the rebel left force nearly four hours. His
line had been formed the night before, and
fought to day in the same order. Ricketts,
Division was on the left.
Meade's Penna. Reserves in the centre,
Doubleday's Division on the right These
terms are, of course, to be understood as re
ferring to Hooker's line, not the whole field.
There was artillery at all points. Meade
gained ground in his first attack.
{ Ricketts, also went forward through the
woods in his front, and Doubleday with his