Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-09-17
THE BATTLE OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN
Particular Account of it.

BooNEsBoRo, Nd, Sept. 15.-The battle of
South Mountain was fought yesterday, result
ing in complete victory to the army of thePo-
tomac. The battle field was located in a gorge
ofthe mountain on the turnpike between Mid
dletown and Boonesboro. During the fore
noon the firing by artillery endeavored to as
certain the rebel strength and position
About twelve o'clock the corps under Gen.
Reno was ordered to ascend the mountain on
the left, and make an attack on the enemy's
flank At three o'clock Gen. Reno's troops
got into action. The rattle of musketry for
about half an hour was terrible, when the en-
envy gave way, leaving our men in possession
of that portion of the ridge.
The loss on both sides in this action was
considerable. We had not general or field
officer injured at this point excepting Major
General Reno who was killed, a mimic ball
passing through his body. Gen. Hooker,
commanding McDowelPs corps and the Penn
sylvania Reserves, assembled the mountain on
the right for the purpose OF making an attack
on the rebels left. He got his troops into
position and moved upon the enemy about
two hours before shutdown. Here, as in the
case on the other ridge of the mountain, onr
troops were successful, driving the enemy be-
fore them with great slaughter. The rebels
suffered mere ulOIO dl punt VI lhS
battle field. Gen. Hatch commanding a di-
vision under Gen. Hooker was wounded in
the leg.
Gen. Gibbons brigade, composed of the I'd,
Goth, and 7th Wisconsin, and 10Th Indiana
regiments, were ordered to move up the gorge
of the mountain. This brigade did not get
into action till after dark, which lasted till
nearly nine o'clock This brigade lost about
I2O killed and wounded. Among the dead is
Can't Cauldwell of the I'd Wisconsin. The
rebels were driven back for about mile,
when Gibbons brigade was relieved by por-
ton of General Summers corps, who held
the position during the night. The rebel
troops engaged were Generals Longstreets,
d. Ii. Hills and A. 2. Hills corps. Had our
troops two hours longer of daylight, the great
er portion of the rebel army would have
been taken prisoners as they were surrounded
on three sides, the only mode OF escape Delng
a narrow defile in the mountain when the
artillery would soon have made impossible
Among the rebel officers known to have been
killed were Gen. Garland OF LeesDurg, anu
Col. Strong of the 10Th Virginia. The latters
bodv was obtained to-day bya flag of truce.
At daylight this morning our worst fears
,vare realized The rebels, under cover OF
night. had left on their way to the Potomac.
T6ev went to this place, two miles from the
mountains. and there took the road towards
Sbarpsburg. They left all their dead on the
field, and those of their wounded not able to
walk, were found in the churches in Boones-
boro Gen. Mcclellan was on the field dur
ing the whole day and night, conducting all
movements in person. Between HOO and
1900 prisoners were taken during the day,
most of them by the troops under General
Hooker. $780,,
Yesterday Gen. Franklin's corps advanced
to mountain pass six imlles nearer harPer
Ferry. where he engaged the enemy, holding
that pass for about three hours, resulting In
complete rout of the enemy with heavy loss;
Our loss in this action was 25O killed and
wounded. The rebel loss during the day ana
night was fully $4,000 killed, wounded ana
missing. Gen. Lee acknowledged to the citi-
cons of Boonesboro that he had been defeated
with terrible loss. Our loss in killed and
will probably reach 5000. We lost but few
prisoners.