The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-09-27

l.
a short distance south OF that pIace, and
pushing towards Sharpsburg, from which
the enemy We're driven Just at sundown
d h.as sTh 'FRAEKLIS's MovEaENrs5 sa
40 After Franklin had driven the enemy
from sBurkittsrille Gap, he, too occupied
some time in picking up killed and wound
! ed, and sending both them and prisoners
4 to the rear But he promptly struck OIL
! tiowno;nto the valley, between, iSeuti,
i Mountain and Fix, Mountains, called by
| the people Pheasant Valley" Down
this valley some fifteen to twenty thousand
! of the rebel troops had fed during the
/ night and morning, and had Harper 5
/ Ferry held out until Monday at sundOwn
Franklin would Eot only have made Il
magnificent haul Of the enemy, but could
I have retaken Maryland Heights and thus
have saved the Ferry, 1t was Franklin S
| desire to reach that place as speedily as
/ possible, but ia order to do 1T he must
drive the enemy before him-which he
did, though not rapidly enough to rende.
/ timely assistance. As will be subsequent
| Iy seen, it was this force which escaped
across the Potomac on Monday night by
, using our pontoon bridge
POSITION MONDAY NIGHT.
Having lnIS NGtdl!cI our movements up
! to Mon day night, the reader, by referring .
(. to the map, will readily see the position OF
; the two armies at that time. The main
body Of McCiellaus forces were massed in
! the vicinity Of Shdrpsburg and Keedys-
! Vile, with the Potomac on their right, the
! Elk Mountain on their left, and the enc
, my IN front, crossing the river at Shep-
pardstown fords as rapidly az possible
f. Franklin really had our extreme left, and
was in the rear OF the enemy, between the
t=South and Elk Mountains. At sundoy n
our artillery was shell!ug the enemy :
I rear with disastrous etfecI, striking panic
I among them and confusing and denlora
lizins them rapidly Thus things closed
. last night. -
/ Pr: soXEEs TAKgN
I During Monday nearly every division
, Of the army Captured more OF less pl!sOn-
! ers, and proba bly, not less than three
! thousand were taken during the day
! These, with thos,, previously taken, VIII
! foot up nearly q Uov. a THras
! THE GREAT BATTLE OF WEDNESDAY
| On Tuesday there was no movement on
I our side till toward night The rebel:
had kept batterie, in position, but their
. iptautry was withdraw from view, and ii
was sti!l uncertain whether they were re
; treating or reinforcing.
/ About four in The afternoon of Tuesday
! Hooker was ordered TO cross AutIetan
Creek, al The upper ford on the right, with
his whole corps, attack the enemy lett
and occupy position on their Hank. Tie
crossed without opposition, sent iorwarL
cavalry skirMi,bers Who ~ere speedily
driven back, and then, advancing with i !!
e..
strong ground, close 10 the rebels loft
and Immediately became engaged with
artillery and infantry. Darkness ended
the hght with slight los on ..ther eide,
Hooker carving aai holding the woods
from which the euemgs first came
g. There wer1 constant alarms during the
night, the hostile p.oke,s be.Tg c.Ose to
each other al along the line. Early IA
the evening the rebels took to ii.lI tin :
among thtaIs,lves. aud several iIestvv vol
leys we're delivered there oetore tiey dIs
covered their mistake.
j.. At day ybreak tue fight w..s renewed sud
denly and yeGelaeutiy. both sides opening
fire together The number and position
Of the retel batteries the evening before
mad disclosed that they wee IA great
force on. the right, and word had been
sent to Mcclellan - advance sumner
. ~
hon the telA I'LL . in.the morning
81 Mcclellan plan OF battle was briefly Il.
ioll0ws: HGoker was to cross the creel, O.
the right, - before stated Sumner Frank
Tn. and Mansfield to co operate with and
s,,> tain his attack Ia front the tatterit.
were TO push forward with infantry sup
pog;s, and an effort to be made 10 carry
7 the heights on the left Burnside was to
cross the creek 5y the bridge, and attack
the rebel right, moving on Sharpsburg
also. which was IL their rear, aLa thus Gu
oil their retreat. Porter and Sykes We're
held III reserve.
The rebel line was formed on 4 crescent
shaped ridge, which in front slopes down
into au un,iulating valley irregulariy bro
ken by connecting ranges Of hills. BeLlnd
| the crest the rebel forces lay in uneven
/ and strong positions, sheltered by ridges
and hills, and espeeiaily strong on the
tanks Antietam Greek, a stream too
/ deep TO be torded except IN very lew places,
/ sweeps by the base OF their position and
/ protected it from assault.
McCiellan's forces were first formed in
front atterward thrown 10 the right and
lett There Is little or DO ground on our
side equal in hight TO the rebel position,
Hooker sustained unated the attack
T
His line had been formed the nig al before
and fought to day IN the same order =
Rickett,s division was on the. left; Meade's
PENNSYLVANIA reserves in the centre, and
Doubledav's division the right. There was
artillery ,st all points. Meade gained
ground in his first attack. -,-s--
Ricketts, also went forward through the
woods in front, and Doubleday, with his
o,,ns held front against heavy cannonade.
Meade advancing. finally met IA heavy
body OF fresh troops thrown suddenly and
vigorously against him, and was driven
back over part Of the ground he had Just
won. Ricketts, line was Mt the same time
hard pressed, and became deseIted.-
Mansfield, who had come oyer the greek
the night before, was ordered into the
woods to Ricketts, support, and Hartsutf :
Brigade, part Of Doubledays command,
was sent to sustain Meade, Mansfield
took the greatest part OF his troops 70
Ricketts, help, but they were unable to
extend their line, and in the effort to push
forward his men, Gen. Mansfield was NOR
tally wounded Gen. Hartsuf advanced
to the relief of Meade with the. 18th and
18th Massachusetts, and another regiment.
The Pennsylvania troops were retiring IN
haste and some confusion sHartsutf seiZ-
ed q bridge in front OF the iield over which
the rebels were pressing, and held 1t IN
splendid style for more than half an hour,
against greatly superior attack. His
men behaved most agaiiautly, standing on
this exposed ground, firing steadily, and
never wayerlng once. ,ra..rs g,i.-s ,--,
Gen Harstutf was very soon severely
wounded. His troops retained their posi-
ton, and finally, by the rapidity and pre-
lcision of their fire, compelling the enemy
to retreat Instantly, advanced in pursuit,
while they had been engaged, Hooker
ordered up Crawford S and Gqrdons bri-
gaaes to their support Hartsutf retained
the advance, and Craw lord and Gordon
followed IN sppp9,rt7 Q \ rebel battery on