Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-09-20
The GREAT BATTLE OE WEDNESDAY.
The Two Armies Engaged for Ii Hours.
Massachusetts Regiments in the
Heat of the Conflict.
KILLED AND WOUNDED OF THE
FIFTEENTH.

Wednesday evening, Sept. II, l862.-The
greatest battle OF the war was fought to-day,
lasting from daylight till dark and closing
without decisive result. The whole force 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 Il complete victory.
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
McClellan'S plan Of battle was briefly as
follows: Hooker was to cross the creek on the
right, Sumner, Franklin and Mansfield to co
operate with and sustain ms attack. In front
the batteries were to push forward with in
tantry supports, and an effort to be made to
carry the nights 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 re-
serve. The plan, if successful, must result
not merely in the defeat but the. destruction
or surrender Of the rebel army. The ground
is peculiar. The rebel line was formed on a
crescent-shaped ridge, which in front slopes
down into an undulating valley, irregularly
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 TANKS. An
tietam creek, a stream too deep to be forded,
except in Il very few places, sweeps by the
base of their position and protected it from
assault.
McClellan's forces were frst-formed in
front, and afterwards thrown to the right and
left. Hooker sustained, unaided, the attack
on the rebel left force nearly four hours.
Ricketts, also went forward through the woods
in his front, and Doubleday, with his guns,
held front against a heavy cannonade. Meade
advancing, finally met 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 at the same time hard pressed, and
became deserted. Mansfield, who had come
over the creek the night before, was ordered
into the woods to Ricketts, support, and
Hartsuffs brigade part of Doubledays COM
mand, was sent to sustain Meade. Mans
field took the greatest part of his troops to
Ricketts, help, but they were unable to eX-
tend their line, and in the effort to push for-
ward his men, Gen. Mansfield was MORALLY
wounded Gen. Hartsuff advanced to the re-
lief of Meade with the 18th and 18th Massa-
chusetts and another regiment. The Penn
sylvania troops were retiring in haste and con-
fusion. Hartsuff seized bridge in front of
the field, over which the rebels were pressing,
and held it in splendid style for more than
half an hour against greatly superior attack.
His men behaved most CALAMITY, standing on
this exposed ground, firing steadily, and new
er wavering once.
Gen. Hartsuff was very soon severely
,I,l ~,
and finally, by the precision and rapidity of
their fire, compelling the enemy to retreat in
stantly, advanced in pursuit, while they had
been engaged. Hooker ordered up Craw-
ford's and Gordon's brigades to their support.
Hartsuff retained the advance, and Crawford
and Gordon followed in support. \ rebel
battery on the right, which had been most an.
noying by an enfladng fire, was about the
same time silenced by DOubledays guns, and
Hooker ordered his whole line forward. The
rebels were driven through the corn field
again into the woods beyOnc where they could
not easily be dislodged without artillery. Gen
Hooker, who all the morning had kept him
self under fire and generally in the hottest of
it, road forward to examine the ground in front
in order to plant a battery. As he rode up the
hill he became conspicuous mark for the
rebel sharpshooters; their fire increased very
suddenly and Gen. Hooker was wounded in
the left foot, bullet passing entirely through
it. The wound was excessively severe und
painful, and he was compelled to leave the
field. Three men were shot down by his side
at the same moment he was wounded.
Up to this time the attack has been sue
cess. The hardest fought ground was in the
undisputed possession of Hooker's troops, and
his last order, as he was borne from the field,
was, that Crawford's and Gordon's brigades
should Immediately advance and carry the
woods to the right. The whole line had gone
forward with the widest cheering and every
thing looked like complete and speedy sue
cess. At this fortunate moment, Gen. Sum-
ner arrived on the field at the head of his vet
eran corps. Pursuing the forward movement
he led his men Immediately against the rebel
line and to the support of Crawford. Sedg-
wick's DIVISION the flower of the peninsula
army, advanced on the right, Richardson and
French at considerable interval of the left
The first volley from Sedgwick'S troops was
tremendous, butwaS answered by a heavier one
Crawford had found the rebels in great force
in the woods, and was already in need of as
sistance. SedgwickS flank also became en-
posed on the left in consequence of the dis
lance between him and. the other divisions.
The rebels perceived their advantages, and at
the same time pressing Crawford and attack
ing on Sedgwick's broke Crawford's line,
which fell back in confusion on Sedgwick.
The 34th New York on the left was forced to
give way at the same time, and the woods
were yielded to the enemy. Gen. Sedgwick
was severely wounded in the shoulder, leg
and wrist, but refused to leave the field till
his division retired. Gen. Howard then took
command, and ordered the division in the
rear. Major Sedgwick, aid of Gen. Sedgwick,
was shot through the body, but is not mortal
ly wounded. Many of the regiments suffered
most severely. The 10Th Massachusetts lost
nine out Of seventeen officers.
French and Richardson meantime held a
position well to the left and less in advance,
and kept it. Gen. Richardson, not long af-
ter, was severely wounded in the shoulder
while leading a boiling regiment. Gen Dana
of Sedgwick's division was wounded, but not
severely. Gen. Sumner found himself obliged
by this reverse to Withdraw his lines to their
first position, where he held them firmly. lie
had been exposed during all the action to the
hottest fire. Mcclellan, at four o'clock, sent
orders to Burnside to cross at once, at all
hazards, and capture or silence the battery
in 'front.' The bridge was captured in gal
liant style, but with the loss of Col. Kngsbury
and five hundred killed and wounded. Burn
side, when once across, advanced on the rebel
right along the Sharpsburg ROAD and up the
slopes of the hill. A position of great impor-
lance was carried at first by his impetuous at
tack, but was afterward abandoned, as the
rebels were able to bring ten heavy masses of
troops from the center and left against Burn
side. Our attack on the left having ceasedforthe
time, Sumner and Franklin were ordered by
Mcclellan to hold their own, and the advance
OF Burnside was relied on to decide the dav.