The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1862-10-21

/ All i quiet, save the scattering shoi.
u skHmiahcrs. Bot hark A fall
lsuad yolley. as Il u brigade aaosh.
ef. and aill aao,lef fings from lbe
wood. beyona We have ~ troop.
there. They are shooting among
themselves. Good good is the ex-
clamaiion oC Us AL.
Orr brigade look position on the
ShArpebuFg and Hageraown turnpike 9,
on ,he extreme right. Your sersan,
had the duty assigned him 10 throw
oai piekeis to our 'front.' which was
done 50 near the enemy's lines that
We could hear him talk, and actually
saw him with candle ai tic battery,
making ready f,r lioruing saiuir.
We al, save the yigilut picket, rest.
"a as oaly liYcI soldiers can, for the
night.
AT earliest dawn we bad two bat
ieries planted, ono covering the other
by a rise Of ground But before all
the pieces were fully IN position, the
enemy opened on US with shot aud
shell--thc first gun on me l7lh. We
were protected by a partial stone
wpll; behind which He laid one full
hour, while severe struggle was
carried on with parrot and llowetzer.
The enemy changed position--and
we were changed. The battle now be-
came general along the whole line
cannon ami fhusketfy Ginsost dezfc-
ming. About cight A. NJ, we were
ordered to advance and retake Il
piece Of ground--a 6ornheld, &C.,
which had once been taken and
yielded. We advanced and advanced
far beyond the ordered point driving
Texas troops before '-s, but were
scon ordered back to the proper line,
which we held, pouring flank fire
into masses Of the enemy that were
now engaging Scgwick on our right.
SO severe was that engagement that
scgwick was compelled to fall back,
thereby exposing our flank, when we
were ordered back this we per-
formed in such perfect order, as to
elicit the praise Of the general officers
on the spot.
General Gibson commanding the
brigade next on our left, who, by the
way, Is an artillerist OF the first Or
der, improved a golden opportunity at
this juncture.
lie located a battery in front Of
our new forming line, while the cnc-
my were advancing, aud when one Of
their brigades appeared in foil view,
he at the proper time "cut loose" with
triple shotted guns, which, like a
whirlwind sent colors and fragments
in the air. The rebels broke and ran
in confusion, while Gibbons sent them
his rapid compliments OF grape and
canister, which t1ld with powerful et-
feet in their ranks.
The Franklin division now coming
up fresh, had no great resistance in
regaining the yielded ground, and
driving the enemy from that portion
OF the field, nhiIe We retired TO the
rear 10 supply our ammunition, and re-
fresh the inner man-llaving eaten
nothing since noon the dry before.
The conflict seemed TO be severe
on the left. Burnside had hard
time. lie did not drive the enemy
as readily rs he was expected. The
plan was, no doubt, for him 10 press
forward and get possession Of the ford
at ShePardslown.
Night found our army quite cx-
hausied. All the forces had been
used, except Porter's | think. Our
artillery was considerably crippled
and in want Of ammunition. Morning
found all quiet. Caring for the
wounded and burying the dead
seemed TO be the order Of the day.
The enemy kept up his picket line.
Friday we formed lines for advance.
But ii was soon discovered that the |
onemy had "skedaddIed," leaving his
dead and wounded on the held--fof
miles 10 the rear, where odr artillery
had played sad havoc.
May il never be ny lot again 10
behold such scenes as that Friday
presented. Such, masses of dead
la one placs for cne hundred rods I
dead bodies lay ia reaching distance I
OF each other. On another spot in an
area of perhaps fifteen acres were I
200 dead rebels--and 50 or more OF
less scattering for miles.