The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-10-03

cealed.. When Mcclellan arranged his
order of battle, it must have been upon in
formation, or have been left to his corps
and division commanders to discover for
themselves.
Up to 3.o'clock Burnside had made little
progress. His attack on the bridge had
been successful, but the delay had been so
great that to the observer it appeared as if
McClellan's plans must have been serious
ly disarranged. 1t is impossible not to
suppose that the attacks on right and left
We're meant in q measure to correspond.
for otherwise the enemy had only to repel
Hooker on the one hand, then transfer his
troops. and hurl them against Burnside.
Here was the difference between Smith
and Burnside. The former did his work
at once, and lost all his men at once-that
is, all whom he lost at all Burnside seems
to have attacked cautiously in order to
save his men and sending successfully
insufficient forces against position of
strength, distributed his loss over greater
period of time, but yet lost none the less in
the end.
Finally, at O'Clock, Mcclellan sent ST
multaneous orders to Burnside and Frank
lin to the former to advance and carry
the batteries in his front, at all hazards
and at any cost to the latter to carry
the woods next in front of him to the right,
which the rebels still held The order to
Franklin, however, was practically coun-
fernandez, in consequence of message
from Sumner, that if Franklin went on and
was repulsed, his own corps was not yet
sufficiently reorganized to be depended on
as areserye.
Franklin thereupon was directed to run
no risk of losing his present position, and
instead Of sending his infantry into the
woods, contented himself with advancing
his batteries over the breadth OF the fields
in front, supporting them with heavy col
umns OF infantry, and attacking with en-
ergy the rebel batteries opposed to him.
His movement was a success. so far as it
went. the batteries maintaining their new
ground. and sensbly affecting the steadi-
ness of the rebel fire. That being once
accomplished, and all hazard of the right
being again forced back having been dis
PEELED, the movement of Burnside became
at once the turning point of success, and
the fate of the day depended on him.
Burnside obeyed it most CALAMITY. Get
ting his troops well in hand, and sending
a portion OF his artillery to the front, he
advanced them with rapidity and the most
determined vigor, strait up the bill in front,
on top of which the rebels had maintained
their most dangerous battery. The move
ment was in plain view of McClellan's posi-
ton, and as Franklin, on the other side
sent his batteries into the field about the
same time, the battle seemed to open in
all directions with greater activity than
ever
The fight in the ravine was i'll full pro-
gress, the batteries which Porter supported
were firing with new vigor, Franklin was
blazing away on the right, and every hill
top. ridge and woods along the whole line
was crested and vailed with white clouds
of smoke. All day had been clear and
bright since the early cloudy morning, and
now this whole magnificent, unequalled
scene shone with the splendor of an after
noon September sun. -Four miles of bat
tie, its glory all visible, its horrors all vail
ed, the. fate of the Republic hanging on the
hour-could any one be insensible of its
grandeur.
There are two hills on the left of the
road. the furthest the lowest. The rebels
have batteries on both Burnside is Or
dered to carry the nearest to him, which
is the tUrthest from the road. His guns
opened first from this new position in front
soon entirely controlled and silenced the
enemy's artillery The infantry came on
at once, moving rapidly and steadily up
long dark lines, and broad, dark masses,
being plainly visible without glass as they
moved over the green hillside.
The next moment the road in which the
rebel battery was planted was canopied
with clouds of dust swiftly descending into
the valley. Underneath was tumult of
wagons, guns, horses, and men flying at
speed down the road Blue flashes OF
smoke burst now and then among them. a
horse or q man or a halfdozen went down,
and then the whirlWind swept on.
The hill was carried, but could it be
held? The rebel columns, before seen
moving to the left, increased their pace.
The guns on the hill above sent an angry
tempest of shell down among Burnside 5
guns and men. He had formed his col
unns apparently in the near angles of two
fields bordering the roal-high ground
about them everywhere except in the rear.
In another moment a rebel battle-line
appears on the brow OF the ridge above
them, moves swiftly down in the most per-
feet order, and though met by incessant
discharges OF musketry, Of which We plain
ly see the flashes, does not fire a gun.
White spaces show where men are falling,
but they close up instantly, and still the
line advances. The brigades of Burnside
are in heavy column; they will not give
way before bayonet charge in line. The
rebels think twice before they dash into
these hostile masses.
There is a hault, the rebel left gives way
and scatters over the field, the rest stand
fast and fire. More infantry comes up,
Burnside is outnumbered fanked, com
PEELED to yield the hill he took so brayely.
His position is no longer one of attack
he defends himself with unfaultering firm
ness, but he sends to. Mcclellan for help,
McClellan's glass for the last half hour has
seldom been turned away from the left.
He sees clearly enough that Burnside is
nraSSed-needS no MESSENGERS tO fell him