The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-09-26

were fully up to their work. They saw
their General everywhere in front, never
away from the fire, and all the troops be-
heved in their commander and fought
with will. Two-thirds of them were
the same men who under Mcdowell had
broken at Manassas. rrer rsE d
The half hour passed, the rebels began
to give way little, only little, but al
the first indication of receding fire,
forward was the word, and on went the
line with cheer and rush. Back
across the corn-feld, leaving dead and
wounded behind them over the fence And
across the road, and then back again into
the dark woods which closed around
them, went the retreating rebels.
Meade and his Pennsylvanians fol-
lowed hard and fast-followed till they
came within easy range of the woods,
among which they saw their beaten enc
my ydisappearing-followed stu, with an
other cheer, and flung themselves against
the cover.
But out of those gloomy woods came
suddenly and heavily terrible volleys-
volleys which smote, and bent, and broke
in a moment that eager front, and hurled
them swiftly back for half the distance
they had won. Not swiftly, nor in panic
any further. Closing up their shattered
lines, they came slowly away-a regi
ment where brigade had been, hardly a
brigade where a whole division had been
victorious. They had met from the
woods the first volleys of musketry from
fresh troops-had met them and returned
them till their line had yielded and gone
down before the weight of fire, and till
their ammunition was exhausted.
In ten minutes the fortunes of the day
seemed to have changed-It was the reb
els now who were advancing, pouring out
Of the woods in endless lines, sweeping
through the corn6eld from which theil
comrades had just fed. Hooker sent il
his nearest brigade to meet them, but i
could not do the work. He called fol
another. There was nothing close
enough, unless he took it from his right
His right might be in danger if it was
weakened, but his centre was alread,
threatened with annihilation. Not hesi
tating one moment, he sent to Double
day: " Give me your best brigade instant
ly.h
The, best brigade cssme down the hill
to the right on the run, went through tht
timber in front through storm of sho
and bursting shell and crashing limbs
over the open field beyond, and straigh
into the corn field, passing as they wen
the fragment of three brigades shattered
by the rebel fire, aDd streaming to tn,
rear. They passed by Hooker, who's,
eyes lighted as he saw these veteran
troops led by a soldier whom he knew
he could trust think they will holt
it, he said.
Gen Hartsuff took his troops yer,
steadily, but now that they were unde
fire, not hurriedly, up the hill from whiel
the corn-feld begins to descend, an,
formed them on the crest. Not mai
who was not in full view-not one VIII,
bent before the storm. Firing at frs
in volleys, they fired them at will wit
wonderful rapidity and effect The who'll
line crowned the hill and stood ou
darkly against the sky, but lighted an,
shrouded ever in fame and smoke
There were the 18th and 18th Massa
chusetts and another regiment which
cannot remember-old troops all Q
them.
There for half an hour they held tn
ridge unyielding in purpose, exhaustles
in courage. There were gaps in the line
but it nowhere quailed. Their Genera
was wounded badly early in the fght
but they fought on. Their supports di
not come-they determined to win with
out them. They began to go down tn
hill and into the corn, they did not sto
to think that their ammunition was near
ly gone, they were there to win that field
and they won it The rebel line for tn
second time fed through the corn an
into the woods. | cannot tell how few c
Hartsuffs brigade were left when tn
work was done, but it was done. Their
was no more gallant, determined, heroi
fighting in all this desperate day. Ger
Hartsuif is very severely wounded, bu
/ do not believe he counts his success
too dearly purchased.
The crisis of the fight at this point ha
arrived; Ricketts, division, vainly Ell
deavoring to advance, and exhausted
the effort, had fallen back. Part
Mans6eld's S corps was ordered in to the
relief, but Mansfeld's troops came bac
again, and their General was MORTAL
wounded The left nevertheless was to
extended to be turned, and too strong {
be broken. Rickett sent word he coul
not advance, but could hold his groun,
Doubleday had kept his guns at work @
the right, and had finally silenced rebI
battery that for half an hour had poure
in a CALLING enflading fire along Hoo
er's central line.
There were woods in front of Doubl
days bill which the rebels held, but
long as those guns pointed that way the
did not care to attack With his le
then able to take care of itself, with h
right impregnable with two brigades
Mansfield still fresh and coming rapid
up, and with his center a second tin
victorious, General Hooker determine
to advance Orders were sent to Cra'
ford and Gordon-the two Mansfe
brigades, to move directly forward
once, the batteries in the center wei
ordered on, the whole line was called o
and the General himself went forwar
| To the right of the corn-feld and
yoHd it was point of woods. Once ca
ried and firmly held, it was the key
the position. Hooker determined
take it, He rode out in front of his fl
thest troops on hill to examine L
ground for battery. At the top he d
mounted and went forward on foot. CO,