The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-09-29
Rifhmon1 9ispatrb,
QUA ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
TIE RATTLE OF SHARPSBIfRG-
fETTER FROM H1NcHE.SI'ER

| VVst NsssWb VOsWt2Ss VsvOAUOAs
THE BAT7LE or i1RG-
kETTER FROM H1Nc cHESTEP
L. CAMP NEAR ----, Sept 81
Having participated Ia the battle of SharpsburR
In various positions, for nearly tho whole day,
have ,honeht brief history OF the doInks Of ths
day. which came under my obsers alton, would bs
Interesting to your rsAders I take pleasure IL
giving them. =.
Alter the taking Of Harpsr's Ferry, Jackson'i
old division. 10 which our battery IL attached nndsl
dsn sarkss brigade. was ordered to march. aud
after marching from II O'Clock at night and cross
log the Potomac during the day, we landed at the
battle n~ld just ~ dusk. and ss the Yankees were
driving in our picketz .ud before we could get to
our position, terrific IRE OF shs wss opened upsn
our brigade and batteries. which were then moving
along dowly. s.
viii here premise and tate that nearly all speak
of tue Yankee line Of battle e. assuming the shape
OF capital A, but MY own impression was tLst It
was moro In the shape Of -, and our division Was
placed On the lett, where the cross iu the letter
touches the left enabling the enemy that evening
to ire upon rs from thair left wing but We
held our position that night; but before light
on "Wednesday morning they commenced \ furious
the w0ods and killing our bi ave General, Stsrke,
after he had first charged bayone,s, and driven
them before him; but their Immense masses a, this
point commenced pouring In by iesions. when two
rife guns under Capt. scarborough, of Rock
bridge, commander OF the Baltimore artillery, and
two under Capt. Raine. Of Lyuchburg. commander
OF the Lee battery. were ordered 50 take position
ON an eminence near the infantry and ths Yam
kee hosts were driving infantry three OF these
guns opened upon the advancing Yankees with
canister in rapid succession, moving them down.
and broke their lines. though they were then nd
vancing in three columns about 800 yards distant.
This check enabled US to hold the position until re.
intoI toIcements-e0nsislingO OF MeLaws's and Walkers
divisions-came up when In turn. the Yankees
gave way. never to recover the ground during the
day. This was the place they massed their forces,
(near the centre,) 10 cut in twain but were
fo'led About this time the largest number OF cur
forces were engaged, and believe, including Long
streets corps on our right, that we had engaged
actively In the fight more than so 900 men At one
time have heard that only few brigsdes fought
at a time, coming up to relieve each other, but
being myself near the centre. and looking around,
could see nearly the whole battle field which was
probably five miles long, but being In the shape
toned above was easy TO survey with the naked
eye. The cannonading was terrific and incessant.
aud battery after battery would fire until it
hausted its ammunition, when it would retire for
Others to take Its place. The Yankees she'll would
burst incessantly among our msa, but no step was
taken backwards
Tho drsf guns fred by any one that morning
were on the left and from the Lee battery (hOw
itGersD sn / the enemy were driven back They
made second charge and were gallsntly repuls I'd
by the StOnewall brigade, under Col. Grigsby,
We succeeded IN driving the enemy from his po.
sltions on our left but our right did not succeed
well, and the rival forces seemed to be Waging
about equal contest at that point. IL ours was
not wavering. About this time, which was between
one aud two o'clock, WAS ordered, with severa.
other batteries under the charge OF Gen. J. T. b.
Stewart, the extreme left, 30 AZ to drive the
a which bA6
vainly tried repeatedly to do several times before.
AT this point we learned large portion Of their
reserved rtillery, of large calibre, were msssed.
and the enemy having been driven from the heights
we were to occupy, they had been enabled TO as.
certain the distance and to get the raLge.
However. Gen. Stuart, soon ordered the rifle
pieces OF Capts. Brockenborough, Raine, Poague,
and Turner, TO take positions, and coon we were
thurdsring with our eight pieces at the Yankee
bRti cries and forces, which were massed In large
numbers in Of their batteries. Presently they
op. uei trs, with how many pieces it ia impossible
to say; but almost every second q bomb would
burst over our heads and among U.s. and We found
it difficult TO get the men TO work the guns, and had
to take hold Of the trail and help. and did every
commissioned officer, AS We could not expect our
men to act their part In such slaughter house, un
less first laid the example We fred slowly,
but IN short time the immense smoke which en-
veioped the Yankee batteries and the quantities OF
dust kicked up around US by their bombs, Id the
smoke and sniphur around, blinded us 30 that We
found II useless 10 continue the contest, aud sloWl
retired with the ioss Of some Of orr best and bray
es men; for mona but stout hear. could stand IN
tier ast fre one minute. All in that engagement
ssy il as the hottest they have ever been i'll
s,iHe OF Them have been III fifteen different
eagsm6lts.
We wended our way back about S O'Clock to-
wards the right, and found thst A. p. Hill had
reached US from Hsrper's Ferry, and had pitched
into the enemy left, sud was driving them before
him until night set In aud stopped the contest for
the day thus ending one Of the greatest and most
sanguiuary battles Of modern times, and belief
decidedly Ia our favor. We then held all the bat
place II was at the commencement, neither having
any advantage there
The next day, Thursday, everything was quiet
our forces too mach exhausted 10 renew the
Test. and the YankeeG afraid to do We rested
all day During the day Gen. Mcclellan sent in 4
dead but Gen. Lee did not grant it, for the re aso
] suppose that he was fixing to retreat back across
the river at night. which We accomplished most
sue essfally during the whole OF that night and
o'clock in the morning.
We had scarcely got the last cannon on the h ai
Shep pherdstown hen the Yankees opened upon Us
from the opposite bank Of the Potomac but with
no effect for all was now safe.
The Purcell Battery, OF Richmond, Capt. Pegram
was ON the right wing, aud actively engaged the
enemy; but wo could hear nothing OF tLeir losses
except that Capt Pegrsm was slightly wounded.
We do not believe that 1t WAS the desire Of Oui
Generals to have this battle CONS OFF 30 soOn u.
our Inon were worn down with fatigue In marching
but We were compelled to do SO to save the forcel
ia Maryland. The forces lett, after We took "
many to surround Harpers Ferry, were small, ano
Longsreets forces could not have extricated ,hsm
selves without lighting this battle.
believe ! can safely say that this battle In III
magnitude far exces any yet fought by our forces
g.