Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-09-18

front with its exciting voes of muskey all conspired to
based upon which cannot relate that was
the intention of Generals Lee or Longsreet 10 give the
enemy battle that day, but simply to make TENT a.
tack and while thus engaged allow General jackson to
slip out continue his onward movement on the lett ana
wards the rear of Federal column and thereby secure
nosion where say in tweutyfour hours the result OF
battle would have been the CAPTURE and demorazaton OF
were disappointed. After waiting until three o'clock P:
M the Enemy himself took tie initiative, and marched
boldly TO the attach aiming their blow the previous
dav at the line of Jackson happened to my
to be heights occupied by Lees battalion OF ar
ry and to witness the opening OF the pa ovsmen Of
the enemy to the e the low black immediately In
front of and the clouds of dust from
the rear indicating their purpose at glance During THIS
time our batteries pitching their shot aud she'll INTO
the Federal ranks and returning the tire OF Their arty
the brow of opposite hill. Sometimes it was herfe
but generally it was deliberate casual interchange Oh
warlike coueses each took pl'aaur in making the
other spasmodlcally uncomtortahle
Suddenly there beched forth from every brazan throat IN
battery voey that seemed TO shake tie very
For every thing swallowed up in the fiery
grey mantle of battle but the s9ortIng whrls OF smoke
dred away the of the tumut at once revealed
dense Of infantry several thousand strong winch
had been magsed behind and strip of woods had
moved out attack Jackson, whose were concealed
were discovered batteries opened with tremendous
power, bat the Federas moved boldly forward until they
fifteen minutes they remained desperately eaged with cur
infantry as the fight progressed second line emerged
and finally THU line marched out into the open field be-
low Hnd there halted hesitated and soon commenced
Jacksons infantry Taked these three columns terribly
Repeatedly did they reak and AMI "a ~ 2gal under
the energetic appeals OF th Officers for it was crack
corps The Federal army that of Generals Sykes ard
Morre but it not in humsn nature to stand uL1mc
ny before that hurricane OF fire. AS the fight progress Cd
Lee moved his batteries the left until reaching posi-
ton only hund ed yards distant from the enemy
lines, lie opened again The spectacle was NO" magnl
As shell after she burst in the watering ranks ana
round so+ plouBbed broad gaps among them, you could
distinctly through the riffs Of smoke the Federal sol
falling aud flying every side With the explosion
of every bomb, it seemed if dropped dead CT
wi:hed il agony upon the field. Some were crawling on
their hands knees piled toge her: aud
SONS were lying scattered every attitude lat
8glation
With the dispersion of the enemys rererve sEhole
broke and like flock of wild sheep. Jacksons
yelling like devils, charged upon the scattered
-crowd but you could notice that they themselves had
verely suffered aud wee cut handful compared with the
overwhelming forces OF the The flags of two
apart. the brilliant affair did occupy than half
Lour but in that brief three hundI ed aud fifty
Yankee souls had been launched and
that left aDg!ed upon the ground. 1t Ike the
rolling against sond rock and dashing back IL
for Longstreet To attack the exposed left flank of the
front Of him. and he accordingly ordered the al apce
OF Rood Division which moved oohquey to the right and
forward Of the position it had occupied Again was
beautiful sight to this long line Of veterans, preceded
by cloud Of skirmshers around whose heads played the
moving to engage the distant enemy Kemper next fol
lowed with the brigade of Gen. jenkins the right OF that
Pick +, and Jones division completed line OF bat
tie TIE brigade of EVANS acted support 10 Hood
Not inntea elapsed after the order TO attack be-
of long lines of musketry indicated that the battle in
full progr So The whole army was now in MOTION The
woods full OF ro3ps aud the order for the supports
forward quick step received with enthusiastic
cheers by the eIated The din almost deafening
the heavy notes of the artillery at first deliberate but
duay increasing in their rapdy mingled with the sharp
treble of She small arms an idea OF some da6oll-
Through The woods, gently rolling hills, and then
through open field travel towards the 'front.' From
elevation obtain view Of considerable portion OF
the field Hood and Kemper are now hard it, and
they press forward never yielding an inch, sometimes at
double quick, you hear those unmistakabe yes which
tell Southern charge Southern suddenly
stumble the first reminder of the opening skirmh.
the breast The Of the poor fellow already set in
deahit Is useless to waste sympathy there. YOa
of dead and wounded-a Confederaes, for the
fire OF the enemy's sharp shooters has been fatal.
Reaching the vicinity of the Chnn House. the
embraces the entire vista of batteat least that portion of
it which is going in front of Longsreet. of
meare the woods in the rear and some in the open
field which stretches its undulatng surface far to-
wards Bull Fun The old battle ground plainly discern
able less than miles distant and to the right and left
well front the country comparatively un9bsructed
heavy woods just before YOU only three or four hun
dred yards away the infantry of the enemy, and
rious points in the their and batteries Be-
the armies ground already covered with the
dead and wounded tor distance lenghwise OF nearly
mile.
Ouf OWE artillery are likewise upon commanding posi-
tins and you hear th3 heavy rush Of shot, the terrible
oGms INTO the ground aud the crash OF trees through
which they tear with resistless force every side
The Federals, according to their statements IN
der command of Gen. Mcdowell the le siege in the
centre, and kearney the right. Their troops the
best dScpined the Yankee little
most obstnae do they contest every inch ground
ELlch we advance. Nothing however, withstand the
imDeuosity of boys Every line of the enemy has been
broken and dispersed, hut rallies again upon ether
position behind. Hood has already advanced his division
and hampton Legion loading and firing they run yelling
a.! the while like madmen. They have captured or tive
the enemy before them Evans the ad of his Brigade
is following the right, their support and pouring in
his effective volles Jenkins has come on the right of
the Chinn House, and ike avalanche, sweeps down
the legons before him with resstlees force. Still furh
the right is Lotgsreets old brigade composed OF
Vitglnans-veerans OF every battle heda!l Of whom are
fighting like furies The First Virginia, which opened the
ball at Bull fun the 18th Of July, 1861 with six
hundred men, now reduced to ess than eighty members
winning laures; but out of the little handful, than
third have already bit tbs dust. Toombs and Anderson
with the Geol gans together with Kemper Jenkins
sweeping around on the right thanking the Federas, and
driving them towards their centre and Eschelman
with his OF the Washington Artillery; Major Gar
nett with mis- 4ttasn of Virginia batteries and others Of
big guns likewise working around upon the cue
my lett and pouring an enhladrg fire into both their IN
| fantry aud tllery.
Cur cavalry too, are rlaying conspicuous part in de-
ermnng the fortunes of the Near the Lewis house
which is nile right, of regiments
has charged two regiments CT the enemy but has been
charge repeated For the first time in the war the
KEGS stand, Cor rather to their credit, be it aid, the Mch
ganders and desperate band conflict and
continues for fifteen twenty minutes Our first open
upon the Federas with their carbines and then dash with
their sres cutting and sashing right and lett The Fed
erals tight well and return blow Tor blow Men are IN
horsed heads cracked and flesh cOven to the bone
the Confederaes 90 through with their novel
u1fipchrgy. Finally succeed in partially surrounding
the Yankee cavalry and thus gain substantial advantage,
before which the latter give way, leaving their dead and
wounded together with numbers of prisoners behind -
Scores side whom have badly mutiated,
of them minus ears, and fingers and with
more serious wounds upon their bedies but were
killed.
Meanwhile the grand chorus of battle laundering along
front as every atom of space had its particular echo
Jackson has closed in upon the enemy their right and
Longstree has similarly circumscrbed them their left
In other words they shaped lines with which
ced the engagement have opened athe angle while the
opposite ends OF the figure coming together Lee has
advanced his battalion of artillery from the CENTRE and
from hill top to bill top wherever he effect lodge