Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-09-24

10 our advance. serve d for shelter at every few
s.ePs, ana whilst inc shot and shell from our
oattcries, as they gained the crest OF the hill,
tore lhe trees 20 fragments over their heads, n
was very hard 10 disiodge them except by an
ac,nal chasg &c through, which ended in strsw-
q brick sebool-hoUse, on a slight knoll IN front
Of the WOODS, was riddlcd with shot and she'll
To the rear Of this piece of woods, q splendid
steel gun was left by. the Rebels, a shot ha wing
slightly injured one of the axle..
Passing back again through the woods two
rebel colonies and one trigadier Were found on
the ground, and intsrspersed with the multi
tudes Of their fallen, Were so many OF these IN
the national uniform that at glance onemiSht
see how fearful was the cost Of the victory.
Upon one dead body was found q large black
dog, dead also from some chance shot, which
mad struck him whilst stretched upon his mas
ters corpse caressingly, his fore paws across
he mans breast. Ride where one might for a
space OF n milo and q half in width, in places,
and four or five miles in length, the dead were
on every SIDE Interpreted with the arms that
had S fallen from their hands. Shattered cannon
OF round shot and conical shell gave more
evidence Of the deadly storm thar had come
with destru ction In it's track. .sfr-a ,.g~r,-i Z
-Sharpsburg, a little village through which
runs the turnpike from Boonsbors' 10 the river,
was sadly cut up, almost every house in il givs
mig proof OF the terrible force Of thexmisefle-
which were raiAed upon II soahundantly. Dead
horses, too. Were scattered around, 70 make the
scene more revolving, il possible; whilst the ex-
citement Of the occasion was painfully appa-
rent IN the faces of its inhabitants such OF them
as bad yentured 10 stay. v.r s.F
Following the retreat OF the Rebels towards
the Shepardstown Ferry, a large amount of
abandoned baggage within sight Of il told OF
their haste 10 get of from the soil Of Maryland,
as well as of their own squalor and poverty
dirty blankets and coyerlets, ragged knapsacks
harersacks and trunks, which our men Were
kicking about, almost afraid TO touch, forming
the staple Of the squalid heaps. Some few books
and vast quantity Of badly gotten up letters
from kinfolks in Florida, South Carolina, and
other Rebel States. were left 10 the curious in
snch matters-our troops amusing themselves
in scanning them. With q glass the rear of the
Rebel forces was discernible on the other side
although not in large masses; and the reports of
cannon close by, and the sight and noise of
bursting she'll on the other side. told how mar
row was the escape the Rebels had made from
our forces in pursuit. s.f. DIS.
Returning 10 the field again and looking into
The houses and barns of the ighborhood, sights
were seen calculated 20 harrow the hearts Of
the most hardened i'm such scenes. We came to
thegreat barn and stack Of wheat straw of the
Rulette farm, and her might have been seen
lying in the straw a large number of wounded
rebels hardly yet assured of the kindness of
their caprors, although their wounds had been
dressed, and all had been done for them which
the circumstances OF the case permitted. The
great cry was tor water, and il was q sad re-
Election as one filled their canteens and put them
TO white fererish lips that another day would
place them beyond the want of il. Returning
10 the unfortunate group the next morning we
found thai several OF them Were dead, those ca
pablo OF being moved having been taken 10 more
comfortable quarters Go where one might in
every place that afforded the slightest chance
of shelter, the wounded of the battlefield were
found. Every farm house became = hospital,
whilst whole regiments We're detailed to bury
the dead.
The yictory-for it was yictory-has been
dearly purchased; but Maryland is saved, and,
along with IL, the Repnblc. Even with all the
terrible sights and sounds which make even
victory sad. enc could but eXult that the brave
army and their accomplished General We're
equal TO the fearful task imposed upon them.
And when one sees even the ewes Of men
sparkle, who are wounded unto DEATH ar the
mention OF the name of the chief who led them;
when one hears the soul-stiring cheers OF the
undaunted thousands rs they greet his pres
ence. The assurances come ane w that the cause
of the Republic is onward, and that there are
those sIill IN the Land imbued with the spirit Of
the revolutionary heroes, men who win save
the country.
And lf ever there could be IN any ones exist
ence a day longer 10 be remembered than any
other. let that day be for rs that one, when we
stood on the Maryland shore and saw the rebel
host climbing the opposite one i'm their retreat.
Discounted and driven ont, they have retired
with the anathemas. of loyal men ringing in
accord with the music of the national artillery
which heralded and accompanied their de-
parture. The very shell seemed to scream the
requiem of their departed hopes, the cannon 10
thunder their condemnation. Maryland, from
the beginning has been the rock on which the
hopes Of guilty ambition were to be wrecked
let us rejoice at the honor vouchsafed us, despite
our losses and our griefs.