Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-09-26
OF HARPER'S FERRY
CONFIRMED.


enemy were re.crOssing the river and cOncen-
trating their forces near Sharpsburg, On d
ridge Of hills within three miles Of the main
body Of our army. Jackson had left lIrT-
er's Ferry in the morning and his troops be-
gan to arrive during the afternoon and it
became evident that Gen. Lee was disposed
to engage our forces.
Gen. Mcclellan sent for Fanklin's corps
and Couch division, which were about seven
miles distant on the other side Of Elk Ridse.
There was considerable artillery firing durin.
the day on both sides, resulting in our hav-
ing forty men killed and wounded
The disposition of the troops for the in
pending battle was as follows Gen. sum
ner's corps with Banks division occupied
the centre. Gen. HoOker's corps with the
Pennsylvania Reserves and Franklin : cjrIs
on the right, Generals Porter and Burnside
on the extreme left with view Of turnin.
the enemy's right flank Gen. Pieas1nt'n
supported the centre with twenty-five hur-
dred cavalry, and four batteries.
| Gen. Hooker in the afternoon crossed IN
tietam Creek and took position on the hill,
facing SharpsbuTgb, and three miles to tie
right of Burkitville. His troops got into
action about dusk tie battle lasted about
two hours, during which the enemy was
driven about half mile with considerable
loss. The Pennsylvania Reserves also were
in front, aud suffered much. The night was
occupied in getting the troops in their res
pective positions, while ammunition trains
and ambulances were forwarded to their rs
pective commands.
Wednesday, Sept. l.. was an eventiul day
in the history Of the Rebellion. y battle
was fought in which the army of the Potomac
was again victorious, and which exceeded iu
extent any battle heretofore fought on this
continent. A dispatch from the headquar-
ters Of the Army says
At the dawn OF day the battle was renew
cd on the centre and right by Hooker AMI
Sumner, who after a sharp contest OF two
hours, drove the enemy about one mile. The
rebels rallied shortly afterwards, and with
terrible loss, regained most OF the ground
lost. At this time the fearless and ind9mIt-
able Hooker received shot in the ankle.
and was carried fIom the field. The com.
mand Of his troops now devolved upon sum
ner.
Gen. Richardson, commanding 4 DIVISION,
was severely wounded at the same time
Gen. Sumner determined to retake the los,
ground, and ordered the troops to advance.
which they did with a will, driving the reh-
els before them with great slaughter They
not only retOOk the ground. but drove the
rebels fourth Of a mile beyond. In this ac-
tion Gen. Mansfield was shot through the
lungs and died soon aftr. During this time
the troops under Burnside and Porter had
not been idle. They drove the rebels from
the line Of Antictam Greek on the main road
70 Sharpsburg. and built bridge, the old
one having been destroyed, and occupied the
opposite side. The loss here was c0nsidera-
bic. Our troops now held both banks Of the
creek.
To get possession Of the ridge of h lis on
the right and LETT hand side of the road from
which the rebels were laundering away with
artillery. was a task net easily accomplished.
Sykes Brigade, with the aid Of Sumner.
crossed the ridge on the right-haud side after
considerable trouble and loss, the rebels run
ming in all directions. At ) O'Clock, all the
enemy's positions had been carried except
the one on the left-hand side Of the road To
do this duty, Burnside was assigned The
artillery opened and the infantry advanced.
The point was carried at q charge, but we
were forced 10 retire before a superior force.
Knowing that # they lost this ridge, a COM
plete rout of their army would be the result.
they fought with great desperation. Dark
Less row enveloIel the two armies, and
hostilities ceased as though BY mutual con-
sent. The battle lasted from in the morning
till ! at night. without moments cessation.
The conduct of all the troops without cx
ception was all that any general could wish.
Several regiments OF new troops who were in
action for the FIRST time, behaved admirably.
Hundreds of Marylanders were present 10
witness the battle which could be seen from
many Of the surrounding hills.
1t Is impossible at this time to form any
correct idea of our loss or that Of the enemy
1t is heavy on both sides. Ours will prOba-
bly, reach in killed and wounded 10000
That of the enemy will not exceed 1t. The
enerly's dead which nearly all fell into our
hands, were thickly strewn over the fields, in
many places lying in heaps. Our wounded
were Immediately carried from the field and
carefully attended to.
We took some 500 prisoners during the
day while the enemy obtained but few
Among the killed ard wounded are the fo.-
lowing officers
Gen Hartsuf, Duryea and Sedgwick,
wounded, Colonel ChIlds, OF Co1necticut,
wounded.
Private accounts from Washington state,
in view Of the fact that a portion Of tn 2 reb-
el troops are recrossing the Potomac from
MARYLAND, that Gen. Halleck has despatched
q large force from Washington up the PotO-
mac en- the Virginia side, to attack the dis
pirited and broken armies of the rebels.
Early on Wednesday night the rebels com
menced crossing Shepardstown bridge, and
two fords above and below it. During the
night Mcclellan advanced battery and
shelled them from the surrounding hills.
The dead and wounded found next morn
ing evidenced the ability of our several officers
in directing the FIRE Of guns.
On discovering the movement Of the enemy
early Thursday morning, Gen. PleasOn-
ton was dispatched in hot pursuit with two
batteries and two regiments Of infantry
through gap Of high hills, and he succeed
ed in cutting off large amount of their am
munition. supplies, &c, besides a small pOr-
tion Of Gen: Macy Gregg's South Carolina
Brigade. General Pleasanton shelled the en-
emy with effect as they passed through the
rayine. The last seen of the enemy they
were flying in the direction OF Winchester,
and it is supposed they would retreat preeIp-
itately " on to Richmond" Our entire
army had crossed the Antietam Creek Fri
day morning, and was massed between Antie-
tam Greek and the Potomac opposite Shep-
ardstown, and there was every evidence that
Mcclellan would cross the river.
The loss Of general and field officers in our
army is 50 large as 10 be UnaccOuntable.
Rebel deserters represent the loss of the en-
emy's officers equally severe.
II uas undarstood that Cen Rnrpsida tss
crossed into Virginia via Harper's Ferry. and
was moving on the enemy.
Deserters report that the recent mcyem mt
Of the rebels in escaping into Virginia, was
entirely conducted By Ssonewal jackson, the
other chief officers, Lee, Longstreet, &C., be-
ing either wounded or too much fatigued to