Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-10-02
Great Battle ON the Potomac.
Battle FIELD or SHARpsBURG, ,Mp..

Wednesday evening. Sept. II. 1862.
= The greatest battle of r, the war was
fought to-day. lasting from daylight till
dark. The whole forces Of Mcclellan and
Lee were engaged for fourteen hours Two
hundred thousand men have fought with
the utmost discrimination, on both sides.--
Neither can claim compile victory, but
Mcclellan has partially carried the rebel
position. holding most favorable ground
for renewing the attack and holding all
the ground which was gained at any time
during the fight. .sl s.af aI;s - 49,
All our own dead and wounded, and
many OF the enemy s, are in our hands. ,"'
On the left Of The rebel position, Hooker.
Sumner and Franklin have crossed Antie-
tam Creek, and have driven the enemy
from the ground they chose TO cover their
tanks in front of our batteries, and troops
have steadily advanced and occupy to-
night range Of hills considerably beyond
those first taken. ~ -iss.s asa'if. aela'o' oTi
On the rebel right. they have lost the
bridge over the creek, which was carried
after . hard fight, and Burnside has crossed
with all his forces.
The result Of the days fight, therefore.
that the rebels have everywhere, lost
ground, their position is contracted, both
tanks attacked with success. and their rear
and only line of retreat seriously threaten
ed. -, t...sI- ...l -
After the brilliant victory on Sunday at
South Mountain. near Middleton. McClel-
Ian pushed his army rapidly forward, send
ing cavalry and artillery ont on the Hag-
erstown road. Burnside through Fox Gap
to the Sharps burg road. and the rest of his
forces through Boonsboro to Keedysyille,
and thence toward Sharpsburg. s. aa
On the crest Of the hill this side of
Sharpsburg the enemy were discovered in
great force. Their troops had been bro't
down from Bagefstown, up from Harper's
Ferry. and part of the army held in Vir-
ginia as reserve. Lee, Longstreet. Hill,
and ell the best generals left with them
were there, and with all Of their best
troops. osa' 'a' uss
Except occasional artillery contests. the
armies faced each other in quiet during the
rest on Monday.
On Tuesday there was no movement on
our side till towards night. The rebels had
kept batteries In position, but their infsn-
try was Withdrawn from view. and it was
still uncertain whether they were retreating
or reinforcing. About in the afternoon
of Tuesday Hooker was ordered to cross
Antietam Greek. at the upper ford on the
right, with his whole corps, attack the
enemy's left and occupy a position on
their flank. He crossed without opposi-
tion, sert forward cavalry skirmishers who
were speedily driven back, and then ad-
vancing with his whole force about 6. took
possession of strong ground, close TO the
rebels left. and became engaged with ar
tillery and infantry. Darkness ended the
fight with slight loss on either side,
Hooker carrying and holding the woods
from which the enemy's fire first came.
There were constant alarms during the
night. the hostile pickets being close to
each other all along the line., Early in
the evening the rebels took to fighting a
mong themselves and several heavy volleys
were delivered there before they discovered
their mistake. f7osi aeaal ,eHaloo
At dsybreak the fight was renewed sud-
denly and vehemently. both sides opening
FIRE together. The number and position OF
the rebel batteries the evening before had
disclosed that they were in great force on
the right, and the word had been sent TO
Mcclellan to advance Summers corps du-
ring the night. 1t did not arrive on the
aeld till 9 in the morning. lss
McClellan's plan of battle was briefly as
follows: Hooker was to cross the creek on
the right. as before stated; Sumner, Frank
lin and Mansfield to cooperate with and
sustain his attack. In front the batteries
were to push forward With infantry sup
ports, and an effort be made to carry the
nights on the left. Burnside was to cross
the creek by the bridge, and attack the reb-
el right. moving on Sharpsburg also,
which was in their rear. and thus cut off
their retreat. Porter and Sykes were held
in reserve. The plan. if successful must
result not merely in the defeat but the de-
struction or surrender of the rebel army.
The ground is peculiar. ""A'-
The rebel line was formed on crescent
shaped ridge, which in front slopes down
into an undulatiug valley irregularly brok-
ed by connecting ranges of hills. Behind
the crest the rebel forces lay In uneven and
strong positions. sheltered by ridges and
bills. and especially strong on the fanks.
Antietam Greek, stream too deep to be
forded, except in very few places. sweeps
by the base Of their position and protected
/" rom assault 40 wos q cd g.fso ~.
| McClellan's forces were first formed in
front. Afterwards thrown to the right and
left. There is little or no ground on our
side equal in height to the rebel position.
| Hooker sustained, unaided. the attack
on the rebel force nearly four hours. His
line had been formed the night before and
fought to-day in the same order. Rick
ett's division was on the left. Meade's
Pennsylvania reserves IN the center. Doub-
ledsy's division on. the right. These
terms are. of course. to be understood as
referring only to Hooker's line, not to- the
whole field. There was artillery at all
points. Meade gained ground in his first
attack. zsei hiaa = 4 .o1s5iii 81 20" I
Ricketts, also went forward through che
woods in his front. and Doubleday with
bis guns, held, front against D heavy cam
nonade.. Meade advancing, finally met .
heavy body Of fresh troops thrown Sudden
ly and vigorously against him end was
driven back over part OF the ground be had