Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-10-01

General Daniel H. Hill, and the right wing was
General Longstreets. The battle begun the even
inc before was resumed by General jackson, on the
ieft wing at about three o'clock on Wednesday
morning and about six o'clock became general along
the entire line Our army formed the segment Of
. circle, and was pressed upon by force greauy
larger, supposed by those able to form correos
Judgment fully three to one.
At about ten o'clock General Jackson was rem
forced on the left wing by the fine troops o. 0ei,e
raj McLaws. At two o'clock the enemy was sH Sc,
verely whipped on that wing, and driven oacA luny
mile The fight at the centre was terrioiy severe
but the troops Of General D. H. Hill rssoiutey anu
to the end maintained their ground bot wss ~
the utmost moment to the enemy 70 turn Uul i'sMS
flank in order to cut off our communication with
the VIRGINIA shore by the ford near Shepherdstown
The pressure upon the gallant corps of Gen. Long
etroet as almost irresistible, and anxiety as to the
a.,,,t crou1 intense when General A. P. Hill brought
The reserve ND from Harpers Ferry to the relief OF
Gen Lonpstreet at about three o'clock, to reinsate
the doubtful fortune of the day. which, closing, left
our troops in possession OF all the ground they nelo
at the opening of the battle and 50 much OF the enc
my's as had been wrested from him by jackson and
McLaws
The battle continued uninterruptedly for thirteen
hours. Never have our troops, exhausted by past
labors as they were exhibited their courage and
endurance to snch advantage; never has the enemy
contested field so obstinatey. 1t is held by our
troops to be the battle Of the soar Our loss in kill
ed was not great though We are called upon to Ia
lnent the fall of several gallant and distinguished
officers General Starke, Of Jackson's Division,
commanding the splendid Louisiana Brigade, and
Gen. L. OBJ Branch, of North Carolina are num-
bered with the dead. Many officers and men are
wounded, not many very severely, however.
Our loss in killed, wounded and missing does not
exceed sig to eight thousand, and the enemys is
calculated to be five times as large!
The day succeeding the battle, our troops were
under arms awaiting 4 renewal of the engagement,
but the enemy found himself in no condition to try
it again. The dead were buried, the wounded re-
moved to Shepherdstown, and with night fall came
the general order under which the trains and troops
were sent across the river, by the next morning
dawn, without loss or casualty. The splendid sue
cess of this first peds possesio in Maryland reflects
the highest credit officers and soldiers engaged
but all award the highest need of respect and
sideration to our great Commander, General Lee,
who was preent through out these eventful days to
whose sagacity and profound military judgment all
all is due.
Our troops having crossed the river safely, the
enemy soon appeared upon the thither bank, to
commence heavy cannonading, which was answer.
ed by our batteries, already put in position by Gen.
eral Pendleton.
This artillery duel was continued throughout a
considerable part Of the day, but the enemy did lot
attempt to cross the river. On the next morning,
however, the advance of the enemy was heralded by
furious cannonading, and subsequently one or more
br,gades attempted to cross the river. part were
suffered to ascend the precipitous bank upon this
side, to receive a very warm reception from the
troops of jackson. taking them in flank. Their
column, thrown into the utmost confusion, attempt.
ed to re-cross the river, when the grape Of our
masked batteries told fearful tale Of death and
destruction among the affrighted herd. Our loss in
this repulsc Of the enemy small and that Of the
enemy very great The troops were the flower Of
Burnside's Division, and the ford Of the Potomac
fully three hundred yards wide was filled with them
to its entire capacity Few could have escaped, and
many dead Yankees have no doubt Aoated down the
river even to Washington. My next will afford you
fuller particulars of this little thanking operation Of
General Jackson. Our whole army is probably in
Maryland to night More anon. INDEX.