The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-09-27

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ethooting each other. hIt sisaF Fan Oaks ovS
assan."s So everybody Lay Down agsin, but q
tie night through there, were frequent alarms,
Mcclellan had been informed Of the night
work, and Of the certainties awaiting the dawn
| Sumner was ordered to move his corps at once
and was expected to - on The ground at day
light. From the extent of the Rebel lines de
veloped in the evening, it Was plain that the
had gathered their whole army behind ID
heights and we're waiting Cor theshock. ~. 40
r. The battle began with the dawn. NorninI
found both armies just ss they HAD slept, almos
Close enough TO look into each dothersp eyes.-
The left of 1eade's reseryss and thsl right 0
Ricketts line became engaged st nearly the Gam,
moment one with artillery, The other with IN
lfantry. A battery was almost immediately
pushed forward beyond Che central woods. love-
plowed field, near the top of the slope wher,
the corn-feld began. On this open field, in th,
corn beyond, andin the woods which stretched
forward into the broad aelds, like . promoDtor,
into the ocean, were The hardest and deadliss
struggles Of The day. a,gss,, a., v.,,s., .,or :,
For half An hour after t3e battle had grown
to its full strength, the line Of 6re swayed Meth
or way. Hocker's men were fully, up 70 thei
work. They sew their 0ensfall seyerywhers il
front. never away from the ofrs, and all tn
troops believed in their commander, and Tough
with will. Two.thirds Of them we're the sum,
men who under Mcdowell had broken ct Hanas-
eas. W
The half hour passed, Che Rsbels bsssn to CIV.
way little, only . little, but stahe first indica
ton OF aseceding FIRE, Forwards Was the word
and On went the line with . cheer and rusb.--
Back across the corn-feld, leaving dead ane
wounded behind them. over the fence, end across
the road, and then back again into the dsrl
woods which closed around them, went the re-
treating Rebels s a. saia@ at'b 7V e'aas'
+ Meade and his Pennsylvanians followed hare
and fast-followed till they came within easy
range of the woods, among which they saw theil
beaten enemy disappearing followed still will
another cheer, and fuug themselves against the
cover. 'V3 ~ef,2 'e&l 80" %
But out of these gloomy, woods came sudden
~ and heavily terrible volleys-volleys which
snote, and bent, and broke in q moment that
eager front, and hurled them swiftly back fol
half the distance they had, won. Not swiftly,
nor in panic, any further. Closing up their
shattered lines, they came slowly awsy-s regi-
ment whore brigade had been, hardly brig.
ade where Whole division bad been, victorious.
They had met from the woods the first volleys
of musketry from fresh troops-had met them
and returned them till their line had yielded and
gone down before the weight Of fire., and till
their ammunition was exhausted. . e4s .ioa.
In ten minutes the fortune Of the day seemed
to have changed-it was the Rebels now who
were advancing, pouring out of the woods in
endless lines, sweeping through the corn field
from which their comrades had just fed. Hook.
er sent in his nearest brigadeto meet them, but
it could not do the work. He called for anoth-
er. There was nothing close enough, unless be
took it from his right. His right might be in
danger lift was weakened, but bic centre was
already threatened with annihilatiop. Not hest
tatipg one moment, he sent to Doubleday:
''Give me your best brigade instantly" sEsEa
The best brigade came down the hill to the
right on the run, went through the timber in
front through . storm of shot and bursting shell
and crashing limbs, over the open field beyond,
and straight into the corn-feld, passing o. they
wen. the fragmsnts OF three brigades shattered
BY the Rebel FIRE, and streaming to the rear
They passed by Hooker, whose eyes lighted as
he cav these veteran troops led by soldier
VIM Win hold ID t. he ssid. ''' ''N 'n'nk 'ae'
Gen. HaItstuff took his troops very steadily,
but now that they were under FIRE, not hurried.
", up the bill from which the open corn field be-
gins to descend, and formed them on the crest
Not man who was not in full view-not one
who bent before the storm. Firing at first in
volleys they fred them at will With wonderful
rapidity and effect. The whole line crowned
the hili and stood out dsrkly against the sky.
but lighted and shrouded ever 10 fame and
smoke There were the 18th and 18th Massa-
chusetts and another regiment which I cannot
remember-old troops al of them. 1asss
There for half an hour they held the ridge;
unyielding in purpose, exhaustless in courage.
- tha lin hut nOWhoPo
ouailed. Their General was wounded badly
early in the 6ght, but they fought on. Their
supports did not come--they determined to win
without them. They began to 60 down the bill
and into the corn, they did not stop 10 think
| that their ammunition was nearly gone, they
we're there to win that field and they won it,
The Rebel line for the second time fed through
the corn and into the woods. cannot tell how
few of 9artsuff's brigade were left when the work
| was done, but il WAS done. There was NO more
gallant, determined, heroic fighting in oil thin
desperate day. l. Gen. Hartsuf 10 very severely
wounded, but do not believe he counts bic sue
| cess 70 dearly purchased eeEi - Is o. + B
The crisis Of the fight at this point had ar
rived; Rickett'e division, vainly endeayoring 4
advance, and exhausted BY the effort, had faller
back, Part Of Hans6elds corps was ordered IL
to their relief, but Nans6eld's troops came baci
again, and their General WAS MORALLY wounded
The left nevertheless was too extended to bt
turned, and too strong to be broken. Ricketts,
sent word he could not advance, but could hole
bis ground. Doubleday had kept bic guns o
work on the right, and had finally silencsd I
Rebel battery that for half an hour had pourei
ia CALLING enflsding fire along Hooker's cen
trail line.
There we're woods in front Of Doubledays bill
which the Rebels held, but 90 long A. those gum
pointed that way they did not care to attack :
With his left then able to take, care OF itself
with his right impregnable with two brigades o
Mansfield still fresh and coming rapidly up, an'
With bis center second time victorious, Gen
Hooker determined to advance. Orders wer
sent to Crawford and Gordon-the two MANSFIELD
brigades- move directly forward at once, th
batteries In the center were ordered on, th
whole line was called on. and the General him
self went forward. stf s8t 40 tsa- .fY a.
i To the right Of the corn field and beyond
was point Of woods Once carried and frml
held, Il vac the key Of che position. Hooke
determined - take il. He rode out in front {
his furthest troops on hill to examine th
ground Tor battery, At the top he dismoun
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