The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1862-10-08
From the Richmond Dispatch.
The Battle of Sharpsburg.

CAMP NEAR -, Sept. 2l.-Hav
ing participated in the battle Of Sharps.
burg, in various positions, for nearly the
whole day, l have thought brief history
of the doings Of that day, which under
my observation, would be interesting to
your readers. I take pleasure in giving
them.
After the taking Of Harper's Ferry,
,Jackson's old division, to which our bat
terry is.attached, under Gen Starke's brig
ade, was ordered to march, and, after
marching from IL o'clock at night and
crossing the Potomac during the day, we
landed at the battle field just at dusk,
and as the Yankees were driving in our
pickets, and before we could get to our
position, a terrific fire of shell was opened
upon our brigade aud batteries, which
were then moving along slowly.
l will here premise and state that near
ly all speak Of the Yankee line of battle
.'as assuming the shape Of capital A, bu,
my own impression was, that it was more
lin the shape Of a -, and our division was
placed on the left, where the cross in the
letter touches the left, enabling the enemy
that evening to fire upon us from their
left wing but we held our position ths,
night; bue before it was ligh. on Wed
nesday morning they commenced furi
.ous attack upon us from their right, driv-
ing us from the woods, and killing our
brave General Starke, after he had first
charged bayonets, and driven them be
fore him; but their immense masses al
this. point commenced pouring in by leg
.ons, when two rifle guns, under Captain
Broken borough, Of RockbriGge, com.
'mander of the Baltimore artillery, and
two under Capt. Raine, Of Lynchburg,
commander Of the Lee battery, were or
dered to take position on an eminence
near the infantry, and as the Yankee
hosts we're driving our infantry three Of
these guns opened upon the advancing
Yankees with canister in rapid succession
moving them down, and broke their lines,
though they were then advancing in three
columns, about 800 yards distant. This
check enabled us to hold the position On
til reinforcements-consis Of McLaws's
and Walkers divisions-came up, when,
in turn, the Yankees gave way, never to
recover the ground during the day. This
was the place they massed their forces,
t(near the CENTRE, so as to cut US in twain
but were foiled. About this time the
largest number Of our forces ~ere e,gsg
ed, and believe, including Longstrsst's
corps on our right, that we had engaged
actively in the fight more than $4,000
men at one time. i have heard that only
Afew brigades fought at a ,ime, coming
up TO relieve each other, but being myself
near the centre, and looking around,
could see nearly the whole battle field,
which was probably five miles long, but
being IN the shape mentioned above was
easy to survey with the naked eye The
'cannonading was terrific and incessant,
and battery after battery would FIRE until
1T exhausted its ammunition, when Il
would retire for Others to take its place
The Yankees shell would burst ipcessant.
ly among our mec, but no step was taken
backwards.
The first gun was fred by any one tha,
morning were on the left, and from the
Lee battery, (howi,zers,) and the enemy
were driven back. They made second
charge, and we're gaIlantly repuIsed by