Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-09-27


efeadth ~ ffonf supporting kl5m WITH hesv
columns OF infaasry, snd sftacEng With eneYg
I the rebel bstseTies Immediately opposed 90 hin
Els movements Wss q success 80 tsT ss It wen
The batteries msintsiRing iheiT new ground, e.
ssnsi5ly affecting the ste.diuess Of the rebsl fsa
/ That being once accomplished, and 81 hszaz
I ot tie right beiDg sgsin forced back h.Ying
been dispellsd, the movement Of Burnside bs
came ~ ones tho turnin z, poiht Of success, sDt
the fate Of the day depended on aim
( How extraordinary the situstion Has may B,
J judged fron rlOmens's consideration Of shs
facts. Is is understood shat f0m the ousse
Burnsits's attack vas sTpsossd 70 Do decisive
! as i certainly must hsve bean if things Heli
veil as elssFhsTe. and II Ia succeeded il sstab-
lshing himself Oh De ShsrpsbUrg ros3 il the
re5sl rear
stll more unfortunate 10 lls results wac ihs
total failure Of thsss separate attacks on he
nEht and left 20 sGsisin, or in any manner CO.
opersts WITH each other Burnside hesisated for
hours IN front Of The bridge which sbould have
2een carried ct once by corp ds n,aia Mean
sme, Hooker had to be fighting for hours with
Farious ieTsuns, bTt hHsl success Simmer hsd
come up too late q join in ths decisive attack
which bis earlier arrival would probably hsve
conTetted into complete success and Franklin
reached the seems 0oIy when SuJausr Lad been
rePuised. Probably bsfore his arrival rs rebsis
lad transferred a considerable Bumssr Of trooDs
% theic right % meet the aEtesk Of Purusida,
TIE direction Of wL-ch was khsn suspected or d.
ye!oped
Attacking first With one regiment then with
tTo, end delaying both for artillery, Burusids
was not ever the bHdgs befors two O'clock
perhaps not dll shrea. rs advanced slowly NJ
the slopes in his 'front.' his batssri3s IN the rsar
covering 50 some sxtsng, the rnoysmsass Of tbs
iaianiIy. a desperate 6Rht wss going on in q
de7p rayins on ais right, the Febel batteries wsrs
n iull Plsy and sPParsntly very annoying and
destructive, While heavy columns Of rsbsI1 troops
were plainly visible advancing As il earslsss Of
eoncealment along tho road and over ihs hills "a
tae direction Of Burusides forces II Hss a.
tai5 point Of tins that Mcclellan sent him Tie
order shove given.
Burnside obeye5 it most CALAMITY. Getting
bis zoops vel in hand, and sending portion of
his artillery to the front, hs advanced than with
rapidl5y End the NEST determined vigor, straizds
up tho hil in front, OF top Of which the rsbsls
had msi7tained their nosi dangerous battery.
he moFemslt was in plsn view Of EcCiel-
lau's position, ard ss franklin, on the Other
side, Eeut his batteries into TIE fsEd about tks
same tine, ths cattle seemed 10 open IN al d.
rectious with greaser sclivisy than ever
The fght ia the rGyiBs vas q frl progress.
the batteries which PortsE supported Hsr5 fricg
with new visor, FEsnkin vas blazing away on
the Hill TOP, ridge aud woods along the Bhol5
hne was crested and v5ilsd Fiih VIII ss clouds Of
smoke.
There are two hills on the left Of shs read, the
iaTthest and lowest. Ths rsbsls hs7s batteries
on both Burnside is ordered to carry ths nsAr-
est TO bin, which is ths fsrthsss fron the road
Bis guns opening d-ss rom this new position ia
'front.', more entirely controlled aBd siIsBced the
eneny's sTEllsry The infsalry cEms on As onos,
moving rapidly ard steadily up long, d=.k lspes,
and broad, dark recessss being plainly visible
without gass e. they mOvs over ths green
hiIl side.
Ths next moment the -osd in wbich the rsbel
battery was planted vas csnopied with clouds
of dust swiftly descending into the 7allsy
Underneath Vas : tumuls Of wagons, gans
horses and men. dying a. speed down IL rcad
Blue flashes Of smoke burst now snd then
among then, horse or = man, q bali dozen
went down, endth5n the WhirlU iad swept on.
Tbs biI wss carried bus eouldis Be Lsld
The rebel columns before seen moving 10 the
left, increased their pace. The guns on the hiL
above, send an angry tenpesS Of sLe1 down
among Blnsidss guns and men. lie lad
formed his columns Apparently in the rear an
giles Of two fields bordering tbs road--high
ground about them evsrywhers except in fszr.
In anoshsr moment, a rebel battle Inc ap-
pears on tha brow Of lhs Tidgo above them,
moves swiftly dawn in the most perfect order
and though met By incessant discharges Of mus
ketry, Of which we plainly Sc the flashes, does
not f5o gun. White spaces show where men
are falling, but they close up instantly, and s.id
they advance. The bhgsdes IF Burnside ars ia
heavy column; hey viii net give way before
bBJ0Ees cnaIge ID line The rebels think .Rice
before they dash into these hostile masses.
There IS hslt, the rebeI left gives wsy ard
scaEtsrs over the hsid, th9 Te5f stand fEss and
hTe- More infantry comes up Burnside Is cut
numbered; h2Eked, compelled 70 yield tie hill
he took 80 brsvely. HA position is 10 longer
one Of attsck lie defends himself with Uhfsltsr-
ing frmnsss, bat b. sends 90 NcCl1llsn for help.
AcCiellan's glass for Toe last half hour has ss,-
dom been TUNED sway tIou the left
He goes elearly enough that Burnside Is
prssssi-nseds no messenger 20 tell him thss.
BIS iscs grows darker with snEioas thought
Looking down ints tho valley where 6iIssn
Thousand troops ars lying, he turns half quss-
tioning look on Fitz John Porter who stands By
his side RTsvely soauaing ths field. They aTs
Porter 3 lrooPs beleH, hrs Essa sad only imPa-
tient to share ia lhs hEht Bus Porter Slowly
shakes bis head and one MAJ bsEsvs that tbs
same thoughf Is passing through ths minds Of
beth generals "thsy are The only heroes Of ths
army; they cannot be spared.
MeClsllsn Fenounts his horse, aud with Por-
ter ard dozen cfTicsrs Of his staT ridss sEsy
to the left in Burnsldss dirsction. Sykes Dsets
thom on tho rosd-s good soldisT, whose opinion
Is worth taking. Tho three generals talk briel-
IL together. Is is easy 10 sec that tbs moment
has come when everything may tuTn on one
CTdeT givea or withheld Whsn The history oi she
battle is only 20 be written IN thoughts and par
poses and words Of the General
Burnsids's messenger ode 20. His message
is, Il want troops azd guns. II yoH DO rot
send them 7 csuuot hold NJ position for half an
hour EcClellan's only answer for the no
ment is e glsacs Rs tho Wesisra sky Then he
turns sud speaks very slowly "Tsu GeneTal
Burnside this is tbs battle Of the war. he must
hold his ground til dark a. aHy cost. l win
send him Killers battery. can 90 nothing
mere. / have 10 infsUtry" Then ss the mas
sengsr was riding away he called him back
bridge to the lsss msa always tbs bridge Fl
If the bridge IS lost, al is LOST"
The srtn Is already down; not half an hour
of daylight ls len Til Burnsi1ss message
came it had Eesmed plsin 70 every ore that the
battle could Be finished today None suspected
how nes- wss ths porl Of defeat, Of sudden s.
tack On exhausted forces, how vital 30 the safety
Of the army and the nation was those fifteen
thousand Nsitiag troops Of Fitz John Porter in
the hollow. Bat she Tsbsis halted insts9d 81
pushing 90, gfeu vindictivs cannonsding died 4
away ss the Hghs faded BsiOrs is was quits I
dark the battle was over. Only solitary gUn
of Burnside Numbered sgsiuss The ensmy, sad /
presently this also ceased sad tss Geld vas still 4
The peril eaRe very near, bni is has passed, /
and in spite of The peril ct tae eloss Of She day I
wss psrtly = success--n6t Vietory. bRt 50 al /
vantage had bean gainsd. Hooker, Sumner Esd 4
Franklin held al the groued they hss gained ard.
Burnside stiil held TIE brides aad his position
beyond Everything was syorsbls for 3 r.
nswsl o. ihs hEht in fhe morning.. IF the pIan I
Of TIE hsttls Is ssuHd, thsrs is every rsssou why
Mcclellan shocld win f. Hs may choose 90 1
postpone tbs battle 70 aWst bis rsinfofcsmsnts.
The rebel may choose 10 retire ehile It Is pos
sibls Estigue On both sides might delay the /