The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1862-10-08
be Stonewall brigade, under Col. Grigs.


We succeeded in driving .he enemy
rom his positions on our left but our
right did not succeed so well, and the
rival forces seemed to be waging about
an equal contest at that point, if ours
was not wavering. About this time, which
was between one and two o'clock, was
ordered, with several other batteries un.
der the charge Of Gen. J. E. b. Stewart,
on the extreme left, so as to drive the
Yankees from a position which our forces
had va1nly tried repeatedly to do several
times before. At this point we learned
large portion Of their reserved artillery,
of large caibre, were massed, and the
enemy having been driven from the
heights we were to occupy, they bad been
eneableG to ascertain the distance and to
get the range.
However. Gen. Stuart, soon ordered
the rifle pieces Of Capts Brockenborough, ,
Rane, Poague, and Turner, to take posi-
tlors, and soon we were laundering with
our eight pieces at the Yankee batteries
and forces, which were massed in large
numbers in rear Of their batteries. Pres.
emily they opened Ere, with how MANY
pieces it is impossible to say but almos,
every second bomb would burst over
our heads and among US, we found i,
difficult to get the men 10 work the guns
and had to take hold Of the trail and
so did every commissioned officer, as we
could not expect our men TO act their
part in such a slaughter house. unless we
first laid the example. We fired slowly.
but in short time the immense smoke
which eveloped the Yankee batteries and
the quantities Of dust kicked up arou nd
us by their bombs. and the smoke and
sulphur around, blinded use so tha we
found it useless to continue the contest,
and slowly retired with the loss of some
Of our best and bravest men for none
but a stout heart could stand under that
hre one minute. All in that eng gapement
say 1t was the hottest they have ever
been ln-some Of them have been in fif-
teen ditferen. engagements.
We wended our way back about s
O'Clock towards the right, and iound tha,
"A. +. Iill had reached US from Harper's
Ferry, and had pitched into the enemy's
left, and was driving them before him
until night set in and stopped the con,es,
Tor the day, thus ending one Of the great.
est and most sanguinaiv battles O. mod.
ern times, and l believe, decidedly in our
favor. We then held all the bst,,. field
except he centre, which was in the sam.
place it Was At the commencement, Meth.
er having any advantage there.
The next day. Thursday, everything
vas quiet, our forces too much exhausted
to renew the Contest, and the Yankees
afraid to do so. We rested all dsy. Du
ring the day Gen. Mcclellan sent in
flag Of truce and asked permission to bury
his dead, but Gen. Lee did no, grant it,
Tor The reason, 1suppose, that be was
liking 10 retreat back across the river n,
night, which we accomplished Nos, sue.
cessfuIIy during the whole of tha. night
and 9 o'clock in the morning.
We had scarcely got the last cannon
on the bill at Shepherdstown when the
Yankees. opened upon us from the opp .
site bank Of the. Potomac, bu. With no
effect, for all was now safe.
The Purcell Battery, o. Richmond.
Capt. Pegram. was on the right wing,
and actively engaged the enemy but
we could hear nothing Of their losses, ex
cept that Capt Pegram was slightly
wounded.
We do not believe that it was the de.
sire Of our Generals to have this battle
come off so soon. as our men were worn
down with fatigue in marching ; but we
were compelled to do SO TO save The for
ces in Maryland. The forces left, after
we took so many to surround Harper's
Ferry. were small, and Longs,rset's forces
could not have extricated themselves
without fighting this battle.
| believe | can safely say that this bat.
tie 10 it's magnitude far excels any vet
fought by our forces, aod is no, exceIled
by the battle Of Warterloo itself
From HARPER's FERRY.-Ths New
York Herald has the following: