The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-11-15
MCCLELLAN at LntIetam.

done, he halted his army In front of
Sharpsburg, and occupied line of con-
Meeting hills, rayines, and woods From
that position there were two lines of re-
treat-the road to Williamsport and the
load to Shepardstown, both leading to
fords across the Potomac.
Mcclellan, finding his enemy strongly
posted in front of him, formed his plan
Of battle on his usual theory, endeavor-
ing to provide beforehand for the capture
as well as the defeat of the rebel army.
This plan contemplated.
l. That Hooker should cross Ante
tam Greek on the right, turn the enemys
left, and, supported by Sumner, carry
the Wiliamsport road
2. An artillery demonstration on the
center, supported by Porter's corps, act
ing also as reserves.
g. That Burnside should carry the
Antietam bridge on the left, and subse-
quently the Shepherdstown road
With both the Williamsport and Shep-
herdstown roads in his possession, Nc
Clellan might confidently count on the
annthilation or surrender of the rebel
army-if he could defeat it.
Hooker crossed Antietam Creek on
Tuesday afternoon, and by a rapid and
brilliant reconnaissance, unmasked the
rebel front on the right, and seizing the
strongest positions nearest to his enemy,
after a short engagement which the dark
ness suspended, sent word to Mcclellan
that the battle would begin at daylight,
aud that Summers corps should be on
the ground at that hour.
From the extreme right of Hooker to
the extreme left of Burnside, the line of
battle was four miles long On such a
length of line, and with two flank move
ments in progress, it is obvious that sue
cess must depend-frst, on the distribu-
ton of force; and secondly, on the cor
respondence in time between the sepa-
rate attacks.
Hooker attacked at daylight, Mans
fields corps forming part of his forces.
From daylight until 9 o clock-more than
four hours-he fought with unequaled
skill and courage, but without support
At nine o'clock he was wounded, and
Sumner, whom Mcclellan should have
sent to the field at daylight, arrived and
took command. Hooker's troops, though
victorious, were greatly exhausted. Sum-
ner relieved them with his own corps +;
and, attacking with headlong impetu-
osity, was beaten in an hour, and driven
back to the position first held by Hooker
Not till all this was over; till Sumner
had lost all Hooker had gained, and
5000 killed and wounded lay on the field
not till the flame of battle had burnt
itself out on the right, was Burnside or
\ 49, .1lr 4 - IaF4 A
and Sumner had been left to fight their
own battles successfully, unaided, so
Burnside moved without help from any
diversion of the enemys attention. Once
over the bridge, he advanced toward the
4, Shepardstown road, but was speedily
,, checked. After he was checked, Frank
lin, in turn, renewed the attack on the
right, and recovered the ground which
Sumner had lost, but he, being also with
out support, could do nothing.
Thus it stood a. o'clock in the after
noon, the attacks all day long having
oscillated from right TO left and left to
right, never at any moment becoming
general, concentrated, or effective Nc.
Clellan, up to this time, had neither at
tackled with his whole available force al
any one point, nor any two movements
at the same time, or in cooperation. Al
/ o'clock, however, sending urgent word
20 Burnside that this is the battle of the
war, and this the decisive moment of the
battle, he orders him to carry the hill in
his front at any cost AT thesam hour
! he ordered Franklin to carry the woods
on the right--the key of the position
there. But Sumner replied that he
could not support Franklin if frepulsed
whereupon Franklin was ordered to run
no risks, and accordingly lay STILL Burn
side therefore advanced to the decisive
moment of the great battle of the war =
without cooperation or support, and
with the remnant of16, 900 men. Hooker
Mansfield, Sumner and Franklin had
been successfully sent to the right, until
not less than 10000 troops, living and
dead, lay massed on thatpart of the field
and now, at in the afternoon, the TO-
600 are only asked to hold their own
while Burnside's shattered columns move
unaided to the final assault.
Yet Burnside went gallantly forward
and carried the hill Unable to hold it
he was driven back by overwhelming
Rebel forces, which, unoccupied in the
center or right, moved in Mcclellan
view over the intervening slopes to crush
him. Driven from the hill, Burnside
sent word he could not hold his ground
half an hour longer unless re-enforced
| Porter's troops, fresh and impatient, lay
in the hollow. Why not send them
They were not sent They were reserves
But McClellan's message to Burnside
was to hold his ground ''at any cost, and
the bridge to the last man. If the bridge
is lost, all is lost What are reserve:
forf
Burnside held on till dark-Franklin
and Sumner also. The battle was not
lost Was it won? The Williamsport
road was not carried. The Shepards
town road was not carried. The Rebel
army was not annihilated; did not sur.
render.
1e Was it, in any event, well fought
battle! By the soldiers, Yes No yalor
could have been more heroic thantheirs
By many Of the Generals of corps, divis.
ions, brigades, Yes. But when ell this