New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-09-23
A Great Crowd in Hagerstown-The Dead
aud Dying-The Pennsylvania veiun-
tccrs-The secret Departure OF the Rebel
Army-The Chnse-Whaf the Rebels eX-
peci 10 do up in the Virginia Mountains.

tCGrs-The secret Departure OF the Rebti
Army-The Chnse-What the Rebels eX-
pee, 10 do mp in the Virginia Mountains.
From Special Correspondent
SHARPsBuRG, Sept H., 1862.
| spent last night in the saddle, on the road from
Keedysville 10 Hsgerstown having learned that
from the latter place could forward letters and tel
egrams TO you much quicker than from any other
pont. Arriving q, Hagcrstown at o'clock this
morning, supposed Of that in city contain
ing 5 900 Inhabitants should have difficulty il
finding place to lodge and have my horse cared
for. ! rode up TO the Washington House, and in
stead Of finding its inmates asleep, found most Of
them awake and giving no indications Of desire 10
seek "natures sweet restorer.' But upon going
mp to the clerk 6 desk coon learned the cause why
there was so much apparent wakefuness; 1t was
simply because there was no place 10 sleep. l was
told in few words that Haserstown was great
military camp that the larger portion Of the grand
army Of Gen. Curtin, the gallant Governor OF Penn
sylyans 70 suddenly improvised for the defense Of
tina, noble State, was encamped around about and
that in the absence Of ,heter tents TO cover them,
large portion ofthe army had sough, protection from
the night air in the City Of Hagentown. Every
hotel and dwelling house swaTmed with them-dry
goods boxes and sugar hogsheads upon the sidewalks
seemed packed as closely sardines 1bese patr
otto young soldiers evidently having their first
experience Of the hardshps Of campaigning. or
course heard no murmuring but vast amount Of
swearing from the jaded crowd. Finding that |
could obtain no accommodation for myself resolved
to spend as little time in the loyal City Of llAges
town as possible.
BY hiring dsrkey TO steal some Data Tor my horse
succeeded in infuGng sufficient life in him TO war
rant in making the attempt to return TO tho bat,
tie field before the final grand conflict commenced.
Before, however, leaving Hagentown, must say
that il seemed not only full Of living soldiers anxious
to oer up their lives IN defense Of their country bat
Of dead and dying ones, who had already done 20.
The large Court-llouse. two churches one school
house, and several private dwellings were filled
with them. Long Of rough wooden collins
standing in front Of some Of these buildings plainly
indicated that rome Of their inmates would no
longer require the kind attentions Of the hospital
nurses. Human skill had failed 10 preserve theiT
lives. and they had gone to their long home.
All the villages within twenty miles Of the battle
field have more or less Of the wounded who fell ia
the battles of Sunday and Wednesday. The inhsbi-
tan,s as far as | have observed, seemed 10 have
abandoned their ordinary avocatons, and arc devot-
ing their whole time to the relief Of these unfortunate
soldiers. Rebel and loyal wounded land there are
hundreds Of the former alike kindly treated and
are cared for and operated upon in turn.
The officers and soldiers in Hagerstown were all
anticipating great battle to-day Gov. Curtain had
succeeded in overcoming the reluctance Of many OF
the volunteers to fight beyond the lines of his own
State Butvery few, TO the great credit Of Pennsyl-
vsna, declined to obey the orders Of their officers
after they passed into Maryland. Mcclellan could
have had nearly all this volunteer host if lie had
desired their services to-day.
Leaving IIsgeretown, few hours hard riding
brought me back to the battlefield Az passed
through Boonsborough the booming Of artillery was
heard, and all said as passed along that fight had
again commenced. To me, however it indicated
something lad been anticipating since Wednesday
evening The sound seemed to come from the
extreme left Of the field and to be much more faint
than it should be if from the original ground Of the
fight On squirting my jsded horse at almost every
step, we soon reached Keedysville and Instantly
learned that my fears were reslized-the enemy had
taken the advantage Of yesterdays repose and last
nights darkness, end had quietly passed over the
river and effected successful retreat The moment
this news spread through the army, disappointment
and chain seemed TO settle upon every countenancc
Soldiers who are in the habit of swearing when.
ever they have any intent emotions TO express,
reeorted TO the whole vocabulary of oaths to give
utterance 10 them today. The swearing Of the
army Of Flanders was az gentle as the coong Of a
dove in comparison
We had this Rebel gang in 70 nice place to whip
them, our soldiers were all anxious to fight and
would have gone into battle with determination
TO conquer never before witnessed this continent,
notwithstanding the bloody professions Of wounded
which had been passing their encampment fince
Wednesday morning. river, too, was in the rear
Of this army Our lines from the extreme night to
the left bad been growing shorter, and the soldiers
in our battle line last night could talk with the Reb'
els, who seemed Likewise ready for battle. New
batteries commanding important points had been
planted during the day. The enemys center, which
we hardly touched on Wednesday, to-day would
have had the whole Of McClellans powerful unseen
artillery concentrated upon it. A great victory
would have been ours to-day II the snepy bad