The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-05-02
General HOOker's Testimony Before
the Committee on the Conduct
-- of the War,
The Maryland Campaign---The Battle
of Antietam.

was placed in command of the first
corps d ddrmee-McDowelrs old corps
as it passed through Washington to go
on to the upper Potomac. On the 18th
of September | came up to the vicinity
of the enemy. As did so, at a little
place called Middletown, l was directed
by Gen. Mcclellan to 60 forward where
Gen. Burnside was said to be engaged
with the enemy at South Mountain, and
look at the ground there This was on
the Cumberland road-the old National
Road The object was to force pass
age over that road then in the possess
sion of the enemy. | went forward and
found Gen. Burnside engaged on the
south side of the road with his batteries,
and with Reno's corps forming to attack
the enemy on the mountain Cox s
corps had already been engaged, and /
judged, from the numbers that passed
in going to the advance, that they were
retiring from the attack. From the
point at which the batteries were planted,
/ had good opportunity to see the for
nation of the mountain and the position
of the enemy. l
While in that position l received or
ders from Gen. Mcclellan to advance
with my corps on the north side of the
road, for the purpose of making feint
in favor of Burnside's troops. At that
time | belonged to the right wing, of
which Gen. Burnside had been placed in
command. Feeling that an attack on
the south side of the road would not re-
suit favorably to us, after putting my
column in motion directed my troops
to advance to the base of the mountain
on the north side of the road, and as
rapidly as tho divisions arriuod- L had
them deployed for battle. AS soon as
they were deployed directed an advance,
which resulted in our gaining possession
of the spiral ridge of the mountain that
night, where l directed my troops to re-
main until further orders. 1t was dark
when we gained those heights. In the
morning the skirmishers took possession
of the road, which enabled our army to
advance. - .-
AS soon as this was communicated to
Gen. Mcclellan l was instructed to fol-
low up the retreating army, and, if my
troops required rest, to let Richardson $
division, which had been sent to report
to me, to take the advynce, while my
men were making coffee and getting
something to eat They followed up the
pursuit vigorously, taking prisoners all
the way, aud about ten clock that day
they came up to the position which the
enemy had taken to make q stand. This
was about midway between Antietam
Creek and Sharpsburg, on the road lead,
ing to the ford of the Potomac The en-.
my were formed in two lines, each Of
which jndged to be about six miles
long. They were formed perpendicular
to the Sharpsburg Road, directly across
the road; about three miles Of line on
one side of the road and about three
miles on the other. / Judged that they
had in those two lines about so, 900 men
1t seemed to me at the time that they
were drawn up and displayed for effect
l vas already informed that they had fal
len back from South Mountain hastily
and in disorder. At that time onlJ
! Richardson's division, some of Pleasan