Daily national Republican., 1863-04-02

Ntlu WITHOUT Nnehe TWO ufHhucH, ana counter
manded the order which was in course Of execu-
tion. The effect Of Burnsldeis movement on the
enemy's right was to prevent the further massing
Of their troops on their left, and we held what we
had gained
Burnside's corps, consisting of wilcox's, stur-
glst, and Rodman's divisions, and CoXs Kanawha
division, was entrusted With the difficult task OF
carrying the bridge across the AntletHm, near
Rohtbacks farm, and assaulting the enemy's right,
the order having been communicated TO him At 10
/ o'clock n. m.
The valley Of the Antietom, at and near the
bridge, Ia narrow, with high banks. On the right
Of the stream the bank Ia wooded, and commands
the approaches both to the bridge and the ford.
The steep slopes Of the bank were lined with rifle
pits and breAstwUrts Of rails and stones These,
together with the woods, were filled with the enc
mys infantry, while their batteries completely
commanded and enhadcd the bridge and ford and
The advance Of the troops brought on an obsti.
nate and sanguinary contest, and ffom the great
natural advantages Of the position, II was nearly
one O'Clock before the heights on the right bank
were carried. At about three o'clock y. m. the
corps again advanced, and with success, the right
driving the enemy before 1t and pushing on nearly
TO Sharpsburg, while the left, after hard encoun-
ter, also compelled the Cnemy to retire before H.
! The enemy here, however, were speedily rein
/ forced, and with Overwhelming masses, New bat
teries OF their artillery also, were brought up and
opened. II become evident that our force was not
sufficient to enable the advance TO reach the town.
and the order was given to retire to the cover OF
| the hill, which was taken from the enemy earlier
! in the afternoon. This movement was elected
without confusion, and the position maintained
until tho enemy retreated Gen. Burnside had sent
]
the condition Of things on the right was not such
as to enable me to afford them.
! uring the whole day our artillery was every
where btavely and ably handled. Indeed, cannot
speak too highly Of the efficiency OF batteries,
and of the great service they rendered. On more
| than one occasion, when our infantry was broken,
| they covered its reformation md drove back the
enemy.
The cavalry had little field for operations during
| the engagement, but was employed In supporting
the horse artillery batteries in the centre and in
driving up straggers, while awaiting opportunity
/ for other service.
The signal corps, under Major Myer, rendered
during the operations at Antietam, as at South
Mountain, and during the whole movements of the
army, efficient and valuable service. Indeed, by
its services here, on other fields elsewhere this
corps has calamity earned its title to independ-
ent and permanent organization.
! The duties dcyOlviug upon my staff during the
action were most important, and the performances
of them able and untiring. At LATER day pro-
pose to bring to the notice OF the department their
! individual services.
With the day closed this memorable battle, in
which, perhaps, nearly two hundred thousand men
were for fourteen hours engaged In combat. We
had attacked the enemy In position, driven them
from their line on one flank, and secured footing
within II on the other. Under the depression OF
previous reverses, we had achieved a victory over
an adversary invested with the prestige of former
successes and inflated with a recent triumph, Our
| forces slept that night COnquCrOrs on u field won
| by their valOr, md covered with the dead and
wounded Of the enemy.
The night, however, presented serious questions;
morning brought with tgral responsibilities. To
renew the attack again on the 18TH or to defer 1t,
with the chance of the enemy's retirement after u
day of suspense, were the questions before me-
careful and anxious survey Of the condition Of my
! command, and my knowledge Of the enemy's force
and position failed to impress me with any reason
able certainty of success, II renewed the attack
| without reinforcing columns A view of the shat
! tered state OF some Of the corps sutced TO deter
! n from pressing them into immediate action, and
! | felt that my duty to the army and the country
! forbade the risks involved In 4 hABty movement,
which might result In the loss OF what had been
! gained the previous day. lmpellcd by this con-
sidCratlon, awaited the arrival of my reinforce
ments, taking advantage Of the occAsion to collect
and remove the wounded. or the reinforcements,
COUGHS division, although marching with COM
mendable rapidity, was mot in position until Alate
hour in the morning; and Humphreys division of
new troopP fatigued with forced marches, were
arriving throughout the day, but were not avail
able until near its close. Large reinforcements
| from Pennsylvania, which were expected during
the day, did not arrive at all.
During the 18th orders were given for a renewal
OF the attack at daylight the l9th On the night
! OF the 18th the enemy, after having been passing
troops in the latter part of the day from the Nf-
ginia shore to their position behind ShATpsbHrg,
as by officers, suddenly formed the design
of abandoning their line. This movement they ex-
ecuted before daylight. Being but short distance
from the river, the evacuation presented but little
difficulty. 1t was, however, rapidly followed up.
| A reconnaissance was made across the river on
the evening Of the 10Th, which resulted in ABcer-
tanning the near presence Of the enemy in ssme
force, and in our capturing six guns.
A second reconnaissance, the next morning,
which, with the hrst, was made by small detaCh-
ment from POrter's corps, resulted In observing a
heavy force Of the enemy there. The detachment
withdrew with slight loss. | submit herewith a
list of the killed, wounded land missing in the en-
! gagements of the 18th, and OF the 10th and nth
The enemys loss is be ieved, from the best sources
| OF information, to be nearly thirty thousand.
Their dead were mostly left the HELD and large
number Of wounded were lett behind.
WINE ~ gives me pleasure 70 speak oi the gal
displayed through this conflict, feel 1t necessary
to mention that some officers and men skulked
from their places in the ranks until the battle was
over. Death on the spot must hereafter be the
fate of all such towards, and the hands of the mill
tary commanders must be strengthened with ali
the power OF the Government to infict IL HummA-
| rily,
fhe early and disgraceful surrender of Harpers
! Ferry deprived my operations OF results which
would have formed brilliant sequence to tho sub
stantiAl and gratifying success already related
Had the garrison held out twenty-four hours Ion.
ger, Should In all probability, have captured that
part Of the enemys force engaged in the attack on
| the Maryland heightH, while the whole garrison,
| some twelve thousand strong, could have been
drawn to reinforce me on the day of the decisive
bRttle--cettainly on the morning OF the 18th. |
would thus have been in a position to have de-
| s'rOycd the rebel army. Under the same crcum-
| stances, had the besieging force on the Virginia
side at Harpcrs Ferry not been withdrawn, Iwould
have had thirty-hve or forty thousand less men to
encounter at Antietam, and must have captured or
destroyed all opposed to me. As II was, had to
engage an army fresh from recent, and to them
great victory, and to reap the disadvantages OF
| their being freshly and plentifuly supplied with
| ammunition and supplies,
The object and results Of this brief campaign
may be summed up NJ follows: In the beginning
Of the month OF September the safety Of the nae
tional capital was seriously endangered by the
presence OF victorious enemy, who soon after
crossed into Maryland and then directly threat
ened Washington and Baltimore, while they occu-
pied the soil of loyal State, and threatened an
INVASION of Pennsylvania. The army of the Union
inferior in numbers, weaTicd by long marches
deficient in various supplies, worn out by numer-
GUS battles, The last oil which had not been sue
oessiul, hrst covered, by its l. ovements the i'm
portnnt cities of Washington and Baltimore then
boldly attacked the victorious enemy in their
chosen strong position, and drove them back, With
all their superiority of numbers, into the state Of
! Virginia thus saving the loyal States from inva.
sion, and rudey diBpelling the rebel dreams Of
! carrying the war into our country and subsistlnE
upon our resources. Thirteen guns and THIRTY.
nine cOlOrs, more than fifteen thousand stand Il
small arms, and more than six thousand prisoner,
were the trophies which attest the success OF or
arms.
Rendering thanks to Divine Providence for lts
blessing upon our eXertions, close this brief Ie-
port. beg only to add the hope that the armJ's
efforts for the cause in which we are engaged Will
| be deemed worthy to receive the cOmmendatOn of
! fhc Government and the country.
am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
GEO. d. MCCLELLAN,
Major General u. 5. ATmy.
| pFinalipF General L. TuOMAS