The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-04-04

In the absence OF the full reports Of cop5 mmanders
smpe outline OF the brilliant operations which result
ed in the carrying OF the passes thou the South
ountai is all thal can at this time, with ustcc 70 e
troops md commanders engaged. be furnished rbe
haps thousand feet In height. and formsn strong nata
raj military barrier The practicable passes are not na
merous and are readily defensble the gaps abcundng ia
hno positions. Turner's Pass is the prominent,
being that by which the National Road tho noun
an. ~ Was necessarily indicated as tho route OF ad
vance of our main army
The carry ing OF Crampton Pass some five or six miles
oeow WAS aise 70 furnish the means Q, rsash
ment direct relations TO tho attack tho principal pass
while AZ the same time presented the most direct prac
ticabe route for tho relief Of Harpers Ferry riy IN
the morning OF sepember IA General Pleasauton,
with cavalry force. rcconnoitered the position OF the
mandng hills in the gap on either side Of The National
Road and uson advantageous ground The centre uon
and near tho road with artillery bearing upon all the ap
poaches TO their position whether that by the main
road or those oy the country roads, which led around
up 70 the crest upon the right aud left. At
about eight O'Clock A. NJ Coxs division OF enos corps
portion Of Burnsides column In Coo; eraton With the
reconnaissance, which by this time had become at
tack moved up tho mountain by the old shsrsburg road
TO the left OF the min road dividing they advanced
into two columns These columns (scanmon's and Cooks
brigades) handsomely carried the enemy's position
the crest IN their front, which Possession OF
important ront further operationf Fresh bodies Of
the enemy now appearing, Cox's post'n, though cid
O'Clock NJ Wicpxs division OF Renos corps gent
forward by General burnside 10 support Cox and bewcn
two ard three 7. b. sturgis' division was sensup
dark the enemy having the advantage TO position and
nghting with c6stinacy but Tho ground won was fully
maintained The loss in killed and wounded here was
considerable on both stos, ard u was hero that Maor
General Reno who had gone forward TO observe the ope
ratons oi his corps and 10 give such directions
necessary ,ieil pierced with mnsket ball. The loss Of
this brave and distinguished officer tmpcrci with sad
Ices The Civilizations OF triumph A gallant soldier an
able general endearod to his troops and associates his
death Is telt ~ an ilTeIafa9le misfortune.
About three o'clock p " Eooker's corps Of Purnsdss
colnu.p, moved up 70 the right Of the man road by
up ID no LETT, crcuitously wound way beyond tho
crest OF the pass TO the Mountain House. tho main
road Gene'A HSker cent Meade. with tho div hon 0,
Pennsylvania reserves to attack the einenco 10 the
right OF this entrance 10 the gap, which done most
handsouely and successfully.
ParicG's brigade Of Hatch's division, sent--one
portbon up around the road TO turn the hill the left
while the remainder advanced as siIrmishers--up tho
hill and occupied tnc ssl' sappoIed by doubleday
ana lnelps brgadcs. yhe rnovenl,. A''el sh-. con-
tes. On ne cest and in the hcls IN the dc sa9n be-
tween we crest and the adjoining hl, was luliy sue
;--,s, =. .y,, ,scesed up the mountain about MY
NJ. Sirvng 81 The with the left OF his c6mnand
IN time 70 participate the closing of the engnge
.neht Relieving Iatchs division, Ricketts, remained on
the grornd, holding the battle eld during tho night
The mountain sides thur calamity assed over by Hooker
On Inc rrht Of the gap and Reno tho left steep
ard dcu In the extreme We could make but little use
Of our artillery wbe Our troops We're subject 70 warm
s1s ard i Caves, Sf y aasi I y ssssIs Gsons
orr1de OF Halcb's diysion late the afternoon, ad.
vanccd upop the centre OF the enenys poston o tno
main rad Deplcying his brigade, Giboon acii'eiy
engaged superior force OF tho clcmy, which, thouen
stabborny resisting, steadily pressed BACK unsll
some hours after dark when epDon M as'aan ,hs"
. bYiefde OF scdgwicks division tmSmg thsmealvcs
outaanksd both on the right ss an the suslny aban
sSs's sSs s ss Is Ss Down ss sa
10 ~ scsassmcni a. Turner's Pass our loss was three
handrs1 and twenty eight killed and thousand ioul
hundred and Aixty wouaded and missing that Of
the enemy estnsssd 70 be In all about three thou
sssq ssa
The saTrylng Of Cramptsas Pass by Franklin was exc
cuted rapidly and decis'ycy. socum's division wa
gap, suaAs upon Inc Mt line, formsd Of Bartlett
ard NrtiuS brigadss supported by Newton, whose &C
vance apsn the enemy at charge on she fight
TheS7hy ws1nven from their position NJ she base
the mosialn ssrc they were prcsec'ed ny stone wal
| ana steadily forced buck up tho mountain unit
sksy reached the position u their battery nea
ric road. well up the mountain Here the
! made siaad. They were, however. driven back, re
firing their artillery In eeAeion until. aftcr action
three hours, the crest was gained and the enemy baat
formed for tho proector OF socums Hank charged VI
the mountain In tho same steady manner driving tn
enemy before them until the croet carried The los
In fralklins corps hundred and fifteen killed
four handred and sixteen wounded ana missing. In
aud captured, and kuaTsacks. and evc'
havorsacks, were abandoned az the enemy were drve
| up the hill
on tbs morning Of the 18th was informed by Upior
civilians living the side Of the that IN
enemy rctreang IN the greatest haste and In dis
ordered 70 the river. There such concur
renee Of testimony this point that there seemed
doubt as to the fact The hasty retreat Of the enemy
forces from the mountain and the of be
Ing troops from between oonsboro and agerstown 10
position where they could resist attack aud th
shepherdsown ford, and receive the reinforccments
a. evidences Of the caemys disorsanization and demo
razation.
As soon as II was definitely known that tho enemy ha
abandoned the mootains, tho cavalry and tho corps
sumner, Hooker and Mansfield ordered "a pursu
them, via the turnpike and Bconsboro, promptly
possible. The corIs Of Burnside and Porter (ho latte
having but ono weaE division presently ordered
move BY tho old sharpsburg road and Franklin to si
70 rsvs ISsuy S
ter upon reaching the road from Boonsboro Rohrers
vile, were 70 reinforce Franklin OF TO shasps
burg, according 70 circumstances Franklin moved 70
wards Browpsvle and found there force largely sups
IN numbers 70 his own, drawn up . strong position
direction Of Harpers Ferry Indicated TOO clearly the
shameful and premature surrender Of that post.
o.yas AZ oousSoro %nS d ssr es s9s
skrmish. killing and wounding many, taxing two
hundred and my prsoncrs and two guns.
Richardson's division Of Summers corps, passing
Boonsboro 70 Keysv,e, found few miles beyond tho
town the enemy forces displayed line of battle strong
a seS upon receiving reports q the dspsson oe ,Ss
enemy directed all the corps, except that OF Frankas
upon sharpsburg leaving Franklin 70 observe and check
that gbt oGer. had hoped 10 up with te enemy
during the bh In sufficient force beat them again and
drive them into the river Ny instructions
the enemy wsre not on the march they 10 bc ~
attacked; they found IN force and position
the corps 10 be placed la position for attack
but no attack was 10 be made until reached the front
ON arriving At the front In the afternoon found but
two odiysions-R<hardson's and sykes in position The
were halted ~ the road the head of the column
distance IN the rear ~ Richardeon Arer rapid cxami-
nation q the position found that late 10 attack
that dy aud at directed locations ~ be elected
af md h.. for
the different corpe, massug them and both sides
Of tho sharTeburg pike The corps were not all IN their
PLACES until the next mornng some time after sunrise.
20 he 10th tho enemy had slightly changed their line
and were ported gIon ths heights Ia the Of the An
toam creek. their LETT aud centre bearing upon and
front " the road from sharrtbprg 10 Hsgcrsown And
protected by woods and irregniarits Of tho ground
Their extreme icu rested uron woded cmincnce
The cross roads 20 the north ~ nerr farm, the de
tsuce AZ his point between the road and The Potomac,
which makes here great bend 20 the csst being about
three fouft OF mite. Their right rested the hills 10
The right ~ sharTsburg hear snsyeys fam, ,eoyerinr
the crossing q the Antietam and the approaches
town from the sDutbeaat The ground between their