Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-04-29

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title to an independent and permanent
organization.
The duties deyolyiny upon my staff du'
ring tho action were most important, and
tho performance Of them able and unit.
ring. Alta later day ! propose to bring
to tho notice Of the department their indi.
vidual services.
With the day closed this memorable
battle, IN which, perhaps, noarl hco humirea
thousand men pere for fourteen hour, engaged
in combat, We had attacked the enemy in
position, driven them from their line on
n flank, and secured a footing within il
on the other. Under the depression OF
previous roverses, we had achieved q vic>
tory over an adversary invested with the
prestige of former success and inflated
with a recent triumph. Our forces slept
that night conquerors on a field won by
their valor, and covered with the dead and
wounded of the enemy.
The night, however, presented serious
questions; morning brought with it grave
responsibilities. TO renew the attack
again On the 18th, or defer it, with the
chance OF the enemy's retirement after n
day Of suspense, were the questions before
me. A careful and anxious survey OF the
condition ofmy command, and my knowl-
edge Of the enemy's force and position,
failed to impress ne with any reasonable
certainty OF success if | renewed the ats
tack without reinforcing columns. A
view Of the shattered state of some Of the
corps sutiiced 10 deter me from pressing
them into immediate action, and | felt
that my duty to the army and the count
ry forbade the risk involved in a hasty
movement, which might result in the loss
os what had been gained the previous day.
lmpelled by this consideration, | awaited
the arrival o! my endorsements, taking
advantage of the occasion TO collect to-
gether the dispersed, give rest to the ia
tigued, and remove the wounded. or the
reinforoements, COUGHS division, although
marching with commeudable rapidity, was
not in position until q late hour in the
morning; and Humphreys division Of
new troops, fatigued with forced marches,
were arriving throughout the day, but
we're not available until near its close
Large reinforcements from Pennsylvania,
which were expected during The day, did
not arrive Mt all.
During the 18th, orders were given for
a renewal Of the attack at daylight on the
10th. On the night of the 18th the ene'
my, after hay ing been passing troops in
the latter part of the day from the Nir-
ginia shore to their position behind Sharps-
burg, as seen by u officers, suddenly
formed the design of abandoning their
line. This movement they executed be-
fore daylight. Being but a short distance
from the river, the evacuation presented
hut little difficulty. twas, however, rap
idly followed up. The detachment With
drew with slight loss.
A reconnaissance vas made across the
river on the evening Of the 10Th, which
resulted IN ascertaining the near presence
Of the enemy in sonic force, and in our
capturing six guns.
A second reconnaissance, the next
morning, which, with the first, was made
by small detachmentfrom Porter's corps,
resulted in observing a heavy force of the
enemy there.
| submit herewith a list of the killed,
wounded and missing in the engagements
OF the 18th, and of the 10Th and l7th.-
The euemy's loss is believed, from the
best sources Of information, to be nearly
thirty thousand. Their dead were mostly
left on tie fed, and a large number o!
wounded we're left behind.
While il gives MI pleasure to speak oil
the gallantry and devotion the officers and
men generally displayed through this con-
tlict, / feel it necessary to mention that
some of the officers and men skulked
from their places antil the battle was over
Death on the spot must hereafter be the
fate Of all such towards, and the hands Of
the military commanders must be
strengthened with all The power of the
Government TO inhict it summary. The
early and disgraceful surrender of Harp
er's Ferry deprived my operations of re-
suits which would have formed a brilliant
sequal to the substantial snd gratifying
success already related.
Had the garrison held out "a hours
longer, l should, in all probability, have
captured that part of the enemy's force
engaged in the attack on Maryland
Heights; while the whole garrison some
$4,000 strong-could have been drawn tC
reinforce me on the day of the decisive
battle. Certainly, on the morning Of the
18th. / would thus have been in a posi-
ton to have destroyed the rebel army.
Under the same circumstances, had the
besieging force on the Virginia side a
Harper's Ferry not been Withdrawn,
would have had $4,000 or 10000 less mer
10 encounter at Antietam, and must have
destroyed or captured all opposed to me
As il was, | had to engage an army fresl
from a recent, and TO them, great victory
and to reap the disadvantage of their be.
ing freshly and plentifully supplied viii
a%mmunitiun and supplies.
The objects and results of this brie
campaign may be summed up as follows
In the beginning Of the month Of Sep
TENDER, the safety of the National Capito
was seriously endangered by the presenc,
OF n victorious enemy, who soon aftel
crossed into Meryland, and then directl,
threatened Washington and Baltimore
while they occupied the soil of a loya
State, and threatened an invasion Of Penn
%sylyenia,