The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-08-08

ealie22i g. A. sDI Rss ~. r. McKeiry,
SlbScTipttO7 AGeBt iss.i-gF -4ss-a
My. e0atIrer and iysclf werc with
in a few. yards 81 5oker. 1t was a
very hot place. could not distin-
guish the ping OF = individual bull
lets, but their coninI ned and mingled
hum was like thein 6f a great Lowell
factory. Solid siiol md shell came
shrieking through h hiI, but over our
heads, as we Wei on the extreme
front. Gi1A NlLsII f
. Hooker comm aeSI Before - the
moment he heard de gins doomed up
into gigantic stat His eye cleaned
with the grand lee of battle. He
seemed to Know lyiYshat to do, to
feel that he was Ila ebf the situation,
and to Impress eye hnkg else with the
TACT Turning 70 Qf his staff, and
pointing to a Sp0faie ps, he said :fi H.
/ ,tGoiand tell Cart 4 - to bring
his battery and ri = there at onee.1
Tho neutenaft away. After
giving one eOr two her orders with
HoOR sr's eye turned Ngain 10 that mass
of rebel infantry in. woods, and he
said to another officer, with great em-
ph6sis
go and tell Captain ---- to bring
his battery here instantly
Sending more messages to the various
divisions and batteries, only single
member of the staff remained. Once
more scanning the woods with his eager
eye, Hooker directed the aid:
"Go tell Captain - to bring that
battery here without one seconds de-
lay. Why, my God, low he can pour
it into their infantrYI" HIn
By this time several of the body
guard had fallen from their saddles.
Our horses plunged wildly. A shell
n1OXynl fhn yrnnt16
steed, and another exploded near Mr..
SmalleY, throwing great clouds of dust
over both of us. Hooker leaped his
white horse over n low fence into an ad-
jacent orchard, whittier. .NYe gladly fol-
lowed. Though we did not go more
than thirty yards, it took US compara-
lively out of range. r..
The desired battery, stimulated by
three successive messages, came up
with smoking horses, at full run. was
unlimbered in the twinkling of an eve;
and began to pour sh0ts-into the enc
my, whotwere alsoJ suffering severely.
from our infantry discharges. 1t wns
not many seconds before they began to
wayer, Through the rifting smoke we
could see their line sway to and fro;
then 1t broke like thaWs in great
river. Hooker.rose up in his saddle,
and, in voice of suppressed thunder,
exclaimed:
"There they go, Forwardw
Our Whole line moved on. 1t was
now nearly dark. Having shared the
experience of Fighting Joe Hooker''
quite long enough, turned toward the
rear: Fresh troops were pressing for
ward, and StragglerS We're ranged in
long lines behind rocks and trees.
Riding slowly along a grassy slope,
as supposed quite out of range, my
were disturbed by cannon
ball, whose rush of mir famed my face,
and made my horse shrink and rear Ill
most upright: The next.moment came
mother behind me, and by the great
RTeze 4efs 6ad 8f bffit. f & SAW gis1 th own 11
the slope like a foot ball and pass right
through n column of our troops in bite
who were marching steadily forward.
The gap which it made was Immediate
ly closed up. s'--5 =.Ti
Men with litters were cropping through
the darkness, bearing the wounded
back to the ambulanceS. 4y5
AT nine O'Clock 1 wandered to II farm
house, occupied by some of our pickets.
We dared not light candles, aB it was
within range of the enemy. The fdmily
tree, and lay down upon the parlor
floor, with my saddle for q pillow. At
intervals during the night we heard the
popping of nlusketry, and ut the first
glimpse of dawn the picket officer shook
me by the arm.
My friend, said he, you had bettcr
go away as soon as you can; the place
Is getting rather hot for civilians.'
/ rode around through the field, for
shot and shell We're already screaming
up the narrow lane. ftr ~ i.l.l.isu rfl
Thus commenced the long, hotly con-
tested battle of Antietam. Our line
was three miles in length with Hooker
on the right, Burnside Oh the left, and
a great gap in the middle, occupied only
by artillery; while Fitz John Porter
with his fine corps was held in reserve.
From dawn until dark, the two ereat
armies wrestled like athletes, straining
every muscle, losing here, gaining there,
and at many points fighting the same
ground over and over again. 1t twas. n
fierce, sturdy, iiIdecisiVe conflict.
FiYelthousand spectators Viewed the
struggle from u hill comparatively out
of range, Not more than three persons
were struck there during the day. Nc
Clellan and his staff occupied another
ridge half a mile in the rear. e.sr
'By Heaven! 1t was goodIy sight to SEQ
For one who had no friend OF brother there.
I No one who looked upon tint WON
derful panorama can describe or forget
it. Every hill and valley, every corn
field, grove and cluster of trees was
fiercely fought for:
The roar of artillery was unceasing;
we could often count moro than sixty
guns to the minute. 1t was like thun-
der; and the musketry sounded like
the patter of raindroPs in an April
shower. On the great field were rider
less horses and scattering men, clouds
of dirt from solid shot and exploding
shells, long dark lines of infantry sway
ing to and fro, with columns of smoke
rising from their muskets, red flashes
and white putfs from the batteries
with the sun shining brightly on all
this scene of tumult and beyond it.
upon the dark, rich woods and the clear
blue mountains south of the Potomac.' .
A whoppins Long Shot.
Hendricks irrepressible ;waggery
never slept. One evening n Virginia
ruralist, whose intellect was not of the
brightest, was brought in for some vic.
latiOn of Confederate law. After pour.
inp hiS G0ProHIyr into thn l.