The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-09-18

upon the Union army the sole occupants OF the
mountain, the Confederates having retired during the
night and Mcclellan resumng his march, halted that
afternoon on bank Of the Antieam The evening
was passed in assigning positions TO his several corps
posting his batteries and making preparations for
ing next morning Lee having previously reached and
al advantage which did not fail to improve tele-
gram from President Lincoln dated nj Washington about
inc hour that Mcclellan reached the Anletam, con-
veyed 10 MIN the Prssdents last command In Mr. Lin
CONS own earnest and santentous style. II merely
bles: you and gil with you; destroy the rebel
bvouacked thai night on the eastern bank OF the
stream On the morning OF tho 10th the rebel bat
r;ous commanding POSITIONS on nese va
upon our ranks, bat with how little effect may be in.
Ierred from the account Of General Hill who. In sub
melancholy farce Of the war; they being unable he
says TO cope with the Yankee guns" After some little
delay required to make alteration of the position OF
some Of the corps General Hooker who had been in
trusted with the duty Of turning the enemys left flank
crossed ms command by an upper ford, and not long
'erward encountered the troops OF General Hood who
IN antpaton OF our movement, bad been transferred
rom the enemys right wing to his left to strengthen
troops of Hooker and Hood met and after brief but
spirited contest in which the Pennsylvania Reserves
federate advance WAS forced bacx, wnen night in.
tervening. the combattants rested their arms so
near together that is said some OF tho pickeis of
the TWO lines unconsciousy intermingled. The battle
OF the lltn opened at the dawn OF day the
spot where the skirmish OF the previous evening
had closed; each SIDE to have looked to this
point as the one TO be particularly ghned and
though anticipating the tremendous Struggle 81 which
was to be the centre General Manshed's corps-com.
posed Of the two divisions OF Generals Green and viii
liams--had crossed over in the night and taken post
a mile to the rear Of General Hooker while on the
confederate side General jackson had brought OF
his divisions 10 tho front, and substituting OF his
brigades for those OF Hood that had suffered from the
the old stonewall dvision-n reserve in the
woods on the west side OF the Hsgarsown road. In
the whole history or the battle fields OF tho rebellion, it
would be perhaps difficult to find spot which for
eore day was assailed and defended with such perse-
verng, obstinate and concentrated vslor ths
70 which now refer, embracing the ground on both
sides the road just mentioned and in close proximity
TO yonder little church. that nestIes quiet
ly in the margin OF the woods From early dawn
TIL dark the conflict surged and sweed across
It in one continual tide, advancidg and recedinR
a. relnforcements from the one side or the other
came to the support OF their comrades. opened
ON our side with the three divisions Of Generals
Meade Doubleday and Ricketts,, forming General
mage succeeded In driving back Jackson's advanced
line. Before however their exung cheers had fairly
his veteran reserves that now came to his relief support
cd BY Hills division ana Hoods refreshed brigades The
corps OF Gen. Mansfield coming next to support,
nforced the shattered command of Hooker aud
ing the ground that he had lost swept onward again
the road and seized q corner Of the woods beyond.
Again, however, our tenure but temporary, both
our corps commanders mad fallen and Mansfield
and the intrepid Hooker the one MORALLY the other
verv painfully wounded. and their commands fear
fully thinned, again forced fall back. When
just as they retiring two divisions of General Sum-
ner's corps coming fresh upon the field hurled back
once more the rebel line and held for time denntye
possession OF the woods about the little church. The
divisions OF Generals Richardson and French falling
about this time 10 the support OF Sumner, pushed val
iany to the front, and the tide Of battle
flooding in our favor, when just victory seemed
wndsr S%r grasp n Two wn Issn
from Harpers Ferry and the other detached from
their right wing turned again for time the fortunes Of
the day, and once more drove back our lettering line
over that hard fought field. Two other OF division
commanders had been now lost to us, the lamentcd
Richardson and the heroic General sedgwick the for
M latfa thouUh
wounded several times, still struggling to keep eld
TO and fro the contest had how swayed for hours
were. at bay, each apparently confident Of their
power 10 defend, but doubtful OF their
ability to assal Now most oppor'a9ely, ap.
imagine the tumultuous JOY that terminated our
exhausted troops az iurningher eyes towards yonder
creek they behed two divisions Of General Frankn's
corps freshly arrived from Pleasant Valley and hasten
ing forward to their support Under their gallant lead.
ers slocum and Smith, they swept onward in q resist
less charge Running, and cheering as they ran they
dashed that downtrodden cornfeld cleared the
woods Of their Confederate occupants aud last held
final possession Of the ground often los; and won.
Until
Inducing darkness grateful ,.i n, truce imposed
On the extreme left Of line the Ninth army corps
under General Burnside occupied during the forenoon,
waiting favorable opportunity for forcing passage
The prec ptous character oi the banks OF the creek at
that point and the advantageous POSITIONS by
the enemys batteries along these heights the
OF It, postponed It would SEEM that opportunity until
s ss' York .na :.o
syIvana regiments carried the bridge, and, cross.
ing by that and neighbonng ford the whole
heights from which rebel battery bad been pouring
upon them constant and destructive fire, which
Of their assailing force nearly reached the viii
age; but here, as on our right victory seemed to VI
om Sss h. spn
reached the ground IN the afternoon. and joining his
command to the rebel right wing. their united Efforts
drove back troops IRON their advanced position but
raying with spirit and supported by our batteries the
eastern bank Of the creek they, after desperate fight
ing. IN which General RodmaD. OF their division
commanders, fell MORALLY wounded enabled still
to MAINTAIN their stand upon its shore, while
the rebels back the heights a. darkness closed the
day [rhe bridge has been known in the neighborhood
ever since the battle ~ the Burnside bridge which
rame, for its pastoral az well % patriotic significance,
OF liRht 10 pursue 1t further battle that bad ragged
for nearly fourteen hours, and which, beyond doubt,
thousand OF our dead and wounded WARRIORS and
at least as many more OF the enemy, lay stretched
upon the held have OF course not ventured 70 A.
prominent points OF the action To note the movements
Of the various divisions, brigades and regiments their
marches, mnneuvrcs and combinations ana the names
OF the officers who led them, ~ possessed the In
formation for the purpose and that would in
coed the limits ems,sd TO such an address should
rejoice 70 be able TO refer BY name 10 every
man who that day did bis duty, from the
the ranks; but I have the satisfaction OF knowing
that they oil registered elsewhere and that neither
their names deeds dependent this ephcmeral
record Viewing these hills and valleys do to-day
In the full uxuance Of their autumnsl beauty restored
by the indomabe energvlof their thrifty population TO
the condition they presented before hostile armies seec
ted them the theatre Of their contest and then calling
up TO memory imagination the spectacle they exhibit
cd when that contest closed and the harvest Of death
lay beaped horrid swstbs all their unduisting
surface, and how impressive, almost appalling ID the
OF the destruction which few brief had
accumulated n
OF the most beautiful and productive Of the State n
Its orchards and meadows, corn fields and pastures,
woodlands and water courses, presented
A happy rural seat Of various view.
that filed the eye OF the visitor with delight inferior
only TO that OF the happy husbandmsn, its owners.
They, thus far knowing little Of BY distant
echoes awoke the morning Of the 18th Of Septem.
ber 1852, 10 oil ~ dread realities
Hark 10 that whose swift and deafenine peals
In countless echoes through the mountains ring.
Now swells the nterminGIing din--the lar,
rpauent and frightfu, Of the bursting boom: