The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-16

i~ dcNOn found GenerA trAnklln5 uuN1uS1S
al Pleasant Valley on the night of the l4tnn,
within six miles of uarper's Ferry ana Wltntn W.l
three miles and half OF Maryland Heig9ss, Heg,,
where IL might easily have effected q J1nSGuoni JnSti
with the garrison of Harper's Ferry. II OoioneI
Miles had not unnecessarily abandoned tue
former position. 1.,
While the contest was taking place at CramI,p- mp
toms Pass the centre and right wing were 1ls-
putting with the Rebels the possession Oh IuI-
ner,s Gap. AT this point the South Mountain
rises one thousand feet into the ar lLs general
direction being from northeast to southWest,
the National road from Frederick to Hagers-
town, crossing IT at right angles through the
Gap which is deep depression, about four
hundred feet in depth. The crest OF the noun
tain was gained early in the day. and the
enemy endeavored in vain to retake It, Atnoon
there was a lull in the contest, lasting about
two hours. The main portion of the army was
coming into position meanwhile. Burnside and
Reno arrived at the base of the mountain,
and then Mcclellan ordered the whole line to
move forward, the command being enthusiast
cally obeycd. The enemy made desperate re-
sistance, but without avail, and after an earnest
effort on their part, about seven O'Clock IN the
evening, to regain their lost ground, they gave
up the contest and the Federal army reached
the highest point of the mountain. IL was just
before sunset that General Reno, one OF our
brayest and most accomplished soldiers, was
killed, while making reconnaissance to the
front.
Meanwhile the right OF the main column,
under Hooker and Meade, was actively engaged,
and succeeded in driving the enemy from It's
complete i'm all respects and at all points.
On the following day General Mcclellan re-
ceived from the President the following des'
patch:-
"Your despatch Of to-day received God bless you
and all with ou DeHoy the Rebel army { 4 P2gSlSe'
But these desperate encounters, in which
about thirty thousand men were actively en-
gagged on both sides, were merely the prelmi-
naries of the grand conflict of the 18th.
The Battle of AntIotaIn.
On the night oft the battles of South Mountain,
orders were given to the corps commanders to
press forward their pickets at early dawn.
When this was done, however, it was found
that the enemy had abandoned all his former
positions, aud instant pursuit was therefore
ordered. 1t was found impossible to attack the
enemy on the l5th and on the morning of
the 10th 1t was discovered that the Rebels had
effected still another change in their position
under cover OF the darkness. This rendered it
necessary for Mcclellan TO make material
changes IN the disposition OF his forces. The
greater portion of the 10th was occupied in
recOnnoltrlng the new position of the enemy,
examining the ground, clearing the approaches,
aud hurrymg up the ammunition and supplies
from Frederick. These multitudnous labors
rendered 1T necessary to postpone the grand
assault until the morning of the 18th.
The position occupied by the enemy stretched
across the angle formed by the Potomac and
the Antietan1, tieeir tanks and rear protected by
these two streams. Anlletam creek, at TINS
point, is q sluggish stream with but few fords,
and all these difficult. Four stUne orldges are
thrown across it, however at distances OF from
one to three miles from each other. This Sec
ton OF country is well adapted to defensive
warfare, and the Rebels had adrotly located
themselves in the very strongest position of all.
The Federal forces we're posted on the opposite
side of the Antietam, at the points most lavora-
bic for protecting the bridges and advancing
upon the enemy.
On the afternoon of the 10th Gen. Hooker's
corps crossed the Antietam by the upper
bridge and a nelghborng ford, which brought
han in nnnto wit thn ar1nn noNicl off Tho
Pennsylvania Reserves led the advance, aud
after sharp contest with the enemy forced the
latter to withdraw from the strip of woods in
which they were posted. Hooker then rested
on the ground thus gained, and during the
night General Mansheld's Corps, following in
Hookers path, took up position just III his
rear. At daylight on the memorable 18th the
skirmishers of the Pennsylvania Reserves re-
sumed the action, the whole corps soon becom-
ing involved IN the engagement, while the
enemy were forced into a second line of woods
beyond the first. The contest then became more
animated and Hooker ordered up to his support
the corps of Mansfield, who fell mortally
wounded while examining the ground In front
of his line. For two hours the battle ragged with
and and 8 at last the enemy were were
forced back into the second line OF woods, from
which they had attempted to advance. About
o'clock in the morning General SedgWick's
Division of Summers Corps arrived upon the
field, and the attack upon the Rebel line was
renewed with greater vigor. But the left of
way, Sedgwck being severely wounded, and the
command deVolVine on General Howard. About
the same time General Hooker received a severe
wound in the foot, and was taken from the
field. The advance of the enemy, however, was
soon checked by the unmasking of our batteries
on the lett, and they were forced back TO a line
of woods beyond their former position.
While these events were transpirlng, another
division of Summers corps, under the command
of General French, was ordered to make a
diversion to the left in favor of the attack on
the right They encountered a calling fire
from sunken road in 'front.' the enemy also
attempting to turn their left. The battle ragged
fercely at this point, the slaughter of troops
| being frightful; but they moved steadily for
| assalled from different point. The batteries
| on our extreme right having put an end to an
| advance in that direction, the foe abandoned the
attack there and rushed to the assistance of the
| forces opposed to General French, whose right
| flank they endeaVOred to turn, but in vain.
! Having repulsed tins last sally of the foe,
| FTench's Division, which had been under fire for
| four hours, took up position below the crest
| of the heights on which they had been engaged,
| the enemy disturbing them no further for time.
! Following down the line of battle to the left,
| we find that Richardson's Division of Summers
| Corps had crossed the Antietam at the same
point a. the others, about halfpast 8 o'clock.
! A fierce encounter with the enemy ensued our
| forces laboring under great disadvantages in
consequence OF irregularles in the ground. The
contest at this pointWas also extremely animated
the opposing forces at one time being ranged
IN parallel lines, in an effort to gain possession
| OF height which commanded the situation
and from which the enemy were finally hurled
back. Several desperate attempts to turn oul
line were then made and repulsed, and the
musketry Ere at this point ceased. Bat the
| lnn nm n CHI 10t1od div,or. nV1f