Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-02-12
Written expressly for the Staunton Spectator.
OUR MESS-BY A REBEL SUBALTERN
CHAPTER VII.
CONCLUSION.

The march of General Lees army into Mary
land and through to Pennsylvania must be fresh
in the memory Of most of my readers. The
subsequent retreat of that army and the many
hard fought battles at different points must also
be familiar. We come now to SharpSburg,
where one Of the boodiest conflicts of the war
took place. q
1t was in the sunny month of September,
when nature was in her ripeness and the woods
rejoiced in such variety of colors that a poet
might have imagined that rainbow had fallen
among them and left its tints unfading.
Our mess had participated in the various con-
ficts, and. up to this time all of us had come
off without scratch.
The battle took place on Wednesday, the
18th of September, in the valley immediately
West of that portion of the Blue Ridge known
as the South Mountain, and to the East and
North Of Sharpsburg, almost in a semi circle.
the concave side of which is to the town. I'm
like most of the valleys in this Blue Ridge
country, this valley has not level spot in it,
but rolls into eminences of all dimensions, from
| to the rather high hill that makes him tug like
| mule. Many of the depressions between these
hills are dry, and afford admirable cover for in
| fantry against artillery. Others are watered by
| the deep, narrow and crooked Antietam, a
stream which seems to observe no decorum In
respect to Its course, but, has to be crossed ev
cry ten minutes, ride which way you will
| Sharpsburg lies on the Western side of the val
| ley. Right across the valley from the North
east runs the turnpike from Boonsboro' to
| Sharpsburg. Two little villages, Porterstown
and Keetersville, lie on the Eastern side of the
valley, at the foot of the South Mountains -
Numerous fine farm houses dot the valley in
every direction some standing out plain and
boldly on the hill tops, others half hidden down
the little slopes, and, with the large, comforta-
Bile barns about them, and their orchards of
| fruit trees, those hitherto happy and quiet
homes greatly enrich the view. Nearly every
part Of the valley was under cultivation, and
the scene was thus varied into squares of the
| light green of the nearly ripened corn, the
deeper green of clover and the dull brown of
newly plowed fields. Towards the North are
some dense woods. Imagine this scene spread
in the hollow of an amphitheatre of hills that
rise in terraces around it, and the reader will
have the battle field Of Sharpsburg
| The battle of the previous Sunday, the l4th
which was variously called the battle of Boons-
boro and Middletown, took place between those
towns, where the turnpike road crosses the Blue
Ridge General Lee, in his march West from
| Frederick city, posted Generals ID. II. Hill and
Stuart at the passes Of the mountains to hold
back Mcclellan forces, which were advancing
TO the felleI OF harper EefTy.
The enemy assaulted Hill with great vigor
| and with strong force at the main pass On the
| Frederick and Hagerstown road. His right was
| forced back when Longstreet division came to
| his support, and restored his broken ranks 1t
was in this fight that General Garland fell while
ralying his brigade The combined divisions
succeeded in resisting to the very last the efforts
of the enemy, and his object to relieve Harper S
Ferry was frustrated.
General Lee, on hearing that Harper's Ferry
had fallen into our hands through the skill of
Stonewall Jackson, withdrew Hill and Long
| street from their position, and took stand at
| Sharpsburg, where he could more rapidly unite
his forces
! On the 18th Mcclellan army passed through
the mountain gap, and on the 10th appeared
in front of Lees forces. On the afternoon of
that day he opened the battle with light artil-
lery fire on our line; early the next morning it
was renewed more vigorously, and an advance
was made in three compact lines. The divis-
ions of McIaws, r. II. Anderson, A. ?. Hill
and Walker had not yet come up. The divis-
ions of Generals jackson and Ewell were thrown
to the left Of Generals d. FL. Hill and Long
street. The enemy advanced between the An
tietam and the Sharpsburg and Hagerstown
roads, and were met by d. Ii. Hill and Long
street, when a severe conflict began and the en-
emy were repulsed and held in check Nc
Laws, Anderson and Walker arrived and par
ticipated in the fight.
In the afternoon the enemy advanced on our
right, where General Jones division was posted,
who stubbornly maintained his position. Gen
eral Toonb's Brigade defended the bridge over
the Antietaln. About four o'clock in the after
noon, General A. p Hill with five of his brig
AIDES arrived. and the enemy were Immediately
driven back from their position. The battle
continued fercey until night closed in, we hay
ing restored our right and maintained our posi-
ton on the field. The loss on both sides in this
sanguinary fight was fearful. Both parties
claimed the crown of victory, while some assert
that it was drawn battle. Be it as it may
Mcclellan left his dead upon the field, and did
not follow when our army fell back toward the
Potomac.
In the midst of the fight the tall form of
Muckton was conspicuous; his sinnewy arm
welded the sabre with deadly effect and his
blows were fast and heavy. The last saw of