The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-09-07
THE BATTLE OF ANTEITAM.

tory" the New ork 1r'h~ne' Oh 'ne
Sd inst, publishes, from the archives OF
the War Department, General ROCKERS
official account of the battle of Anteitsm,
which occu rred on the 10th and 18th OF
September, 1862, and which, by some ac-
cident, was not placed upon the files OF
the department until very recently
General HooKER's report bears date OF
Nov. s, 1872 and contains succint and
graphic account of the battle as written
out by himself, at the time, so far IS re-
lstes to that portion of the army under
his command; and accompanying 1t Is q
supplementary report or rather state
ment written in July Of the present
year, embodying his own opinion OF the
conduct of the whole battle after re-
visiting the entire field subsequent to the
war. 1t will be remembered that Gen.
ersl HOOKER commanded the right wing
of the Union army and General BURN
SIDE the left. 1t was intended that the
attack should be simultaneous along the
whole line, but it was not, IS HooKERs
troops engaged the enemy early In the
morning of the 10th, while BURNSIDE
did not commence his movement until 10
o'clock of the second day, and after car.
rying the bridge suspended his advance
for two or three hours This gave the
rebels an opportunity TO mass their
troops against HooKER's division, but ne
SAWS, Il never had the enemy so much to
my advantage, and know the opportu-
nifty was improved to the fullest limit OF
my ability" General HooKER's sup
Elementary statement does not re-
fleet any censure upon General
BURNSIDE, but he says, 81 have no
knowledge whether he was acting under
hi. own orders or those of the command
ing general, but only know that II
more difficult and Insurmountsble point
of assault could have been found on the
Antietsm river from its source TO its
mouth | have been unable to fnd 1t.
He saws further that "the river between
the bridge over which he crossed and the
one over which BURNSIDE attempted to
throw his troops had numerous practical
fords and fey or commanding heights fer
batteries to occupy or defensive works OF
any kind for the enemy to avail himself
of, and that his only surprise Is that the
effort should have been at the point
selected Continuing his narrative, he
saws General BURNSIDE, however,
succeeded in crossing, and advanced
nearly to Shsrpsburg, when the enemy
receiving relnforcements, he was COM
PEELED to turn back and recross the river,
The following day, the 18th, no attack
appears to have been made on the enemy
along our whole line, aud the next day
he recrOssed the Potomac unmoleSted
In conclusion General HOOKER says IN
regard to the whole affair that this bat
tie has been called victory for our arms
but, whether rightly so or not, the coun-
try, after reading my report, will be able
to form an enlightened judgment on the
subject, and if it should not confirm the
verdict of some of our authors, will un-
derstand the reason for our failure. Our
attacks, instead of having been made
simultaneously, and by the whole army,
were made feebly, by corps, extending
over a period of "a hours, and At least
one corps of the army nowhere engaged.
No one who is at all familiar with
the subject can doubt that in the above
General HOOKER intended to convey a
direct and deliberate censure upon Gen.
MCCLELLAN, who was cOmmander-ln-
chief at that time; besides, it entirely
agrees with the verbal account OF the
battle which General HOOKER gave to
the Secretary of War Mr.. STANToN) in
presence of Governor ANDREW, immedi-
ately after his arrival al Washington,
while lying upon a lounge, with
his wound still fresh, IN the Secretary's
office. Upon this occasion, when
commenting upon the failure of General
MCCLELLAN to engage the enemy along
his entire line while he was fighting bis
left wing, General HOOKER said, with
great animation, And there was the
whole Union army resting on their arms
to see $4,000 men drive 10000, and by
Cd, Mr. Secretary, we did it." The
corps of the army nowhere engaged" re-
f,rred to above, was the command of
General FITZ JoHN PORTER, which did
not fire shot during the battle, and was
too far in the rear when the enemy were
beaten to be of any service in cutting off
their retreat.
ABOUT as lively reading as We find
anywhere nowadays Is IN the North
american ReUieSo, reiuvenated, reformed