The Republican journal., 1882-01-19

enough of war to know that those shattered lines
could not charge again that day if they held their
own they would do we'll. In the midst of these
gloomy thoughts we body of men march
along the Hagerstown road, cross the bridge, and
then form on the left aank of Summers command.
Reinforcements we gladly cried-Gnd it must be
Frau kns corps Closely We watched the develop
ments We saw brigade, which we afterwards
learned was Smiths, ana hich was made up of
men from Maine and Vermont. charge and once
more retake the corn field; and they halted not
until they had swept through the woods beyond
and had sent the rebels flying back in terrible
defeat
The masketry on the right died gradually away,
and only the growing of artillery was heard But
while we were so intenuly watching the right, the
battle had been raging from the centre to the left
The artillery planted along the side of the bill
upon which stood had been laundering at the
rebels all the forenoon, and the ground had trem-
bed and throbbed under the fearful roar. Upon
the left General Burnside had been doing noble
work The ninth corps, commanded by Burnside,
had slept the night of the 10Th upon ridge of
land near the Stone bridge There Lee had massed
his troops to prevent its capture This artillery
was planted the ridge that stretched along the
western bank of the AHtietam, and raked the
bridge from every quarter aud III three lines OF
rude earth works were the rebel infantry. At nine
o'clock in the morning Burnside led his men 10
storm the bridge. 1t was a fearful undertaking
single regiment dashed out as sklrmishors,
brigade followed and then divisions; they reach
h,;. sbaItl FIJI
among their closely massed ranks. Twenty thou
sand musket8 were pouring theit leaden rain upon
the assauiDg column! They crossed the bridge;
deployed to ri sht an LETT battle hue was form
ed they dashed up the hill, hurled back
rpiuforcements arrived they charged again +; back
and forth they surged. terrific yell rolled up
the line to tell US they had succeeded and The clouds
of smoke aud dust showed clearly that our men
held the ridge and that the rebels ere falling back
Ii vas late in the afternoon; whatever was 10 be
done on that day must be done quickly Thel 'sses
on both sides had been fearful, the rebels having
hal the advantage OF position our loss was prob
ably the greatest The enemy had been driven
back at both Il uks and had formed new line of
battle near Snarpsburg We listened Burnside
was evidently advan eng Those terrible Vollies
of muskery, he ceaseless din of artillery, the
clouds Of smoky dust were rolling back towards
Sharpsburg, where rested the rebel center Burn
side Is pushing their right flank back, doubling ii
upon the center II he can only succeed. the late
OF the rebel army "a sealed Great interests were
at stake Burps.des men were exhausted Their
ranks we're sadly thnued, Each regiment was
but a shattered wreck If his command could
only have been ns pired with reiEforcements
cloud of dust was seen rushing from h ceuter Of
the T, bel line towards mis- night. Lee had seen his
danger, and had sent aI to reinforce Longstreet,
to check and crush Burnside Then up the dusty
highway to Nj CleaD caue a messenger. his horse
frcked with foam. Burnside says send nae men
and guns and will sweep ali before me without
them cannot succeed VIII Mcclellan grant, the
request! Fifteen thousand fresh troops were IN
the valley at his feet, each man impatient for
part in the day work and for share i'll the glory
of the victory Fifteen Thousand reuforcements
for Gen Burnside meant the overthrow of both
Laugstreet ard Hill They would be hurled back
upon the center and the rebel army would then
be between the forces of Burnside and Sumner,
with the fords of the Potomac in our possession
Antictsm would thus be the death bed of the con
tederacy, McCellau'5 answer was-"Tell Burn
side TO hold on 1t is the greatest battle of war.
| Will send him battery | have no infantry to
send If he is driven back he must hold the
bridge for if that is lost, lose all - Burnside
was overpowered and slowly reli, guished the
ground he had gained, Slowly the enemy advanc-
ed They had been so roughly handled that they
did not press Burnside back upon the bridge.
Tney halted The firing died gradually away.
Darkness came on. The euemy was beaten at
every point No advan made BY our troops
General Lee under pretenee Of an aruistice tc
bury his dead, was allowed regain to certain
extent what he had lost on the field Of battle
hile our men were mortified lose the results of
their dearly purchased victory through the seem
lug stupidity of their dearly beloved Commanding
General Az OLD PRIVATE.