Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-01

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vanced. This ended the serious fight
ing on The Confederate len. McOlsl-
lan's attack had failed, and Jackson
and his gallant colleagues held the field.
when Sumner was leading Ssdgwick TO
the attack tho other two divisions Of his
corps, under French and Richardson,
turned southwark, and soon found them.
selves face 10 face with the centre OF
the army along the Bloody Lane. This
position was held ct f1rst BY two Of d.
II. Hills brigsdes and some fragments
Of the others. A little later r. II. An
dsrson's division reinforced 1t. Sum-
nsr, when Sedgwick was being pressed,
ordered French and Richardson to at
tack the troops in their front in order
10 make . diversion. After most
gallant resistance Hill was driven from
the Bloody Lane. Anderson was in-
volved in the defeat, and 1t looked rs IL tho
enemy was about to pierce tho Confede-
rate centre. The noble efforts OF many
brave men prevented this result. The
artillery was managed and served with
a skill and gallsntry never surpassed.
Fragments Of commands fought with .
splendid determination. As General
Longstrset says, the brave Colonel j.
r. Cooke showed front to the enemy
when he no longer had q cartridge.
Such instances Of courage and gsllantry
as General Longstreet relates OF his
own staff did much to encourage our
men. The manner in which Longstreet,
ID. II. Hill, and other officers Of high
rank exposed themselves contributed to
the result, and though, as General Long
street says, some ground was gained
and held at this point by the Federals,
the attempt to break through the CEN
tire failed. General Longstreets arti-
Gle would lead one to infer that
this attack of French and Richard
son was the leading event of the day
on the field north Of Sharpsburg. 1t
does not, however, deserve this distinc-
ton, having been subsidiary to the
efforts made early in the morning fur
Their to the Confederate left. Let US
see how the battle seemed to the peo-
pie who were making the attacks up to
this time. General Pslfrey, q gallant
officer Of Sedgwick's division, who has
given US the best account so far written
of this campaign, says: 1.-The right
attack spent its force when Sedgwick
was repulsed. Up to that time there
had been close connection Of place and
some connection of time between the
movements of the First tHooker's),
Twelfth tMansield's), and Second Sum-
ner's) corps, but after that the attacks
were successive, both in time and place !;
and good as were some of the troops en-
gagged, and gallant as some of the fight
ing, the movements OF French and
Richardson excite but q languid inter.
est, for such use as was made Of these
troops was not Of the kind to drive
Hill, Hood, Jackson, Longstrest, and
Lee from a strong position, from which
SIX divisions of the Federal army had
already recOiled, and recoiled in con.
dition which left them for the moment
almost incapable Of further service"
The fighting on the Confederate left
and left centre was over by | O'Clock in
the day. Here McClellan's heaviest
blows had been delivered, and they had
been foiled with such fearful loss to
The Federal army that when Franklin
reached the field about midday, Sumner
would not permit him to resume the
offensive lest the repulse Of this last
body Of fresh men might lead to over
whelmiDg disaster. 1t would be diff
cult to gather from General Longstreet's
article that Jackson and his men had
much to do with this tremendous strug-
Gle on the Confederate left, though they
received the first and most terrible
blows delivered that morning against
the Confederate army.
McClellan's plan of throwing Barn.
side forward against the Confederate
tight flank at the same time that his
main attack was being made on their
left failed of execution. Toombs with
q handful Of Georgians held the bridge
aver the Antietsm for hours against all
/ efforts Of Burnside to cross it. No
more gallant thing was done that day
than the defense of this bridge, and 1t
was taken only when Burnside had
found his way across the creek at
ford below and threatened to enyelop
Toombs. Though forced from his po-
sition at last, the time Toombs had
gained was invaluable to the Confede-
rates. The fighting on Jackson's and
D. II. Hills line had been over some
hours before Burnside was ready to
advance. When the advance did come,
however, it was in such overwhelming
force that D. r. Jones's division was
gradually driven back from point to
point until by the middle Of the after.
noon the Federal troops were in the
very suburbs of Sharpsburg, aud the
day that Mcclellan had lost on hi:
right seemed about to be won by Burn
side on his left. 1t was at this critica
moment that A. p. Hill, who hac
marched seventeen miles from Harper''
Ferry that morning and had waded the
Potomac, reached the field upon tn
flank of Burnside's victorious column
With a skill, vigor, and promptnes'
which cannot be too highly praised
A. p. Hill formed his men in lint
and threw them upon Burnside's flank
Tombs and the other brigades Of D. r.
Jores's division gave such aid as they
we're able. The Confederate artillery
vas used with the greatest courage ant
determination TO check the enemy, bu
it las mainly A. p. Hills attack which
decided The day at this point and droy,
Burnside in confusion aud dismay bacH
TO the bridge. There is no part o
General Longstreet's article more un
worthy than the single line in which h
obscurely refers to the splendid achieve
meDt Of a dead comrade, whose battles
like Ney's, were all for his country an
and none against it, and who crowned
brilliant career by shedding his life
blood to avert the browning disaster
A. p. Hills march was splendid one
He left Harper's Ferry sixteen hour
after McLaws, but reached the battle
held only five hours behind him
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