The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-21

great vigor to attack with hiS whole
army the divisions OF the confederate
commander. To delay General NC
Clellan so a. to give General Jackson
time to reach Harper's Ferry bril-
liant and stubborn resistance was
made to the approach Of General Nc
Champions Gap a. well. These pre-
liminary engagements. while bloody.
stubborn and brilliant. costing the
south some OF her noolcst defenders
were successful In that they detained
General Mcclellan long enough TO en-.
able General Lee TO call round him
a sufficient number OF his faithful
followers from Harper's Ferry TO make
q stand at ~Sharpsburg. General
Jackson to whom Harper's Ferry sur.
rendered with Its 1900 troops. la.0cD
stand OF arms. 20 pieces OF artillery.
and q large number OF very valuable
stores. ordering General A. y. Hill to
attend to the paroling Of b prisoners.
gave orders to Generals McLaws and
Walker to follow him as rapidly a.
possible Inc join him at Sharpsburg.
which place General Jackson reached
on the evening OF the 18th. The lit
tie village Of ~Sharpsburg lies about
a mile away from the west bank OF
the Antietam creek, and was the EN-
ter Of six roads coming in at this point
from as many directions. One o
from Aarper's Ferry. ~seventeen miles
away. entered his little hamlet on the
south side: another from Boonesboro
on the east: another from AagerS-
town from the north.another frol Shep-
herdstown on the Potomac. southwest:
another from Pieasan Valley on the
southeast. To n standing In the
center OF this little hamlet. composed
largely OF b homes OF thrifty Dutch
fSrmers. the Antietam II before him
at q distance Of about q mile. while be-
hind him in horseshoe shape. at An
lies the Potomac river. General Lees
disposition Of his troops was - fol.
Iowa. The right center to the right
OF the Boonsboro road was assigned
to General Longstreet: The left center
to General d. H. Hill. on the left Of
the same road. Next OF the left reach
ddg towards the Hegertown pike were
Hoods Brigades; next to the left came
the Stonewall division. and that Of
l. General Ewell reaching across this
road. while General Lees
extreme left was commanded by horse
| artillery under General Stuart. whose
batteries were protected by two small
brgades OF infantry. The extreme right
OF the confederate army was assigned
I W ScucId a w hlhcIs anu swine StOTBIo
troops, the Antietam creek flowing
obliQuely towards the Potomac Is span.
ned where ever h public roads cross-
ed 1t by strong bridges. The hills on
the east side of this creek were CROWN
ed with General McClellans reserve
artillery. The disposition of his pow
erful army numbering between W, 900
and 100000 troops was 30 made as to
put General Burnside with the 9Th
l c0rnc on McClol1anS aYfrerna laFf
who's whole army lay stretched away
! towards his extreme right with General
Hooker in OF his right wing.
General McClellan's plan OF battle was
to open up'a heavy artillery fire from
the commanding positions east Of the
| Antietam creek all along this whole
| line, and under the cover to pass Gen.
eral Hookers corps by a circuitous
route across the creek higher up, and
seek to turn General Lees left flank.
On the afternoon Of the 10th General
Hooker had effected the passage with
his own corps and hat Of Mansfield
and General Sumner. The fighting be-
ginning late in the afternoon was be-
tween a portion Of this force and the
confederate troops under the command
OF General Hood III engagements
while bloody and stubborn, were In no
wise decisive. Early on the morn
ing Of the fifth Of September not later
tina sunrise. thirty five years ago
this day. under the cover OF furious
cannodading all along the line Gen.
eral Hooker sought to execute the
dangerous task Of turning General
Lees left flank, n then striking his
line in reverse to sweep down parallel
to the Antietam. In order to enable
him to do this General Mcclellan had
furnished him with nearly so. 600 troops.
but there was a lion in his path and
| that lion was Stonewall Jackson, who
hurled against him the remnants OF
his noble old divisions. comprising as
Mr.. Swinton informs us not more than
1000 troops, and some $500 others.
such was the valor and impetuosity OF
General Jackson's men that before Z
o'clock Hookers own corps was broken
and beaten. Mansfield's corps next
came into line, when General Lee
strengthened his own line by calling
in General Hood and General Early.
when the federal line was again press
| ed back, while its noble leader. Mans
field, yielded up his life. General Sum-
ners corps next ordered in, with num-
bers SO great as to involve General
Lees center. Here the fighting became
terrible, and the tide OF battle ebbed
and flowed. First the bule surging
forward, then the gray line pressing
them pack. Happily AT this ~jucture
ASS AAAS SNSPc " AAo Ca
IRENE right under McLaws and And
erson, n the struggle for victory
ground the old Dunkard church be-
came terrific, until finally such was the
high courage OF all h confederate
troops. and such the high mettle Of
the North Carolina men that had been
led over to the right to reinforce Gem
efal Lees left center and extreme left
wing that the federal line was pressed
] back to the pOzitiOn IL OccuDied early
in the morning. Pending all this
heavy fighting on General Lees left
flank, both Generals d. H.. Hill and
Longstreet on both sides OF the Boons-
boro road had been warmly but not -
/ hotly engaged "a were those 30 hercely
assaulted On General Lees left by the
three corps already mentioned. ON
must lot think for one m that
GENERAL McClellan's management Of
this fearful strife was 30 faulty as to
leave his own left unemployed. He did
J pfya orders To General Rurpuido m