The National tribune., 1904-03-24

Hookers Corps was put in motion, and
crossed the stream at the upper bridge and
| ford. out of range of the hostile fire. Ad-
| vancing through the woods, Hooker soon
struck the left flank of the Confederate
| line. held by Hoods two brigades. Lee
| had anticipated menace on that flank,
and he had made his dispositions &C
co:dingly - Hoods Brigades forming
a crotchet on the Confederate left.
| I'D 1t was towards dusk when the troops
| of Hooker and Hood met; and after n
| smart skirmish between the Confederates
and the division of Pennsylvania Reserves
under Gen. Meade the opposing forces
| rested on their arms for the night. both
| occupying skirt of woods which forms
the eastern and northern Enclosure of n
| considerable clearing on both sides Of the
HagerstOwn road.
| MOVEMENT WAS TOO LATE.
This movement across the Antietam on
| the 10th was of no advantages: it was
made too late in the day to accomplish
| anything. and it served to disclose to Lee
| his antagonists purpose. The Confeder-
ate commander made no change in his
dispositions, save to order Jackson, who
lay in reserve in the rear of the left, to
| substitute couple of his brigades in the
roonl>Of Hoods wOrnOut command. Gen.
| Mcclellan strengthened the turning col
umn by directing Sumner to throw over.
during the night, the Twelfth Corps under
Gen. Mansfield to the support of Hooker;
and he ordered Sumner to hold his own
corps Ghe SeconfD in readiness to cross
| early in the morning.
HOOKER STARTED THE FIGHT.
At the first dawn of the 18th the con-
bat was opened by Hooker. who assailed
| the Confederate left now held by Jack
sons force. The ground OIL which the bat
ha w
the action continued to be waged during
the day; and it has already been indicated
i'll that opening extending to the east and
| west of the Hagerstown road bounded on
each side by woods. In the fringe Of
| forest on the eastern side of the road
a Judgment. though morning found the
Confederate rifiemen still clinging to its
margin. while the main force of Jackson
lay in the low timbered ground on the west
side of the road.15) where the Confed-
crate troops were pretty we'll protected by
Outcropping lodges of rock. But though it
had this tactical advantage for the de-
for il was completely commanded and
seen in reverse by high ground little to
the right of where Hooker formed his line
of battle. This hight was the keypoint
of all that part of the field, and had it
been occupied by Union batteries. as 1t
should have been, the low timbered
ground around the bunker Church where
Jackson's line lay could not have been
held Is minutes. 1t is noteworthy fact
| that neither Gen. Hooker nor Gen. Sum-
ner, who followed him in command on this
part Of the field. at all appreciated the SUI
preme Importance of this point. 16D The
| former. beginning the combat, opened a
| direct attack with the view of carrying the
Hagerstown road and the woods on the
cir Of IN ho
| the aim of all the subsequent attacks.
| which We're made very much in detail. and
thus lost the effective character they might
have had with more comprehensive dispo-
Sitions.
sTONEwALL PUSHED BACK BY HOOKER.
Hooker formed his corps of ii 900 men.
with DOubleday's Division on the right,
Meade's in the center. and Ricketts's on
the left. Jackson opposed him with two
divisions. Ewelrs Division being advanced
to command the open ground, while the
Stonewall Division lay in reserve in the
woodland on the west side Of the Hagers-
town road. His entire force present num-
| bered 1900 men-a great disproportion OF
| nnmbers.1O After an hours bloody
'bnshw acking," Hookers troops succeed
ed in clearing the hither woods Of the
three Confederate brigades, which retired
i'll disorder across the open fields. with q
loss of half their reduced numbers. 1S)
The Union batteries on the opposite bank
| Of the Antietam had secured an enflade
| fire on JacksOns advanced and reserve
line. and, together with the ba tteries in
front, inflicted severe loss on the enemy
Hooker then advanced his center under
Meade to seize the Hagerstown road and
the woods beyond. In attempting to exc
| cute this movement, the troops came under
| very severe fire from Jackson's reserve
division. which. Joined by the two brigades
OF Hood that had moved up in support,
| issued from the woods, and threw back
Meade's line, which was much broken. At
| the same time. Ricketts's Division on the
left became holly engaged with three
brigades Of Hills Division, which were at
this time closed up on the right of Jack
son in support: and Hooker's right Di-
vision, under Doubleday, was held in
check by the fire Of several batteries of
Stuart's hOrse-artilery posted on COM
handing ground on his right and front.
Hooker had suffered severely by the
enemy's, fire; but :, worse still, had lost
nearly half his effective force by strag-
gling.09) In this state Of facts his Of
fensive power was completely gone; and.
at o'clock, Mansfield's Corps, which had
| crossed the Antietam during the night
and lay in reserve a mile to the rear, was
ordered up to support and relieve Hook
ers troops. or this corps, the First Divi-
on the right, and the Second, under Gen.
Greene, on the left. During the deploy-
ment that veteran soldier, Gen. Mansfield,
batteries was excellent. and their superi-
ority over the Confederate artillery was
soon apparent. OF this there Is q very
frank confession i'm the Report Of Gen.
ID. II. Hill: IAN artillery duel between the
Washington (New Orleans) Artillery and
the Yankee batteries across the Antieta m
on the 10th was the most melancholy fla rec
| in the war. They could not cope with the
Yankee guns. Reports Of the Army of
Northern Virginia, vol. ii, p. 49,
IA. I'm anticipation Of a movement tn
turn the line Of Antietam, Hoods two
brigades had been transferred from the
| right to the left. and posted between d.
IL. Hill and the Hagerstown road."-Lee:
Reports of the Army OF Northern Virginia.
vol. i. p. SO.
ID. This road will be noted, In the ac-
| companying sketch, as that on the margin
| OF which stands what is known as the
| bunker church"
16. 1t is equally remarkable that it's i'm
portance was overlooked by the Confeder-
ates until several hours after the action
| opened.
II. Incredible though this return Of the
| strength Of Jackson's two divisions may
| appear, it is vouched for by official eyi-
| Go haI L.