The National tribune., 1904-03-24

the corps fell to Gen. Williams, and the
| division of the latter to Gen. Ora wford,
| who. with his own and Gordon's Brigade,
made an advance across the open field,
and succeeded in Selling point of woods
on the west side Of the Hagerstown road.
At the same time, Greene's Division on
/, The left was shle to clear its 'front.' and
crossed into the left of the bunker church.
Yet the holding Of the positions was at
tended with heavy loss; the troops, re-
duced to the attempt to hold their own,
began to waver and break, and Gen.
Hooker was being carried from the field
| severely wounded, when. opportunity, to-
wards o'clock. Gen. Sumner with his
own corps reached the field. (2O)
vIcToRY's EBB AND FLOW.
The battle had now declared itself
with great obstinacy between the Union
right and Confederate left without having
burst forth on any other part of the line.
The action was fought very much in detail
on both sides-each, as from time to time
re-enforcements reached it, being able to
claim q partial success. Hooker, after
| driving one of Jackson's Divisions, was in
turn forced back by the other; and Mans
fields Corps, having caused this to re-
treat, found itself overma stored by the
fresh battalions of Hood.(2 CD The combat.
| though very murderous on each side, had
been quite indecisive. 1t was in this stu
| alton of affairs that Summers force
reached the ground; and it seemed at
| thrown into the Union scale would give
it the victory. The troops of Jackson and
| Hood had been so severely punished as
to leave little available fight in them; so
| that, when Sumner threw Sedgwck's Di-
visions OH his right across the open field
| into the woods opposite-the woods in
which Crawford had been fghting-he
10 tn
troops before him, and held definite pos
| session Of the woods around the Bunker
| Church. At the same time, Sumner adj
vanced French's Division on what had
| hitherto been the left. and Richardson 5
Division still further to the left to oppose
| the Confederate center under Hill. Rich
| ardsOn had got handsomely to work, and
| French had cleared his front, when dis
aster again fell on the fatal right At the
moment that Sedgwick appeared to grasp
victory in his hands, and the troops OF
Jackson and Hood were retiring in dis
order 22) two Confederate divisions, un-
der McLaws and Walker. taken from the
| left. and Immediately turned the fortunes
| of the day.(23) A considerable interval
had been left between Summers right d.
vision under Sedgwick and his center divi-
sion under French. Through this the enc
my penetrated, enveloping Sedgwick's left
flank, and, pressing heavily at the same
time on his front, forced him out Of the
woods Oh the west side of the Hagers-
town road, and back across the open field
and into the woods on the east side Of the
road-the original position held in the
morning. (24 The Confederates, content
with dislodging the Union troops. made no
attempt to follow up their advantage, but
| retired to their original position also.
SUCCESS OF FRENCH.
We must now look little to Summers
| other divisions-to French and Richard
son on his center and left. When the pres
| sure On Sedgwick became the hardest.
Sumner sent orders to French to attack,
| as a diversion in favor of the former.
French obeyed, with the brigades. of Kim
ball and Weber, and succeeded in forcing
| back the enemy to sunken road which
runs almost at right angles with the
Hagerstown road. This position was held
| by the division of d. H. Hill, three of
| whose brigades had been advanced to as
sist Jackson in his morning attacks; and
| it was these that were assailed by French
| and driven back in disorder to the
sunken road.(25) Uniting here with the
| other brigades OF Hill. they received the
attacks both of French and Of Richard
sons Division to his left.
RICHARDSON'S SUCCESS.
The latter division was composed OF the
| brigades Of Meagher, Caldwell and
Brooke. Meagher first attacked, and
fought his way to the possession OF crest
| overlooking the sunken road in which
Hills line was posted. After sustaining a
| severe musketry fire, by which 1t lost Sc.
verely. this brigade, it's ammunition being
expended, was relieved by the brigade of
Caldwell-the former breaking BY com
panies to the rear, and the latter
by companies to the front. Caldwell
| Immediately became engaged in a very de-
| termined combat, and was supported by
part OF Brooke's Brigade, the rest of the
| latter being posted on the right to
| thwart an effort on the part of the enemy
to flank in that direction. The action here
was Of very animated nature; for Hill.
being REINFORCED by the division of An
derson, (26) assumed a vigorous offensive.
| 20. OF the extraordinary statement re-
| speeding this part Of the battle made by
Gen. Hooker, in his evidence before the
Committee on the Conduct Of the War,
| it must be said, at least, that it is not
justified by facts: "At that time 50
O'clock" says he, my troops were in the
finest spirit: they had whipped Jackson,
| and compelled the enemy to fly, throwing
| away their arms, their banners, and saw
ing themselves as best they could" IRE
port, vol. j, p. 581) Now not only is this
toHtIduiCteu ny lnc IdCIS ABOVE feclted,
| and which are derived from the reports
| Of both sides; but Gen. Sumner, who at
| the time spoken Of by Gen. Hooker
| reached the field. says: ION going upon
| the field found that Gen. Hooker's Corps
had been dispersed and routed. l passed
him some distance in the rear, where lie
had been carried, wounded, but l saw
nothing OF his corps at oil as was ad-
vancing with my command on the field.
| sent one Of my staff-officers to find where
| they were, and Gen. Ricketts,, the only
| officer we could find, stated that he could
not raise 300 men OF the corps" Sumner
Evidence on Antietam, vol ], D. 1893.
Il. Gen. Sumner afterwards held the
| following language in regard to these par
| tial attacks: Il have always believed that.
| instead Of sending these troops into that
| action in driblets, had Gen. Mcclellan au-
thorized me to march these 10000 on the
left flank OF the enemy, We could not have
failed to throw them right back in front
Of the other divisions Of our army on the
left. '-Report Of the Conduct Of the War.
vol. i, p. 1853.
| ~. Jackson admits that his troops had
| FALLEN back some distance to the rear
| Reports Of the Army OF Northern Vir.
ginia, vol. Ii, p. 1O4); but the reports of
the commanders that came upon the
ground to take the place Of his troops
give this falling back" the character of