The National tribune., 1907-12-19

Confederate cavalry on this line, and
they We're not idle spectators. Part of
Lees and Hampton's Brigades were GER
tainly there, and probably the whole OF
Lees. With less than half the numeri-
cal strength which was opposed to it,
therefore, the Kanawha Division had
carried the summit, advancing to the
charge for the most part over open
ground in a storm of musketry and
artillery fire, and had held the crests
they had gained thru the livelong day,
| in spite of all efforts TO retake them.
The Ninth and the First Corps were
deployed about o'clock in the after
noon, and from that time till dark the
proportions of the combat were en-
larged to a battle, which ragged along
two miles of mountain SUBMITS. The
casualties in the Ninth Corps had been
$50, of which 536 were in the Kanawha
Division, which also captured some 500
of the enemy, and sent them to the
rear under guard. Reno on the Ma
tional side and Garland on the Confed-
crate were the officers of highest rank
who were killed, but the wounded in
cluded long list of distinguished men,
among whom was Lieut.-Col. Ruther-
ford B. Hayes afterwards President),
who fell severely wounded in the early
morning struggle on our left, where,
also, Garland died, vainly trying to stay
the rout of his brigade as our men COW
cred the mountain top"
i At Turner's Gap.
| No effort had been made during all
the earlier hours of the fight to help
Cox out by an advance upon the main
| turnpike. Some time after noon, Burn
side, who seems to have been put in
charge of all the fighting, ordered the
advance of the First Corps on the Ma
tional road and upon the hills north of
it. Reports differ as to when the ac-
| ton began on the right, but it would
seem probable that about 2 o'clock
Hooker moved out with the First Corps
on the old Hagerstown road to gain
the summit north of the pike which
| commanded that road. In the mean
while LongStreet had come up in per-
son and took charge of the battle, much
| to Hills dissatisfaction, who expressed
his opinion quite freely that he could
manage the matter as well, if not bet
ter, than his superior officer. 1t may
be worth while to remark in passing
that subordinate officers were generally
likely to feel just this way.
Hooker encountered a severe resist
ance from the first from an enemy in
good defensive position and supported
| by the fire of batteries in the rear. His
men, gallantly led by their officers,
struggled forward over the lodges Of
rock and thru the dense underbrush
upon the mountain side. The contest
was stubborn, with every rod of ad-
vance being fought for. Gen. Hatch.
commanding the First Division, was
soon severly wounded, and succeeded
/ by Gen. Abner Doubleday. Col. VAIN
wright, 18th N. Y, succeeded to the
command of Doubleday's Brigade, and
was himself severely wounded. Gen.
Meade, commanding the Pennsylvania
Reserves. went into action on Hatch's
right, and soon came under heavy fire.
His men forced their way forward in
the face of this, and were near the sum-
NIT of the peak when darkness came
on to stop the fight. The advance di-
rectly upon the pike could not be made
until the f1anking movements of the
right and left had been measurably
successful. Then artillery was brought
up to where it could make better re-
ply to the enemy's guns on the hillside.
and Gibbons and Hartsuff's Brigades
marched directly up the pike. A Sc
we're struggle began at once, but the
men of those two brigades were veter-
ans. Altho the ground was exceedingly
unfavorable to the aggressors, being a
gorge winding around among sharp
cliffs. Gibbon and Hartsuff's men made
steady tho slow progress until at 3
o'clock when their last cartridges were
gone, their thin ranks stood near the
top of the Ridge. The fighting then
ceased on both Sides and Mcclellan be-
gan bringing up his men for renewal
in the morning.
Lee had in the meantime arrived on
the ground, and saw that he could not
maintain his position against the forces
massed on either flank and ordered
Longstreet to withdraw during the
night, which was done without molesta-
ton.
Mcclellan Claims n Great Victory.
Mcclellan sent number of exultant
dispatches to Washington during the
progress of the fight, and the next day
sent the following astonishing commun
cation:
Headquarters Army of the Potomac.
Bolivar. Sept. 1910 a. m.
ITO II w. Halleck, General-in-C Chief:
Information this moment received
completely confirms the rout and de- |
moralization of the Confederate army. |
Gen Lee is reported wounded and Car
land killed. Gen. Hooker alone has
over 1000 more prisoners, 700 having
been sent to Frederick. 1t is stated
that Lee gives his loss as 5000. We
are following as rapidly as the men
can move.
"Geo. B. Mcclellan, Major
Mcclellan seems to have passed from |
one extreme to the other How could |
he imagine that he had beaten any very
considerable portion of Lees army if |
ne DeneNcQ ms previous STORIES VI lllt
mm mensity of his opponents forces?
Mcclellan states his loss at 312 killed, |
1924 wounded and % missing: total
of 1858 He claims about 1900 pris- |
oners taken, but no guns. and says. The
losses of the enemy in killed was much |
greater tnan our own, and probably also |
in wounded" This seems highly i'm |
probable as the enemy fought most all |
the time behind good defenses, where |
they must have inflicted a far greater |
loss than they sustained. Our men We're |
constantly charging across open fields. |
against the enemy behind stone walls |
and similar defenses
The Scene From the South Mountain |
House.
Cen d. II. Hill gives this pen picture |
of the view which greeted his eyes from |
his post of observation near the way |
side inn known as the South Mountain |
House, at the crest of Turner's Gap:
"A little before this I had seen from
the lookout station near the Mountain
House the waste army of Mcclellan |
spread out before me. The marching
columns extended back far as eye could
see in the distance. but many of the
troops had already arrived and were
in double lines of battle. and these ad-
vancing We're taking up positions as
fast as they arrived. 1t was a grand |
and glorious spectacle, and il was i'm
possible to look at it without admira-