tirely carried on by the two divisions of the Ninth Corps under Generals Cox and Willcox. General Hooker's corps, which, with the Ninth, was under General Burnside's direction, arrived at the base of the mountain soon after noon, and was mainly sent up the road to the right. General Gibbon's brigade of General Hatch's division, with a battery of artillery, was detached for an advance up the turnpike itself. At two o'clock, General Meade's division of General Hooker's corps moved out on the old Hagerstown road, and began to climb the mountain. It was deployed on the right of the road, and was followed by General Hatch's division, which deployed on the left, and by General Ricketts' division, which brought up the rear. An attempt was made to get up some pieces of artillery, but the nature of the ground prevented. The road way was narrow, and the ground on either side was very difficult for the movement of troops. Stone walls, forest land, and fallen timber obstructed the progress of our men. But they gallantly and persistently went forward, and soon encountering the enemy, came into general action along the entire front. The enemy was steadily beaten back, and on his left was outflanked by the skilful manoeuvering of General Seymour's brigade. On the left of General Hooker's line, General Hatch bravely urged his division forward, until he fell wounded, when General Doubleday took command, and the enemy's troops in that quarter were driven back by an impetuous charge of General Phelps's brigade.

By the continuous and steady forward movement of our troops, we had thus gained commanding positions on both sides of the turnpike, and the expulsion of the enemy was rendered certain. General Longstreet had now come up with reenforcements for the enemy's broken lines, and established his corps with Evans on the left, Hood in the centre, and Drayton on the right. But even these fresh troops could not prevent our victory. About five o'clock in the afternoon General Burnside ordered General Gibbon, with his brigade and one section of artillery, to move up the turnpike and demonstrate

upon the enemy's centre. It was a very delicate and hazardous manœuvre, but the manner in which it was executed by General Gibbon elicited the highest commendation for its skill and success. General Gibbon "advanced a regiment on each side of the road, preceded by skirmishers and followed by the other two regiments in double column, the artillery moving on the road until within range of the enemy's guns, which were firing on the column from the gorge. The brigade advanced steadily, driving the enemy from his positions in the woods and behind stone walls."* It reached the top of the pass, received a heavy fire on the front and both flanks, but persistently held its own and repulsed the enemy's attack. General McClellan, coming on the field late in the day, approved the arrangements, dispositions and orders which General Burnside had made, and was in time to confirm the order already given by General Burnside for the entire line of the Ninth Corps to advance. The order was most gallantly obeyed under the personal direction of General Reno. The troops moved forward with enthusiasm, pushed the enemy from all his positions and sent him over the crest in confusion. He again rallied, again attempted to take the lost ground, again failed. Even the coming on of the evening did not deter him from the ineffectual endeavor. He continued firing, with occasional charges upon the position of the Ninth Corps, until nine o'clock, when, giving up the struggle, he retreated down the mountain, defeated along his whole line, and leaving his dead on the field, his wounded unattended, and fifteen hundred prisoners in our hands. It was a most gallant and well contested action, and reflected the highest credit upon the officers and men of the first and Ninth Corps. General Burnside fought it with great skill, moving his troops with consummate promptness, and, heartily sustained by his subordinates, carried a most difficult position and gained a victory which was a propitious presage of better things to come. It was the first of a series of conflicts

*McClellan's Report, p. 199.

with General Longstreet's corps of the rebel army in which the Ninth Corps was engaged on different fields. The forces engaged were nearly equal, with about thirty thousand men on each side. The enemy had greatly the advantage of position and was comparatively fresh. General Lee did not contemplate fighting a pitched battle at this point. The instructions to General D. H. Hill were "to hold the position at every hazard until he was notified of the success "of Jackson's movement. But our attack was so vigorous, that General Longstreet was hurried up to the field, and the engagement was much more severe than had been anticipated. The enemy confessed to a loss of "quite twenty-five hundred" killed and wounded. Our losses were three hundred and twelve killed, one thousand two hundred and thirty-four wounded, and twenty-two missing, of which were to be numbered in the Ninth Corps one hundred and forty-four killed and five hundred and forty-six wounded.

The greatest loss of all was that of General Reno. He was killed about sunset, while reconnoitering the position of the enemy. The firing had ceased, and it was supposed that the battle was over. General Reno, always fearless, was now particularly unmindful of danger. He exposed himself to the enemy's view and was instantly shot down. He fell, as he would have wished, in the extreme front. Jesse L. Reno was born in Virginia in 1825, but in early life removed to Pennsylvania. He was a boy of quick parts and impetuous disposition, ready at all times for a fight or a frolic. He soon showed decided proclivities for a military life, and succeeded in obtaining an appointment as cadet in the United States Military Academy at West Point. He entered in 1842, passed successfully and honorably through his curriculum, and graduated in 1846 in the Ordnance Department, eighth in a class of fifty-nine members. He received his commission as brevet Second Lieutenant, July 1, 1846. He was sent to Mexico and, serving temporarily in the Artillery, joined a battery at Vera Cruz. He was advanced to the full grade of Second