Mansfield, supported by General Sumner's and, if necessary, by General Franklin's; and as soon as matters looked favorably there, to move the corps of General Burnside against the enemy's extreme right upon the ridge running to the south and rear of Sharpsburg, and having carried that position, to press along the crest towards our right."* Whenever either of these flank movements should be successful, our centre was to be advanced with all the forces then disposable. To accomplish the first object, General McClellan had a force of fifty-six thousand one hundred and ninety-five men. To accomplish the second, General Burnside had at his disposal thirteen thousand eight hundred and nineteen men. For the third, there were nearly, if not quite, twenty thousand men. The main attack, of course, was to be made upon the enemy's left, for which purpose twenty-five thousand men-or to speak accurately, twenty-four thousand nine hundred and eighty-two-had already crossed the creek, and were eagerly awaiting, on the morning of the 17th, the signal to attack.

the great

bat

At daylight on Wednesday, September 17th, tle of Antietam was opened by the skirmishers of the Pennsylvania Reserves in General Meade's division of General Hooker's corps. From that time until the sun set and the darkness put an end to the conflict, the struggle went on with varying fortune. The opposing lines swayed to and fro in the writhings of the death-struggle. At the close of the day, the two armies occupied nearly the same position as in the morning, with the exception of the Ninth Corps, which had gallantly carried the bridge in its front, moved across the creek and occupied the heights beyond, securing, in spite of the enemy's most strenuous efforts, the most advanced position of any corps in the army. It was a desperate struggle, a bloody day. The two armies, whose blood had dyed the waters of the Chickahominy, again confronted each other along the banks of the Antietam, and fought with desperate valor another of those great battles

* McClellan's Report, p. 201.

which decided scarcely anything more than the equal courage, persistence and obstinacy of the combatants. A few guns and flags were left in our hands, and thirty thousand dead and wounded lay scattered over the fields of the sanguinary contest.

The main attack commenced from our right. The whole of General Hooker's corps was soon engaged, and, fighting with impetuous courage, was successful in forcing the enemy back from an open field in front of its position to a line of woods in his rear. As the battle became more general, it became more determined. The enemy hurried up his troops to counteract the temporary check which he had sustained. General Hooker pushed forward the supporting corps of General Mansfield to secure the advantage which he had already gained. The brave old soldier, General Mansfield, whose age might well have kept him from the field, but whose spirit was as ardent as the youngest soldier there, led his troops forward to the contest. Scarcely had he come within the line of fire, when a bullet struck him, and he fell, mortally wounded. General Williams took command of the corps once more and fought it through the remainder of the day. The piece of ground over which General Hooker was attempting to force the enemy was most obstinately contested. For two hours the battle raged with great. fury, and without material advantage to either party. Finally, the enemy's line was driven back and our forces advanced into the woods. General Sumner's corps now began to arrive, General Sedgwick leading the command. The division in advance came on gallantly in three columns, deployed into three lines when near the enemy, advanced through the woods in front, and, passing through them, was met by a galling fire as it attempted to emerge into the open field. At the same time, the enemy coming up on the left, succeeded in turning the flank of General Sedgwick's division, and taking it in reverse threw the troops into a temporary confusion. They gave way towards the right and rear, but were soon rallied again by their officers, and prevented the enemy from securing any fruits from his momentary success. So fierce now became the resist

ance of our men, that the enemy found himself compelled to desist from his advance, and again retired into the woods from which he had previously been dislodged. During the assault General Sedgwick was twice wounded, but kept the field until faintness and exhaustion consequent from loss of blood compelled his withdrawal. About the same time, or just previously, General Hooker was severely wounded and was taken to the rear. General Meade succeeded to the command of the first corps. Our lines were rearranged and the prevailing confusion partially remedied.

In the meantime, the two remaining divisions of General Sumner's corps, under Generals French and Richardson, had crossed the creek in the rear of General Sedgwick, and facing to the left, advanced against the enemy, pushing on with great vigor through fields of corn, over fences, stone walls and other obstructions, and bravely entered into the fight. Pressing the enemy before them, they made their way very nearly to the crest of a range of small hills, where the rebel forces were posted in a sunken road and adjoining cornfields, from which issued a most destructive fire. The enemy made repeated attempts on both flanks and in front to drive our men back, but was as repeatedly repulsed with great slaughter. For four hours, these brave troops maintained their position, when, having exhausted their ammunition, they withdrew immediately below the crest, the enemy declining to follow. In the course of these movements and operations General Richardson was mortally wounded, while directing the fire of his artillery. General Franklin came up with his corps, between twelve and one o'clock, and was immediately sent over to the right to reenforce General Sumner, whose corps had suffered a loss of more than one-fourth of its men, so severe had been the contest with the enemy at General Sedgwick's and particularly General French's position. But after General Franklin had got into position, it was deemed advisable for him not to attack, but only to do little more than to relieve the troops who had been engaged, and to hold his men in readiness to repel

any assault which the enemy might make. One brigade, under Colonel Irwin, was sent forward to check a force of the enemy which was advancing down the road, and succeeded, though with great loss, in accomplishing its object. Between nine thousand and ten thousand men had already been killed or disabled in the three corps engaged, and numbers of the remainder were badly scattered and demoralized. General Sumner, who was in immediate command upon the field across the creek, did not venture to risk another general attack with the only available corps on the right wing, and the enemy seemed to be equally averse to a recommencement of the severe fighting. By the middle of the afternoon all serious hostilities had ceased upon our right. General Jackson at one time made a movement to turn our right, but found our troops and our numerous artillery so judiciously established" in our front, as to render it inexpedient to hazard the attempt." Desultory firing was kept up until dark, and our troops rested upon the ground which General Hooker's corps had occupied on the previous night, and upon that which General French's division had gallantly won.

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66

The centre of our line was held by the corps of General Fitz John Porter, the cavalry division of General Pleasonton and the Reserve Artillery. These troops were occupied during the day at different points, with the exception of portions of two divisions, which remained inactive. General Pleasonton, with the batteries of Captains Robertson, Tidball, Gibson, and Lieutenant Haines, supported by a battalion of infantry, advanced across the second bridge, and made a resolute and daring attack upon that portion of the enemy that was engaged with General Sumner's left. Tidball's battery especially did great execution. The boldness of the movement which this battery made excited the admiration of the enemy himself, for Captain Tidball showed great skill and daring in putting his guns in an advanced position, and in directing his case shot and canister upon the masses of the foe. An eye-witness on the enemy's side describes the great accuracy of our artillery fire.