Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 9.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[581] right was made by Winder's brigade, (Colonel Grigsby commanding.) It was ordered to secure a commanding hill to the left of the heights, near the Potomac. Promptly dispersing some cavalry, this eminence, from which the batteries of Poague and Carpenter subsequently did such admirable execution, was secured without difficulty. In execution of the order given Major-General Hill, he moved obliquely to the right until he struck the Shenandoah River. Observing an eminence crowning the extreme left of the enemy's line, occupied by infantry, but without artillery, and protected only by an abatis of. fallen timber, Pender, Archer, and Brockenbrough were directed to gain the crest of that hill, while Branch and Gregg were directed to march along the river, and, during the night, to take advantage of the ravines, cutting the precipitous banks of the river, and establish themselves on the plain to the left and rear of the enemy's works. Thomas followed as a reserve. The execution of the first movement was intrusted to Brigadier-General Pender, who accomplished it with slight resistance; and during the night, Lieutenant-Colonel Walker, chief of artillery of Hill's division, brought up the batteries of Captains Pegram, McIntosh, Davidson, Braxton, and Crenshaw, and established them upon the position thus gained. Branch and Gregg also gained the positions indicated for them, and daybreak found them in rear of the enemy's line of defence.

As directed, Brigadier-General Lawton, commanding Ewell's division, moved on the turnpike in three columns--one on the road, and another on each side of it — until he reached Hulltown, when he formed line of battle, and advanced to the woods on School-House Hill. The division laid on their arms during the night, Lawton and Trimble being in line on the right of the road, and Hays on the left, with Early immediately in his rear. During the night, Colonel Crutchfield, my chief of artillery, crossed ten guns of Ewell's division over the Shenandoah, and established them on its right bank, so as to enfilade the enemy's position on Bolivar Heights, and take his nearest and most formidable fortifications in reverse. The other batteries of Ewell's division were placed in position on School-House Hill, on each side of the road.

At dawn, September fifteenth, General Lawton advanced his division to the front of the woods, Lawton's brigade (Colonel Douglas commanding) moved, by flank, to the bottom between School-House Hill and Bolivar Heights, to support the advance of Major-General Hill. Lieutenant-Colonel Walker opened a rapid enfilade fire from all his batteries at about one thousand yards' range. The batteries on School-House Hill attacked the enemy's lines in front. In a short time the guns of Captains Brown, Garber, Latimer, and Dement, under the direction of Colonel Crutchfield, opened from the rear. The batteries of Poague and Carpenter opened fire upon the enemy's right. The artillery upon the Loudon Heights, of Brigadier-General Walker's command, under Captain French, which had silenced the enemy's artillery, near the superintendent's house, on the preceding afternoon, again opened upon Harper's Ferry, and also some guns of Major-General McLaws from the Maryland Heights. In an hour, the enemy's fire seemed to be silenced, and the batteries of General Hill were ordered to cease their fire, which was the signal for storming the works. General Pender had commenced his advance, when the enemy again opening, Pegram and Crenshaw moved forward their batteries, and poured a rapid fire into the enemy. The white flag was now displayed, and shortly afterward, Brigadier-General White, (the commanding officer, Colonel D. S. Miles, having been mortally wounded,) with a garrison of about eleven thousand men, surrendered as prisoners of war. Under this capitulation, we took possession of seventy-three pieces of artillery, some thirteen thousand small arms, and other stores. Liberal terms were granted to General White, and the officers under his command, in the surrender, which, I regret to say, do not seem, from subsequent events, to have been properly appreciated by their Government.

Leaving General Hill to receive the surrender of the Federal troops, and take the requisite steps for securing the captured stores, I moved, in obedience to orders from the commanding General, to rejoin him in Maryland, with the remaining divisions of my command. By a severe night march, we reached the vicinity of Sharpsburg on the morning of the sixteenth.

By direction of the commanding General, I advanced on the enemy, leaving Sharpsburg to the right, and took position to the left of General Long street, near a Dunkard Church, Ewell's division (General Lawton commanding) forming the right, and Jackson's division (General J. R. Jones commanding) forming the left of my command. Major-General Stuart, with the cavalry, was on my left. Jackson's division (General Jones commanding) was formed partly in an open field, and partly in the woods, with its right resting upon the Sharpsburg and Hagerstown turnpikes; Winder's and Jones's brigades being in front, and Taliaferro's and Starke's brigades a short distance in their rear, and Poague's battery on a knoll in front.

Ewell's division followed that of Jackson to the woods on the left of the road, near the church. Early's brigade was then formed on the left of the line of Jackson's division, to guard its flank, and Hays's brigade was formed in its rear. Lawton's and Trimble's brigades remained, during the evening, with arms stacked, near the church.

A battery of the enemy, some five hundred yards to the front of Jackson's division, opening fire upon a battery to the right, was silenced in twenty minutes by a rapid and well-directed fire from Poague's battery. Other batteries of the enemy opened soon after upon our lines, and the firing continued until after dark.

About ten P. M. Lawton's and Trimble's brigades advanced to the front to relieve the command of Brigadier-General Hood, (on the left of Major-General D. H. Hill,) which had been more or less