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the death of our brave comrades, who have fallen so gloriously, we can only commend their souls to God, and their sorrowing friends to his sure protection.
May you go on from victory to victory, is the hope of the Colonel commanding the brigade.
A. T. A. Torbert, Colonel First New-Jersey Volunteers, Commanding First Brigade.
General Burnside's order on the death of General Reno.
headquarters of Ninth army corps, Mouth of Antietam, Md., September 20.
General order no. 17.
The Commanding General announces to the corps the loss of their late leader, Major-General Jesse L. Reno.
By the death of this distinguished officer the country loses one of its most devoted patriots, the army one of its most thorough soldiers.
In the long list of battles in which Gen. Reno has fought in his country's service his name always appears with the brightest lustre, and he has now bravely met a soldier's death while gallantly leading his men at the battle of South-Mountain.
For his high character and the kindly qualities of his heart in private life, as well as for the military genius and personal daring which marked him as a soldier, his loss will be deplored by all who knew him, and the Commanding General desires to add the tribute of a friend to the public mourning for the death of one of the country's best defenders.
By command of Major-General Burnside. Lewis Richmond, Assistant Adjutant-General.
New-York times account.
on the battle-field, Sunday Night, Sept. 14, 1862.
Although the battle of to-day was of long duration, still it was not so sanguinary, considering the forces engaged, as a spectator would at first be inclined to suppose.
Our loss in killed and wounded will not probably exceed two thousand, and that I judge to be a high estimate.
Since Gen. Pleasanton's brigade of cavalry advanced from Rockville, we have had skirmishes daily along the route.
During those skirmishes the enemy's force consisted of about two regiments of cavalry and two or three pieces of artillery.
On Saturday, however, more regiments of cavalry were added, making a force equal, if not superior, to our own.
The force that opposed our advance until to-day was the rear-guard of the enemy, and the battle-ground of yesterday was evidently selected with a view of staying our further progress.
The rebel position was on the sides and summit of the Blue Ridge Mountains on each side of the Gap, known as Frog Gap, through which the main road on the turnpike from Middletown to Hagerstown passes.
The Gap is distant from Middletown about three miles, and from Frederick twelve miles. Boonsborough, the next important town to Middletown on the turnpike, is two miles from the Gap, on the other side of the mountains.
The mountains in the vicinity of the Gap are steep and rugged, and rendered difficult to ascend unless by the ordinary thorough-fares, on account of numerous ledges and loose rocks which afford no permanent foothold.
From base to top they are covered with a thick wood, thereby giving protection to the party in possession, and making the progress of the attacking force doubly hazardous.
Bolivar, a village boasting of six or eight dwellings, is situated on the main road, between Middletown and the Gap, and about one and a half miles from the latter place.
At Bolivar, a road branches off from each side of the main road, the two roads taking a circuitous course to the mountains, and gradually ascending them, join the main road again at the Gap.
The early position of the Union army, or where the line of battle was first formed, was on a piece of rising ground on the right and left of the main road between Bolivar and the mountains.
As the day advanced and our forces moved forward, the position was changed, but never for the better.
The nearer we approached the mountains, the more successfully could the enemy bring his artillery to bear on our columns.
No matter what position we held, the Blue Ridge Mountains commanded that position.
It will be observed at once, that the enemy had a formidable ground of defence, and nothing but undaunted courage wrested it from him.
The first division to enter the field on our side was Cox's, of Reno's corps.
Next came the Pennsylvania reserve corps, Ricketts's and King's divisions, under command of the gallant and brave Hooker.
We had batteries stationed on both wings, but at no one time were there over ten or twelve pieces in practice.
The enemy's force is supposed to have amounted to about forty thousand men. He probably used twelve pieces of cannon.
The forces of General Longstreet and D. H. Hill were engaged.
The battle commenced with artillery at seven A. M., Robertson's United States battery of four light field-pieces firing the first shot.
This battery was stationed about six hundred yards to the left of the turnpike, the fire being directed at no particular place, but with a view of shelling the woods generally, so as to draw a reply from the rebels.
The firing was continued for over an hour, but the enemy did not respond until Cox's division appeared in the main road, advancing to take a position.
Two pieces stationed in the Gap were then opened upon the column.
The troops, however, turned into a field at the left of the road, and got out of harm's way before any injuries were effected.
Here they remained in line of battle for an hour and a half.
In the mean time the enemy's position having been discovered, Robertson directed the fire of his pieces to the Gap.
Soon after, the rebels opened another battery at the right of the Gap, and subsequently still another battery at the left.
It was then evident that the rebels intended to make a vigorous stand on the mountain.
Since the preceding day they had brought up extra pieces of cannon, for, as before stated, they had used but three, at the most, in the skirmishes 