Latest from the North.
We have received New York papers of the 20th inst. It is evident that the Federal do not know where Gen. Lee's army is, though the Herald, in its situation article, says McClellan has driven it across the Potomac. The same paper thinks the ‘"seventeen days campaign"’ of McClellan has never been excelled, and questions if ‘ "Napoleon, in the bey day of his career, accomplished so much within the same number of days, handling so vast a mass of men against an equal mass on the other side."’ --General Pope has telegraphed the Governor of Wisconsin to send more troops against the Indians and the Governor has sent him one of the regiments intended to operate against the Confederates in Kentucky. The Chippewa have made peace with the United States, and the chief of the Sioux has made overtures for the same thing. A troop of cavalry made a reconnaissance on Thursday night from Washington in the direction of Thoroughfare Gap, and returned with thirty- two rebel prisoners, and a number of wagons and ambulances on their way to Richmond. The country around them was clear of rebels and undefended. Three of the prisoners beings to the body guard of General Ewell, who narrowly escaped capture, having left only a short time previous to the arrival of the cavalry. The General was wounded, and is on his way back to Richmond.The great battle of Wednesday.
The particulars of the battle of Wednesday are given in full. Gen. McClellan commanded the national troops in person, and had on the field the whole command of Gen. Burnside, recently augmented by the addition of several new regiments; the army corps lately under Gen. McDowell, new order command of Gen. Hooker; Gen. Sumner's corps; Gen. Franklin's corps; Gen. Banks's corps. Commanded by Gen. Williams, and Sykes's device of Fitz John Porter's corps. Burnside's men turned short to the South, passed across the foot of the Fik Eulge Mountain, and took a position on our extreme left. Porter held a commanding eminence to the right of Burnside, though Warren's brigade, of Porter's corps, was subsequently posted in the woods on the left in support of Burnside's men. Sumner's corps was an eminence next to the right or North from Petter, and Gen. Hooker had the extreme right, in and behind the woods on the Antietam. The left riched to the Northwest across the Sharpsburg . The line was between four and five miles . The rebel left was in the woods, directly in of Gen. Hooker, and their force was posted across the valley between us and Sharpsburg, in a very nearly parallel with that of the Federal . The account says: ‘ General Hooker had the honor to open this great combat. He commanded the corps formerly under General McDowell, composed of Rickers's division. Mead's (McCalls formerly) and King's divisions. Many of there came up in the night, and there was perhaps a little confusion in posting them. Mead a men say that they slept among the rebels. Owing this over near neighborhood the pickets got at the night, and kept up a mattering fire until the battle began. General Mead, who was thus nearest the rebels, was relieved at daylight by Gen. Ricketts's division, which also immediately advanced against the enemy, supported by the division of General King, which eventually became engaged on the right of General Ricketts, and also by the division of General Mead. The line advanced through a piece of woods, a corn-field, and a piece of ploughed land, and into another piece of woods, where it found the enemy in line of battle, and was received with a hot file fire, which very severely on our men. But they readily advanced into the fierce fire, giving back equally destructive; while our batteries, particularly a Pennsylvania battery, under Captain Matthews, and Captain Thompson's First Mary and battery, played splendidly upon the enemy's Thus pressed, the rebel forces gave way, though they certainly did not ‘"skedaddle."’ S and in very fair order, they fell back, disputing every foot that they gave up with the greatest ob cy. Still our boys pushed onward w courage and determination, every man, from Hooker down, intent only on victory. Occasionally a more determined resistance at point on the line of some difficulty in the ground would our advance for a few moments; but, with this exception, it was almost steady from its commencement until about ten o'clock in the morning, when Gen. Hooker was wounded and carried from General Ricketts at once assumed command of the corps; but our victorious movement had lost impulse. At that time our right; had advanced and swept gross the field so far that its front originally in a line with the front of the centre and formed almost a right angle with them. While our advance rather faltered, the rebels, greatly reinforced, made a sudden and imperious and drove our gallant fellows back over a portion of the hard won field. What we had won however; was not relinquished without a deeper struggle, and here up the bids and down through the woods and the standing corn, over the land and the clover, the line of fire swept to and fro as one side or the other gained a temporary advantage. Thus the battle raged till Sumner's corps came up to support the worn out heroes who had main when the fight so long against very evident odds. How gloriously they went at it, those Peninsula boys — Burns's old brigade, led by gallant young Howard, who lost an arm at Fair Oaks, and Meagher's Irish brigade, led by the gallant Meagher and many other heroes tried in the fire. As the Irish brigade charged the enemy's line, their arose in one great surge of sound over the of battle, over the roar of a wilderness of artillery and was heard far down the lines to the ten, where Burnside's boys were just getting at it. Thus met, the rebel advance was cheeked and broken, and they were driven with awful slaughter. It's beyond all wonder how men such as the rebel troops are can fight as they do. That those ragged and filthy wretches, sick, hungry, and in all ways should prove such heroes in fight, is past explanation. Men never fought better. There was one regiment that stood up before the fire of two or three of our long range batteries and of two regiments of infantry, and though the air around them was vocal with the whistle of bullets and the scream of shells, there they stood and delivered their fire in perfect order; and there they continued to stand until a battery of six light twelves was brought to bear on them, and before that they broke. Nothing mortal can stand a battery of six light Napoleon guns if there is plenty of grape and barrister in the ammunition chests. Thus Sumner effectually stayed what at one time threatened to be a fearfully dangerous onslaught.--But all the ground that Hooker bad gained was lost, and we were as we had been before the misty daylight had dawned upon us. But there is a stir and a murmur around us different from the noise of battle. There are troops in motion behind, and here comes Franklin's corps. When the battle began, at daylight, this corps was in camp eight miles away, on the mountain, over which it had driven the rebels on Sunday last. There it was, in all the seemingly inextricable camp confusion, and in the valley at the foot of the same mountain was Couch's division, temporarily attached to Franklin's command. All these troops had orders on Tuesday night to be in readiness to march at a moment's notice, and so they lay down. But the night passed, and no orders to move came, and the morning hours went by, till it seemed that they could not be wanted. But at o'clock the order came, and here, they are at I. It was a good march, and, unlike most troops that make those hasty marches, they are not too late, nor are they used up. Heralded only by the juggle of their canteens and their regular tramp, they move the field. No slogan announces them, nor any note tells that the Campbells are coming. But hardy, brave, and comparatively fresh, here they are. Two fresh divisions at such a time — what can they not achieve: Forward at once they go, for was rightly reasoned that the enemy must be fully as much shaken as we were. Onward went with the three brigades that carried Cramping a Gap. so handsomely on Sunday, and onward went Smith with the brigades of Hancock, Brooks, and Davidson all glorious fellows, who first made enemy's acquaintance on Warwick's Creek.-- sted, no doubt, by his last desperate endea the enemy gave way, Easily, and without the great outlay of life that it had at first cost us, the ground was won once more. Hitherto we have spoken only of what transpired on the right. There, after desperate struggles, we had won what, considered in itself alone, was a glorious battle, and our enemy was there fairly sten When the batteries that participated in Hooker's attack at daylight first opened their fire and were severely left, several rebel batteries opened upon them, and also on our advancing line. Some of these batteries were on points quite out of the battle that raged on the right. As they opened their fire, one by one, our batteries, posted on various supineness, opened on them, and in their turn were opened upon by still other rebel batteries, and thus was begun a stupendous artillery fight, which soon became quite independent of the battle on the right. From every little hill a battery thundered, until the mountains around seemed to be shaken with the rear, and the tracks of shells and shot were woven across the valley like a network. So numerous were the batteries and so constant their fire that it was impossible to ‘"keep up with it."’--However much this or that beautiful shot might excite your admiration, you could not say who made it, or what battery was entitled to the credit. It is probable that the artillerists were frequently deceived themselves, and assumed as their own shots those luckier gunners made. You can hardly estimate the effect of artillery fire save where you see the masses of infantry that it ploughs through. When, as in this battle, batteries fire at batteries, no result is perceptible, and even if a battery ceases to fire you are not sure that it is damaged. The whole artillery fire of Wednesday looked very like a waste of ammunition, though doubtless many a badly injured gun was the result. Whether any one blundered on the left, it is impossible for us to say, but the battle there got started late and went on slowly. It was noon when the fire of musketry first announced an engagement at close quarters in that direction, and then the firing was not heavy and continuous, but desultory and light in its character. Our first advance there was made down the slope of a hill to a bridge which crosses the Antlelam river. Beyond the river the enemy had so posted his men as to sweep the bridge with a severe musketry fire, and their own advance was checked, and Gen. Burnside seemed to hesitate. The peculiar brass pieces handled by the Hawkins Zonaves--one of the many recent experiments in artillery — were then tried on the rebels beyond, as the position was one in which regular artillery could not work, but the peculiar brass pieces achieved but little, and the enemy remained in position beyond, and kept up a severe and well directed fire on our men. Finally, at about 2 o'clock P. M., after much valuable time had been lost, the bridge was carried by a brilliant charge, in which the 11th Ohio and the 11th Connecticut participated very conspicuously, and lost many men. If the greater obstacles constitute the post of honor on a field of battle, General Burnside may justly claim to have had that post in Wednesday's battle. Once across the river, he found the enemy in force, and in a new position of great strength on a hill. Against this position he advanced at once, and the old valor of the divisions of Generals Cox. Willcox, and Sturgis, was once more triumphant and the hill was taken. No sooner was its summit reached than a heavy battery of artillery at once opened upon his reins with a fire that must soon have annihilated them if permitted to continue. It was at once clear that the hill was untirable unless the battery was taken. At the same time the enemy in front began to receive heavy reinforcements, and General Burnside's position became critical. To go forward with that heavy battery mowing his flank and with an equal number of the enemy on his front, and overwhelming numbers coming up, would seem like a Balaklava madness. To stand still would only be destruction; and then came the dreadful alternative to retreat. Bitter us this alternative was, it had to be taken and steadily the line swept back and the hard won hill was relinquished, but it was now so fully under the fire of newly posted batteries that no enemy could occupy it. As Eurnsine's line withdrew the word was passed along the hill for Sykes's men to ‘"fall in,"’ and the tough old soldiers of the regular regiments, who had been logging on the hill, quiet spectators, the battle hurried gladly into line, joyful at the prospect that their turn had come; and there they stood, ready to check the progress of any sudden disaster. Night prevented further operations; but let it be clearly understood that we were only not entirely successful on the left — we suffered no disaster, nor could we suffer any; for it is the glory of Gen. McClellan's plan of battle that, it the rebels had even routed. Burnside and driven him in confusion completely off the field, our left would till have been safe — for there, close in hand, was fresh and ready for the emergency. ’The battle field.
The battle was fought in the valley immediately west of that portion of the Blue Ridge known as the South Mountains, and to the east and north of Sharpsburg, almost in a semi-circle, the concave side of which is to the town. Unlike most of the valleys in this Blue Ridge country, this valley has not a level spot in it, but rolls into eminences of all dimensions, from the little knoll that your house gallops calmly over to the rather high hills that make him tug like a mule. Many of the depressions between these hills are dry, and afford arbitrable cover for infantry against artillery. Others are watered by the deep, narrow, and crooked Antie , a stream that seems to observe no decorum in respect to its course, but has to be crossed every ten minutes, ride which way you will. Sharpsburg lies on the western sale of the valley, and a little to the south from our point of view. Right across the valley from the northeast runs the turnpike from Boonsboro' to Sharpsburg. Two little villages — Porterstown and Keetersville, or Keedysville — lie on the eastern side of the valley, at the foot of the South Mountains. Numerous fine farm-houses dot the valley in every direction, some standing out plainly and bold on the hill tops, others half bidden down the little slopes, and with the large, comfortable barns them, and their orchards of trees, ahead him erto happy and quiet home greatly the view, at least to the eyes of bid -- Nearly every part of the valley is under enervation, and the scene is thus varied into of the light green of nearly ripened corn, the deeper of clover, and the dull of newly fields. Toward the North, where our right try, are some dense woods. Imagine this the hollow of an amphitheater of bills that terraces around it, and you have the field of last Wednesday's battle.Incidents of the fight.
The Fifteenth Massachusetts went into action with six hundred men, and came out with about two hundred uninjured, the rest killed, wounded and missing. The Washington Artillery, of New Orleans, was the last battery of the enemy to cause firing last evening, all the rest having previously become silent. It is supposed that want of ammunition was one cause of the slacking of the rebel fire in the latter part of the day. Our well served and numerous batteries, however, did the most towards silencing the enemy's batteries. In the afternoon the rebels were using the ammunition captured at Harper's Perry with more effect than their ammunition used in the morning. The enemy used on this engagement railroad iron, slugs and smooth stones as missiles of destruction. Among the officers who were reported killed yesterday was General Mansfield. Brigadier Generals Hartford and Max Weber were dangerously, and it is fared mortally wounded. Col. George L. Beal, of the Tenth Maine regiment, was wounded in the freshly part of both thighs, and Lieutenant Colonel Jas, Fillebrown, of the same regiment, is dangerously wounded in the breast It is reported that General McClellan sent in a flag of truce asking the enemy to surrender; but he would not do it. General McClellan narrowly escaped injury from the rebel batteries during the height of the engagement on the right wing. He had ridden down to give some order relative to a change of position, when the vociferous shouts and cheers of the infantry attracted the attention of the enemy, who immediately opened upon the spot with shell, which killed several horses of the body guard and wounded a number of men in the neighborhood. A flag of truce was sent out yesterday by one of our Colonels, requesting that the rebel sharpshooters be prevented from firing upon our surgeons attending the wounded on the field. The flag was met by Gen. Roger A. Pryor, and one of Gen. Hancock's aids was sent down to meet Pryor. As the proceeding of the Colonel was unauthorized, no notice could be given to the request, although it was evident that the rebels were desirous of an armistice, but too proud to ask it. The respective parties finally returned to their lines, regarding the whole affair as a misunderstanding of military usages; and here the matter rested. The Irish brigade suffered terribly in the battle on Wednesday last. They were ordered to charge over a panel fence at the brow of a hill, and some of them were over and others upon the fence, when the rebels in the corn field beyond opened upon them a murderous fire. Gen. Meagher's horse was shot under him, and bullets passed through his clothes. He escaped uninjured, however.The very latest.
The very latest intelligence from McClellan's army is up to mid-day Saturday, and is contained in a dispatch received in Philadelphia, Saturday night it says: ‘ Early last night the enemy commenced crossing the Shepherdstown bridge and two fords above and below it. During the night McClellan advanced a battery and shelled them from the bills. The dead and wounded found this morning evidence the ability of our signal officers in directing the of the guns. On discovering the movement of the enemy, early this morning General Pleasanton was dispatched in lot quaint, with two batteries and two regiments of infantry, through a gap of high hills, and he succeeded in cutting off a large amount of their ammunition, supplies, &c, besides a small portion of General Maxey Gregg's South Carolina brigade. General Pleasant on shelled the enemy with effect as they passed through the ravine. The last seen of the enemy they were flying in the direction of Winchester, and it is supposed they would retreat precipitately on to Richmond. Our entire army had crossed Antietam creek this morning, and was massed between Antietam creek and the Potomac, opposite Shepherdstown, and there was every evidence that McClellan would cross the river. The loss of general and field officers in our army is as large as to or unaccountable. Rebel deserters represent the loss of the enemy's officers as equally severs. It was understood that General Burnside has crossed into Virginia via Harper's Ferry, and moving on the enemy. Deserters report that the recent movement of the rebels in escaping into Virginia was entirely conducted by Stonewall Jackson, the other chief officers, Lee, Longstreet, &c., being either wounded or too much fatigued to be efficient. They also state that it was believed in the rebel army that a force of Union troops had passed through Thoroughfare Gap and intercepted their advance, and they supposed this movement was under the direction of Sigel, of whom they stand in great dread. ’ Harrisburg, Pa., Sept. 20.--A. M. --A dispatch received at official quarters up to this hour (midnight), from a person who visited the battle field, reports the rebel loss two to our one. Their dead were left un and the wounded Tound she ister in barns and woods along the whole boats to Williamsport, where the enemy has no doubt crossed with the remnant of his army. A great amount of ammunition was captured, together with a large number of prisoners, who have been sent to Hagerstown.M'Clellan's dispatches.
At dispatch from Washington, Sept. 19th, says that on the night of the 18th the Confederates blew up the piers of the new bridge at Harper's Ferry. They also destroyed everything that was possible to be destroyed at Harper's Ferry and along the line of the Thad to Martinsburg, including the splendid bridge, known as the Pillar Bridge, at that point. This morning there remained only a small force of rebels on Bolivar Heights, and one company at Sandy Hook. The rebels took advantage or the cessation of hostilities yesterday to make all necessary arrangements for their retreat, their main body crossing the river at the nearest ford — some accounts state near Harper's Ferry, and others at Dam No. 4.--The latter was probably their principal crossing. There have been flying rumors of an engagement to-day, but it is ascertained that the firing proceeded from our flying artillery attacking the rear guard of the retreating rebel army. The same dispatch gives the following dispatches from McClellan:Headq'rs army of the Potomac,
Sept. 19--8:30 A. M.
Major General Halleck, General in Chief:
But little occurred yesterday except skirmishing.
Last night the enemy abandoned his position, leaving his dead and wounded on the field.
We are again in pursuit.
I do not yet know whether he is falling back to an laterite position or crossing the river.
We may safely claim a victory. Geo. B. McClellan, Major General.
[no. 2] Headq'rs army of the Potomac,
Sept. 19.--10:30 A. M.
Major General H. W, Helteck, General-in-Chief:
Pleasanton is driving the enemy across the river.
Our victory was complete.
The enemy is driven back into Virginia.
Maryland and Pennsylvania are now safe. Geo. B. McClellan, Major General.
A dispatch from Harrisburg, the 19th, says: ‘
Information just received from the battle-field says our victory is complete, and that General Pleasanton is in hot pursuit of the enemy and driving them across the Potomac.
The whole Union army is in good condition, and the enemy has been badly punished. ’
The Herald in Extracts — Backbone of the rebellion broken — Richmond to be occupied, North Carolina liberated, and the Southern Cities "settled with"--proclamation to be issued to Virginia, &C.
The New York Herald, with ‘"inexpressible gratification," ’ announces to its readers the ‘"great victory of Gen. McClellan and his noble army. "’ it says. ‘ It was but the other day that the rebel General at the head of a countless host, menacing our national capital and our Northern cities, entered Grayland with all the airs and presumption of a conqueror and dictator. Now, with his grand army again and again, decimated, demoralized and he is ignominiously expelled from Maryland, and in full retreat on the ‘"sacred soil"’ of Virginia. Thus, at length, the back bone of the rebellion is broken. We have only now to follow up this victory with deal and activity in order to bring this war to a close before the meeting of Congress in December. While the army of Gen. McClellan is parching forward after the broken Continue of Le up the Shenandoah valley a single army corps of fifteen or twenty thousand men, by way of Fredericksburg, or from the head of York river, may now, almost without resistance, march into the city of Richmond, General Halleck, we doubt yet, will serve the opportunity for this important enterprise. Let him take Richmond without delay, and, by removing the obstructions from the river below, a single gunboat will enable him to hold the city. Best of all, his prompt occupation of Richmond will leave the fragments of Lee's army no place of refuge, and they will be dispersed. With Virginia thus completely liberated, and reinstated under the ‘"old flag,"’ the work of recovering North Carolina, and of settling with Charleston, Savannah, and Mobile, will be comparatively easy, and equally feasible will be the advance of one land force from Virginia and Kentucky down to this Gulf of Mexico. The whole programme thus may how be consummated by December. It will in fact, be virtually accomplished with the or dissolution of this main rebel army of Virginia. To effect this octennial object we rely upon the activity of General McClellan, and the and corresponding enemy of General Hall and the War Department. Thus the speedy recovery of our recalled States, beginning with Virginia, what is the policy suggested to President Lincolnist. It is the spending with the recovery of Virginia, proclamation to her people, assuring them, with their submission, of the protection of the Contribution of the United States. Next, as soon as practicable, with the recovery of our rebellious States, one after another, let the President provide for elections therein for Senators and Representative in our next Congress; and meanwhile let our conservative Union men of all parties, in New York and the North combine to return to this next Congress a new set of men, in place of our disunion, radicals, and the triumph of the Union and of Abraham Lincoln's administration will be complete. Then, with our glorious Union reinstated in full strength, and purged of the disorganizing elements of Southern secessionism and Northern abolitionism, we shall be prepared at once to exact atonement and reparation from England and France for the insults which they have inflicted upon us, and for the aid and comfort which they have given to our enemy in a thousand devious ways since the outbreak of this rebellion. Then we shall be prepared to try the force of our republican ideas and institutions in Canada, and to see that justice is done to Mexico. Such are the grand and comprehensive results, in our domestic and foreign relations, foreshadowed by this great triumph of our army in Maryland, and their fulfillment is but a question of time. This Southern rebellion is doomed, and with its extinction our redeemed country will rise at once in the majesty of the most powerful nation in the world. ’Important from the West--surrender of 5,000 Federal at Munfordsville, Ky.
The surrender of Munfordsville, Ky., by the Federal troops, five thousand strong, under Col. Wilder, to the force of General Bragg, numbering thirty thousand, is announced in dispatches from Indianapolis. The surrender took place on Wednesday. The following dispatches tell the story: Indianapolis, Ind., Sept. 19. --Adjutant Slauson, of the 17th Indiana regiment, who escaped from Munfordsville immediately after the surrender of that place to the rebels, has reached this city. He reports that the garrison there — numbering from four to five thousand men, comprising the Seventeenth, the Fiftieth, the Sixtieth, the Sixty seventh, the Sixty eighth and the Sixty- ninth Indiana regiments, and one company of cavalry and ten pieces of artillery — have surrendered. The surrender was made on Wednesday morning, our forces being completely surrounded by General Bragg's forces, estimated at 30,000 men. Our loss in killed and wounded was fifty. The rebels acknowledge a loss of seven hundred on Sunday. Louisville, Sept. 19, 1862.--At the surrender of Munfordsville, on Wednesday morning, the rebels took about 4,000 prisoners, whom they are reported subsequently to have paroled, comprising the Sixtieth, Sixty seventh and Eighty ninth Indiana, four hundred men of the Fiftieth Indiana, two companies each of the Seventeenth and Seventy-fourth Indiana, one company of the Louisville Provost Guards, seventy recruits for the Thirty-third Kentucky, the fourth Ohio battery of six guns, with four other guns in position. The loss at Munfordsville, previously stated, was in the fight. There was two or three hours skirmishing on Tuesday between the sharpshooters of both parties. The rebels did not attack us in force in the Sunday's fight. General Chalmers made an attack on our forces with eleven regiments on Tuesday night. Bachner's division was added to this force. The firing on Tuesday was a rebel feint to enable them to secure the north bank of the river. In that we lost two killed and four or five wounded.Destruction of Prentice Miens, by a Union gunboat.
Cairo, Sept. 19, 1862
--The fleet carrying the rebel prisoners in Vicksburg was fired into at Prentice, up opposite Napoleon, Ark. Several balls passed through the Islam, killing a number of rebels. -- one of our men were hurt.
The gunboat landed and gave the inhabitants fifteen minutes to remove the women and children, at the end of which time the town was burned.
