REPORT OF MAJOR-GENERAL MCLAWS OF division was ordered to the front by an Aid-de BATTLE OF SHARPSBURG. HEADQUARTERS DIVISION, October 20, 1862. To the Adjutant-General, Headquarters of General Longstreet: SIR: On the morning of the sixteenth of September, ultimo, my command, consisting of my own division and that of General Anderson, marched through Harper's Ferry from Pleasant Valley, and halted near Halltown, a short distance from the road, which turned to the right toward Shepherdstown, which was on the way to Sharpsburg, to which place I had been directed to march, by orders direct from General Lee, and afterward from General Jackson. camp of General Lee's - Major Taylor. In about one mile, we came in rear of the position which was pointed out by Major Ratchford, of General D. H. Hill's staff, as the one the division was to occupy. I was, of course, entirely ignorant of the ground and of the location of the troops. General Hood, however, who was present, pointed out the direction for the advance, and my line of battle was rapidly formed- General Cobb's brigade on the right, next General Kershaw's, General Barksdale and General Semmes on the left. Just in front of the line was a large body of woods, from which parties of our troops, of whose command I do not know, were seen retiring, and the The entire command was very much fatigued. enemy, I could see, were advancing rapidly, ocThe brigades of Generals Kershaw and Barks-cupying the place. My advance was ordered bedale had been engaged on Maryland Heights on fore the entire line of General Kershaw could be the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth, and on formed. As the enemy were filling the woods so the fifteenth had been marched from the heights rapidly, I wished my troops to cross the open to the line of battle up the valley, formed to op- space between us and the woods before they pose that of the enemy below Crampton's Gap. were entirely occupied. It was made steadily Those of Generals Cobb, and Semmes, and Ma- and in perfect order, and the troops were immehone, (Colonel Parham,) had been engaged and diately engaged, driving the enemy before them badly crippled at Crampton's Gap, and all the in magnificent style, at all points, sweeping the others had been guarding important points under woods with perfect ease, and inflicting great loss very trying circumstances. A large number had on the enemy. They were driven not only no provisions, and a great portion had not had time or opportunity to cook what they had. All the troops had been without sleep during the night previous, except while waiting in line for the wagon trains to pass over the pontoon bridge at Harper's Ferry. through the woods, but over a field in front of the woods, and over two high fences beyond, and into another body of woods over a half a mile distant from the commencement of the fight. The men were scattered by the engagement through the woods, where the enemy made their I had ridden on to Charlestown to look after the only stand, and there being no immediate supsick and wounded from Pleasant Valley, when no- port, the several brigades fell back into the tice was sent me to hasten the troops to Sharps- woods, and the line, to maintain the position, was burg. I returned to camp and started the com- formed by the brigades of General Ransom, Walkmand at three P. M.; halted after dark, (and the er's division, and of General Armistead, Gennight was very dark,) within two miles of Shep-eral Anderson's division, which had been sent to herdstown, where, receiving orders to hasten forward, again commenced the march at twelve o'clock that night, many of the regiments still without provisions. I may here state that the crossing at Harper's Ferry was very much impeded by the paroled prisoners, passing over the bridge, whenever there was an opportunity offered by any accident to the bridge, causing temporary halt in the trains or batteries, which was of frequent occurrence, and the streets of Harper's Ferry town were crowded with prisoners and wagons, all of which prevented me from halting even for a moment in the town to obtain provisions there. my support, of General Early, which was already in position, and the brigades of Generals Barksdale and Kershaw. Captain Read's battery had been placed in position on the right of the woods, which we had entered, and did most excellent service; but it was exposed to such a severe fire, General Kershaw ordered it back, after losing fourteen officers and men and sixteen horses. Another battery, Captain Carleton's, which I had ordered into position in the woods, in front of General Ransom's brigade, was so severely cut up in a short time by the direct and cross-fires of numerous batteries, that I ordered it to retire. The enemy did not make an attempt to retake the woods after they were driven from them, as I have mentioned, but kept up a terrific fire of artillery. There was an incessant storm of shot and shell, grape and canister; but the loss inflicted by the artillery was comparatively very small. Fortunately, the woods were on the side of a hill, the main slope of which was toward us, with numerous ledges of rock all along it. Thus it was our men, although under this fire for hours, suffered so little from it. On the morning of the seventeenth, about sunrise, the head of my column reached the vicinity of General Lee's headquarters, near Sharpsburg. I rode on to the town, looking for General Lee, and on my return, not finding him, met General Longstreet, who directed me to send General Anderson's division direct down the road to the hill beyond Sharpsburg, where he would receive orders. I learned from him where General Lee's camp was, and reported to General Lee for orders. He directed me to halt my division near to I could do nothing but defend the position my his headquarters, which was done, and I then rode division occupied. The line was too weak to atback to hasten up General Anderson, whose divis-tempt an advance. There were not men enough ion was in the rear. About an hour after this, my to make a continuous single line. In some places, for a considerable distance, there were no men at all; while just beyond us, across an open field, about four or five hundred yards distant, were the lines of the enemy, apparently double and treble, supporting numerous batteries, which crossed fire over every portion of the ground. The artillery of the enemy was so far superior to ours in weight of metal, character of gun, and numbers, and in quality of ammunition, that there was but very little to be gained by opposing ours to it, and I therefore did not renew the attempt after the first experiment. The ground over which the Mississippi brigade, General Barksdale, advanced, and to his right, was thickly strewn with the dead and wounded of the enemy, far exceeding our own, and their dead were much more numerous than their wounded. The close proximity of the combatants to each other may account for the disproportion. General Cobb's brigade, going in, extended itself farther to the right than I intended; but the Colonel commanding, Colonel Sanders, Twentyfourth Georgia, did not learn my orders to correct the error, (so it is reported,) and the engagement commencing immediately, the brigade went on to a position several hundred yards to the right of the woods and defended it. General Semmes was sent to the left, just after his brigade came on the ground, by direction of General Jackson, to give support to General Stuart. His brigade drove the enemy through the woods, and beyond them for a considerable dis tance. General Kershaw's brigade was more exposed in its first advance than any other, as it had to move over a large open space, before reaching the woods, which there afforded less protection; but the command went in with enthusiasm, and drove the enemy up to their batteries and reserves, and then retired to the woods from which they had first driven the enemy, as did the other brigades of Cobb, Semmes, and Barksdale, because of the weakness of their own lines, the want of immediate support, the want of ammunition, and the fatigue of the men. I call attention to the fact, that Colonel Nance, commanding the Third South Carolina regiment, of General Kershaw's brigade, brought his regiment from the ground in perfect order, and formed it in the rear, to be supplied with ammunition, with the precision of a parade. This perfect control of his men is owing to the high state of discipline and good drill for which his regiment is dístinguished. General Barksdale re-formed on the ground he went over; General Semmes was placed in reserve in his rear; General Cobb's brigade on the left of General Kershaw, who had previously moved to the left of the line. The enemy having abandoned their attempt to advance, I had an opportunity to examine the relative positions of our troops and those of the enemy, and soon became convinced that we had nothing to gain by an advance of our troops. The strong position of the enemy was along the Antietam, the right bank of which (the side toward our army) was swept by numerous batteries of artillery, posted along the left banks, which commanded the right. Their position along the left bank was a very strong one, having the Antietam in their front and Maryland Heights in their rear. For us to force them back on the Antietam was to force them to concentration in their reserves, of which we had none, to weaken our lines and scatter our troops, so that in the event of a reverse, no rally of any considerable body could be made, and the final result would not probably have been such as to have entitled us to claim, as we now can, the battle of Sharpsburg as one of the greatest successes, if not the greatest success, of the war, when the enormous disparity between our forces and those of the Yankees are considered. Brigadier-Generals Kershaw, Semmes, and Barksdale deserve high praise for their heroic conduct in the fight, and for the skilful manner their brigades were handled. Colonel Sanders, of Twenty-fourth Georgia, who commanded Cobb's brigade during the first part of the engagement, carried it forward in good order, and the brigade maintained its position, and drove the enemy for some distance, retiring, after losing forty-three per cent. of its strength. Lieutenant-Colonel McRae, of the Fifteenth North Carolina regiment, commanded the brigade during the latter part of the fight. The losses in the different brigades, including the different batteries, were as follows: Which, taken in connection with the small num- seventeenth of September, was killed at Sharpsber of missing, shows how dearly, yet how gloriously, this success was obtained. It is with sincere regret that I have to state my Adjutant-General, Major T. S. McIntosh, was killed dead, shot through the heart, while carrying out one of my orders. The country has lost in him as brave and gallant an officer and gentleman as any that survives him. My Inspector-General, Major Goggin, was with me during the day, carrying orders and superintending their execution, in the performance of which duties he exhibited great daring, and cool, sound judgment. To Captain King and Lieutenant Tucker, Aidsde-camp, and Captain Costin, signal officer, Lieutenant Campbell, of the engineers, and Lieutenant Edwards, ordnance officer, I am indebted for their zeal and activity. Their gallantry was conspicuous in the performance of their duties. Colonel Henry Coulter Cabell, chief of artillery, who had been absent, sick, joined me on the field, and remained during the rest of the engagement. I enclose reports of brigade commanders, and call attention to their notices of individual merit. Very respectfully, L. McLAWS, REPORT OF BRIGADIER-GENERAL EARLY, COM- HEADQUARTERS EWELL'S DIVISION, Captain A. S. Pendleton, A. A. General, Second burg on that day, and General Trimble, who commanded his brigade until the 29th August, is absent, wounded, and Captain Brown, of the twelfth Georgia regiment, who succeeded him in the command, was killed at Ox Hill, near Chantilly, on the first of September. There is the same difficulty in regard to Hays's brigade as to the part taken by it on the thirtieth of August, at Manassas, and at Ox Hill, on the first of September, as Colonel Strong, who commanded on these occasions, was killed at Sharpsburg. This report, therefore, will not contain particular details of the operations of any brigade but my own, in most of the actions in which the division was engaged during the time covered by it. MARCH FROM VICINITY OF GORDONSVILLE TO On the sixteenth of August, the division moved from Liberty Mills, in Orange County, to Mountain Run, in the same county, near Clarke's Mountain, below Rapidan Station, where it remained until the twentieth, when it crossed the Rapidan at Cunningham's Ford, and bivouacked near Stevensburg, in Culpeper. On the next day it moved past Brandy Station, and bivouacked near St. James's Church, on the road toward a ford on the Rappahannock, above the railroad station and below the mouth of Hazel River. The next day it moved in the direction of that ford, and, on arriving there, the enemy being in position on the opposite bank to dispute the passage, the division was moved to the left, Lawton's brigade leading, crossing Hazel River at a mill, and then moving in the direction of a ford on the Rappahannock, above the mouth of Hazel River, where the enemy was also found in force, and the division was then again moved to the left in the direction of the ford at Warrenton Springs, by a route through fields and woods, so as not to be exposed to view. At the two fords above mentioned, and in moving therefrom, the division was exposed to shells fired from the enemy's batteries, and sustained slight loss. CAPTAIN: In accordance with instructions from the headquarters of the corps, I submit the following report of the operations of this division since the movement from the neighborhood of Gordonsville, northward, in the month of August last, until it reached Bunker Hill, in September: This report, however, is necessarily defective in regard to all the other brigades of the division except my own, as there were other division commanders until after the commencement of the In moving to the left across Hazel River, Genbattle of Sharpsburg, on the seventeenth of Sep-eral Trimble, with his brigade, was left behind to tember, Major-General Ewell having commanded observe the enemy, and had a fight with a body until the night of the twenty-eighth of August, of the enemy which had crossed from the north when he was wounded in the action near Groveton, and Brigadier-General Lawton having command from that time until he was wounded at the battle of Sharpsburg. It is impossible to supply the necessary information in regard to the particular parts taken by Lawton's and Trimble's brigades in the several actions commencing with the affairs of Hazel River, on the twenty-second, and Bristoe and Manassas Junction, on the twenty-seventh of August, and ending with the battle of Sharpsburg, except as to the part taken by Trimble's brigade at Sharpsburg, as General Lawton, who commanded his brigade until the twenty-ninth of August, is absent in Georgia, wounded, and Colonel Douglas, who commanded the brigade from the twenty-ninth of August to the bank of the Rappahannock, and was threatening the trains, and succeeded in driving it back across the river; but I am unable to give the particulars of this affair. CROSSING OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK, AND AFFAIR My own brigade, under the superintendence of General Ewell, who was acting under General Jackson's orders, was crossed over about a mile below the Springs, on an old dilapidated dam, formerly built for purposes of navigation, and Hays's brigade, under Colonel Forno, was ordered to follow; but as my brigade did not succeed in crossing until it was nearly dark, and the crossing was exceedingly difficult, Hays's brigade was left on the south bank for the night. My orders were to occupy a wood on the north bank of the river, immediately in front of the place at which I crossed, and to establish communications with General Lawton, the whole of whose brigade, I was informed, would cross over at the Springs. Before I was ordered to cross over, there had been quite a heavy shower of rain, which had somewhat swollen the river, and it was raining when I crossed. I moved the brigade into the woods indicated, General Ewell having re-crossed, after seeing the whole of my brigade over. In extending the left into the woods on a line parallel with the river, a road was found running from the Springs through this body of woods, toward the fords and Rappahannock Station below. My left was posted near this road, the right extending to an old field just below where I had crossed. Pickets were put out in front and on the flanks, and Major A. L. Pitzer, my volunteer Aid, was despatched to find his way to the Springs and communicate with General Lawton. It had become exceedingly dark by this time, and Major Pitzer, in endeavoring to get to the Springs, rode upon a party of six of the enemy's cavalry, who had passed up the road a few moments before we had reached it. He was made a prisoner by this party, who were endeavoring to make their way to the Springs, but, finding some difficulty in the way, had halted. After he had been compelled to surrender his arms, the party started with him back on the road they had come, and the Major, with great presence of mind, informed them that they were all his prisoners; that if they attempted to pass out in any direction, they would be fired upon by some of our pickets, as they were completely surrounded; but, if they submitted to his direction, he would take them in safe, which they concluded to do; and the Major did actually bring them in as prisoners after they had captured him. After this attempt, I did not deem it prudent to make another effort to establish communication with the Springs that night, as it was very dark and threatening rain, and there was no one in the command who had sufficient knowledge of the localities to find the way. During the night there was a very heavy rain, and in the morning I found that the river had become very much swollen, and was so high as to defy all attempts at crossing; and a messenger sent to the Springs returned with the information that only the Thirteenth Georgia regiment, of Lawton's brigade, had crossed over the night before. As soon as I ascertained the condition of things, I despatched a note for General Ewell or General Jackson, whichever should be first met with, informing them of my condition, and that, if the enemy should come upon me with heavy force, my whole command must be captured, and suggesting the propriety of my attempting to extricate my force, with that at the Springs, by moving up the river toward Waterloo Bridge; this was sent by a messenger, with direction to swim the river with it, if possible. Before this note could be delivered, I received a verbal message from General Jackson, which had been delivered across the river, at the Springs, and was brought to me by a Sergeant of one of the batteries at that place, directing me to move up toward the Springs, and take command of all the force there, and post my command, with the left flank resting on the river and the right on a creek, to the north of the Springs, which emptied into the river below, and was past fording also, there being no enemy in the fork, and stating that he was having the bridge repaired across the river, which would soon be in a condition for infantry to pass over. In a short time afterward, I received a note from General Jackson, in response to mine, containing similar instructions, and directing me, in addition, to move up toward Waterloo Bridge if the enemy appeared in too heavy force, keeping close to the river, and informing me that he would follow along the opposite bank, with his whole force, to cover my movement. I accordingly moved up toward the Springs, posting Colonel Walker, with his regiments, the Thirteenth Virginia and the Thirty-first Virginia, on the road, so as to protect my rear. On getting near the Springs, I found that Colonel Douglas had moved his regiment and the artillery to a hill just below the Springs, which runs across from the river to the creek mentioned, and along this I posted the Twelfth Georgia regiment, the Twen ty-fifth, Forty-fourth, Forty-ninth, Fifty-second, and Fifty-eighth Virginia regiments, with the Thirteenth Georgia on the left, all being so disposed as to present a front to the north-west, the rear being guarded by Colonel Walker, with the Thirteenth and Thirty-first Virginia regiments, and the right flank, which was the only one exposed, being secure for a short time on account of the condition of the creek, which is called Great Run. Companies were thrown out on this flank to prevent any attempt to cross the creek, and a bridge, which was partially flooded, was destroyed. A body of the enemy's cavalry was discovered early in the morning by Colonel Douglas on the north of the creek, and they were hovering around my right flank on the opposite side of the creek all the morning. During the morning, General Jackson sent over an officer to pilot one of my staff officers over the route to Waterloo Bridge, which it might be necessary to pass over in case of emergency; and my Adjutant-General, Major Hale, was sent with him to ascertain the route. In the mean time, the creek began to fall rapidly, and in the afternoon it was in a condition to be crossed. It also began to be evident that the enemy was moving up from below in heavy force, and that my command was in a critical condition. It was entirely concealed from the enemy's view by being posted in the woods; and this fact no doubt saved it, for it was evident the enemy was aware of the fact that a force was across the river, and, from the caution with which he moved, he thought it was much larger than it really was. senger to General Ewell to inform him that there was no doubt of the enemy's being in heavy force, and if I was to be recrossed it had better be done at once without waiting for daylight, as the enemy, by moving to the left, could place artillery so as to command the bridge and ford at the Springs, and from the sounds of carriages moving in that direction, I was satisfied such was his purpose, and that it would be accomplished before I could recross, if it was postponed until daylight. In before three o'clock, and, after consultation with me, gave the order for recrossing, which was accomplished, Lawton's brigade going first, and carrying over the artillery by hand, and then my brigade following, the whole being completed very shortly after daylight. My command was thus rescued from almost certain capture, as it has since appeared from General Pope's report that he had brought up his whole force to attack what he supposed to be General Jackson's whole force. I lost no men killed or wounded, though a severe punishment must have been inflicted on the enemy by the canister from our artillery. Late in the afternoon a heavy column of infantry, with artillery, made its appearance opposite to my right flank; and I then changed my front so as to present it toward the enemy, with-response to this, General Ewell came over a little out, however, his being aware of it, as my whole movement was concealed from his view by the woods. The artillery was also so posted as not to be observed by him. About this time Colonel Robertson, with two or three regiments of cavalry and two pieces of artillery, came from the direction of Warrenton, and, after consulting with me, posted two pieces of artillery on the hill to the north of the Springs, which commanded a view of the enemy, and opened fire upon him. This was responded to by a battery of the enemy's in a few moments, and I sent two Parrott guns from Brown's battery to the assistance of Robertson's pieces, which were of short range, and a Our situation was felt by every officer and man brisk cannonading was kept up until near sun- to be of the most critical nature, and I cannot down, with no damage, however, to my infantry speak in too high terms of the deportment of the or artillery, the only persons killed or wounded whole command. The men had had nothing to belonging to the cavalry, which happened to be eat since the day they had crossed over, and for in the line of the artillery fire, and in rear of our two nights and a day they lay upon their arms; pieces. After the cessation of the artillery fire, yet they did not murmur, but exhibited the uta column of the enemy was observed to advance, most resolution to repulse the enemy at all hazit being then near dark, and a mist rendering ob-ards should he come. When the enemy fired his jects quite indistinct. Infantry was also seen moving off to the left, and in a few moments the enemy delivered a volley into the woods, where my infantry was posted, and then gave three cheers, followed by a tiger, in regular style. I had two of Captain Dement's Napoleon guns run to the left of my line, and infantry, to a point from which they could fire upon the enemy, and caused them to open with canister. This fire was so well directed, although objects could not be distinguished, that the enemy was thrown into confusion and driven back, as was manifest from the cries and groans of his men, which were plainly heard by ours. There was no further attack on me; but it was evident, from the noises heard and the reports of one or two persons who had seen columns of the enemy passing from below, that a heavy force was near at hand, and Early on the morning of the twenty-fifth, the that preparations were being made to surround division moved, under orders from General Jackmy force, and I sent a messenger to General Jack-son, to Hinson's Mill, above Waterloo Bridge, son with information as to the state of things, where it crossed the Rappahannock, and then and by his directions the remainder of General proceeded by Orlean and camped at night near Lawton's brigade was crossed over on the temporary bridge which had been constructed - the Sixtieth regiment, under Major Berry, having been crossed over just before night. General Lawton got over about one o'clock, and informed me that he had seen written instructions to General Ewell, directing him to cross over himself at daylight, and if it was evident the enemy was in heavy force, to recross the troops, as it was not desired to have a general engagement at that place. I immediately despatched a mes volleys into the woods where the men were posted, they did not throw away ammunition, but coolly reserved their fire until the enemy should get to close quarters, determined to make it a death struggle. This commendation is equally due to Colonel Douglas and his officers and men, and the officers and men of the two batteries mentioned, as to my own brigade. After recrossing, my brigade, as well as that of General Lawton, was moved back to the vicinity of Jeffersonton to rest and cook rations. MOVEMENT UPON THE ENEMY'S LINE OF COM- Salem, in Fauquier County. Very early next morning it marched by Salem and through Thoroughfare Gap, in the direction of Gainesville, a which latter place it took the road to Bristoe Station, on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. The division which on this day, as well as on the day before, was in the advance, moved as follows: First, Hays's brigade, under Colonel Forno; second, Trimble's brigade; third, Lawton's brigade; fourth, my own brigade. Hays's brigade reached the station a short time |