264

BATTLE OF ANTIETAM.

During the severe conflict on the right, the thunder of the guns on the centre and left, indicated an engagement of the entire line. The Ninth corps, under Burnside, at nine o'clock A. M., advanced to cross the stone bridge. The lead of this daring and perilous enterprise was entrusted to Colonel Kingsbury, with the Eleventh Connecticut (infantry); Crook's brigade in front, and Sturgis's division in reserve, were to follow. They were to rush across the bridge, deploy to the right and left, and driving the enemy from the hill, to occupy the crest. Rodman's division was to eross at the ford and carry the heights opposite; and the forces were to be combined when the crossing was effected. The most heroic efforts to carry out these orders were made by the brave troops. Frequent attempts were made in vain, and the exhausted men, after leaving the ground covered with dead, were forced to withdraw. The importance of the position required it to be carried. Fresh troops were sent up, and the Fifty-first New York, and Fifty-first Pennsylvania now advanced. Colonel Crook swept the farther end of the bridge, with the fire of a battery. The two regiments named rushed on, and overcoming every obstacle, crossed the bridge, unfurled the flag, and with loud cheers gained the hill, and planted their banners on the crest. In this fight at the bridge the brave Colonel Kingsbury of the Eleventh Connecticut was killed.

Rodman's division had successfully carried out the orders received, and joined the brave troops who had succeeded in crossing the bridge.

At three o'clock in the afternoon a general advance was ordered, on the right and left. Franklin, on the right, was ordered to drive out the enemy and occupy the woods. Before these commands could be executed, General Sumner sent word to head-quarters that the right would be in great peril should Franklin be defeated, as his own troops were not in a proper condition to form a reserve. Franklin was then instructed to avoid defeat at all hazards, and according ly confined his attention to engaging the enemy with artillery, in order to make a diversion while Burnside was advancing.

The corps of Burnside, when the battle began, numbered sixteen thousand. His effective force, in the critical enterprise which he was about to undertake, did not exceed fourteen thousand.

BATTLE OF ANTIETAM.

265

He sent his artillery forward, and moved on with his corps. Wilcox's division, and Crook's brigade, on the right, moved along the crescent ridge which faces the river, toward Sharpsburg. These troops were exposed to the fire of the batteries on the ridge. On the left, General Rodman and Colonel Scammon advanced, and scaled the hill to its summit, under a heavy fire of artillery and musketry. The entire line enthusiastically advanced. Franklin moved his batteries on the right, and Burnside advanced in full view of McClel lau. It was a magnificent scene, varied with hill and dale, water and forest, and illuminated with the mild rays of a September sun. Burnside's right was approaching near Sharpsburg. The left of the line, under General Rodman and Colonel Scammon, though exposed to a heavy fire, had overcome the enemy, driving them back with the bayonet. The Sixteenth Connecticut, of General Harland's brigade, was composed of new troops, and oocupied a ravine between a hill, and a field of corn. The national flag had been raised in the cornfield as a decoy by the treacherous enemy. When these raw troops approached, they were attacked with a deadly volley, which drove them back in disorder on the Fourth Rhode Island, which lost its color-bearer by the same strategem. Two lieutenants rescued the colors.

During Burnside's last advance, the enemy received reinforcements, consisting of the troops left by Jackson at Harper's Ferry. Their dark lines and bristling batteries. now accumulated on the semicircular ridge. To counteract the movement of the foe, the Federals were compelled to change their course in the advance on Sharpsburg. The reserve, under Sturgis, was ordered up, and the combined force now engaged the masses of the enemy, who made every effort to regain the ground previously lost.

In this struggle, the gallant General Rodman fell mortally wounded, while forming his troops to repel an attack of the enemy. This unhappy circumstance caused confusion, and Colonel Harland's brigade was repulsed with heavy loss. Reinforcements were again and again demanded by General Burnside, but none arrived. He then ordered the troops to fall back to the cover of a hill in the rear. McClellan was informed by Burnside, that without troops and guns as reinforcements, he could not hold his position half an hour. All the assistance he received however, consisted only of

266

LEE ESCAPES ACROSS THE POTOMAC.

Miller's battery; yet the reserve, under Fitz John Porter, consisting of fifteen thousand men, had not struck a single blow. McClellan ordered Burnside to hold the bridge, adding, "If the bridge is lost, all is lost."

The sun went down. The indecisive battle ended. The cannonading died away, and all was still. The Union loss was two thousand and ten killed, nine thousand four hundred and sixteen wounded, and one thousand and forty-three mis sing. The Confederates owned a loss of fourteen thousand, but General McClellan stated it to be twenty-five thousand five hundred and forty-two. The battle was not renewed next day, and the foe, during the night, left his position and crossed the Potomac. The enemy, on the 18th, made a feigned movement of crossing troops to the north side of the Potomac, as reinforcements. On the 23d, Harper's Ferry was occupied by the Union army, which remained there until October 26th, five weeks after the battle of Antietam.

The delay in bringing on this battle, caused it to be fought against forces which might have been beaten in detail, while the want of concert in action of the Union troops, the failure to bring in the reserves, and the permitting the escape of the enemy, were grand mistakes. The foe, however, departed very severely punished

CHAPTER XXVI.

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER, 1862.

BATTLE OF MUMFORDVILLE, KENTUCKY-BRAVERY OF THE FEDERAL TROOPS -MORGAN EVACUATES CUMBERLAND GAP-ENGAGEMENT AT CAVE CITY -CONFEDERATES DEFEATED AT WASHINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA-GUNBOAT PICKET EXPLODES-POLITICAL ASPECT OF THE WAR-MR. LINCOLN'S PROCLAMATION OF EMANCIPATION-SUSPENDS THE WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS REBELS defeated at owenborO, KENTUCKY-BATTLE OF IUKA -CONVENTION OF GOVERNORS OF THE LOYAL STATES, AT ALATOONA, PENNSYLVANIA-EFFECT ON THE PEOPLE-MR. FOOTE'S PEACE PROPOSITION IN THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS-BATTLE OF AUGUSTA, KENTUCKY -BATTLE OF CORINTH, MISSISSIPPI-VALOROUS CONDUCT OF OFFICERS AND MEN-REBEL DESIGNS ON THE NORTHWEST ABANDONED-STUART'S RAID INTO PENNSYLVANIA-GREAT FEDERAL CAVALRY CHIEFS.

WE now direct our attention to the military operations in other parts of the country. On the 14th of September, a spirited engagement took place at Mumfordville, Kentucky, between the Confederate forces, under Generals Buckner and Cheatham, of Bragg's army, and the Federal forces posted there, under Colonel Wilder. The enemy had previously marched from Glasgow to attack General Rosseau, who, with a part of Buell's army, was posted at Woodland. Cheatham was left near that place, and Buckner moved on Mumfordville to attack Colonel Wilder. The engagement at the latter place, was began at five o'clock P. M. by the enemy, who having driven in the Federal pickets, poured in a heavy fire from the woods. The Federals made a firm resistance, and the left wing of the enemy was finally compelled to withdraw. Their right wing, being protected by breastworks, was more successful, and the left formed in a better position. A determined attack was now made on the Federal right. A Mississippi and Georgia regiment were conspicuous for their bravery. After losing the colonel of the one, and the major of the other, both broke and fled, pursued by the gallant Indiana troops, led bravely on by Major Abbott, of the Sixty-seventh regiment (Indiana), who was soon slain by a rifle shot from the foe. After their first repulse on their right wing, the Confederates again advanced

268 CONFEDERATES DEFEATED AT WASHINGTON, N. C.

in fine order, and rushed up to the very intrenchments. Here a fierce combat took place. Finally the enemy was driven from the field; but the battle was not yet over, and Colonel Wilder was summoned to surrender. The amount of rebel force was stated, and also the propinquity of Bragg's army. Colonel Wilder, having been reinforced by four hundred troops of the Fiftieth Indiana, refused. The enemy having obtained permission to remove their dead and wounded, withdrew from the front, and fortified in a new position. There was no fighting on Monday, the 15th. On that day, Colonel Dunham, of the Fiftieth Indiana, took command as the ranking officer, and was reinforced by one thousand men. The rebels renewed the attack at half past nine, A. M., and being augmented by the addition of one whole wing of Bragg's army, a desperate action ensued, which lasted till half past four P. M. Bragg himself demanded a surrender, and as Colonel Dunham was surrounded by an army of twenty-five thousand men, with sixty pieces of artillery, he finally capitulated with all the honors of war. The Union loss was thirty-seven killed and wounded, and four thousand prisoners. The enemy lost one thousand killed and wounded. General Morgan evacuated Cumberland Gap at the same time. On the 18th, there was a conflict between portions of Buell's and Bragg's armies, near Cave City, Kentucky, in which the former having attacked the rear-guard of the latter, defeated it.

On the 6th of September, a body of Confederate troops made a desperate attack on the Union forces at Washington, North Carolina. General Martin commanded the Confederate, and Colonel Potter the Union troops. The attack was made in the morning, and was intended to be a surprise, with the object of destroying the works, burning the town, and capturing the loyal citizens. Some of the Federal troops, fortunately, were under arms. The fight continued for awhile, when the rest of the troops charged the enemy through the town, and the streets were partially cleared. The gunboat Louisiana, soon opened with grape and canister on the portion of the town in which the enemy had collected, and quickly dispersed them. They rushed to their intrenchments, from which they were pursued eight miles by a squadron of cavalry. The Federal gunboat Picket accidentally exploded during this engagement, by which sad occur.