Following the Flag, from August 1861 to November 1862, with the Army of the PotomacCoffin, Charles Carleton
History
Following the Flag, from August 1861 to November 1862, with the Army of the Potomac
Coffin, Charles Carleton
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Campaigns
On Caldwell's left, the sunken road winds among the hills. The Rebels
still held that section. Colonel Barlow reconnoitered the ground. He
commanded the Sixty-first and Sixty-fourth New York regiments. He
ordered them to march by the left flank. They pushed out into the
fields towards Sharpsburg, gained the rear of the Rebels still holding
the road, and forced three hundred to surrender. He also captured their
stand of colors.
There is once more a lull in the battle. Longstreet is making
preparations to regain his lost ground. Having failed on French's
right, by Rulet's, he renews the attack on the left. But Colonel Cross
of the Fifth New Hampshire, who has watched with eagle eye the Indians
of the western plains, who has tracked the grizzly bears of the Rocky
Mountains, who is brave as well as vigilant, discovers the movement.
It is the same which has been successful against Sedgwick. The left
of Caldwell is far advanced towards Dr. Piper's, when Colonel Cross
discovers the Rebel force making a rapid movement to gain a hill in his
rear. He changes front, and moves his regiment to gain the hill. The
two lines are within close musket range. They make a parallel movement,
firing as they run. It is an exciting race. Colonel Cross cheers his
men, and inspires them with his own untamable enthusiasm. He gains
the hill, faces his troops towards the enemy, and delivers a volley.
It checks their advance a moment, but, rallied by the officers, they
rush on, charging up the hill. Cross, reinforced by the Eighty-first
Pennsylvania, which has followed him, gives the word.
"At them, boys!" He leads the counter charge. His troops rush down the
hill. The Rebels do not wait their coming, but break in confusion.
Another stand of colors, those of the Fourth North Carolina, and more
prisoners, are the trophies.
Again Longstreet tries to drive back the center, and regain the road;
and again Barlow repulses him, charging up through the cornfield,
almost up to the Hagerstown turnpike, and gaining Dr. Piper's house.
Vincent's and Graham's batteries gallop to the hills south of Rulet's,
wheel into position, and reply to the batteries on the hills along
the turnpike, north of Piper's. But the Rebel batteries by the church
enfilade the ground west of the sunken road. Hancock, who now commands
Richardson's division, can hold his ground, but he cannot advance.
Thus by one o'clock, Lee has been pushed from his advanced lines on
the right and on the center. He still holds the rocky ledges in
the woods behind the church; he maintains his position along the
turnpike, and holds the lower bridge, where Burnside is endeavoring
to force a crossing. All the while, there is a continuous cannonade
by Poffenberger's, by Miller's, and in front of the church. There
are occasional volleys of musketry, and a rattling fire from the
skirmishers.
GENERAL FRANKLIN'S ARRIVAL.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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