THE BATTLE OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN, OR BOONS BORO’.

S71

About 4 p. m. I saw what appeared to be two Federal brigades emergefrom the woods south of Colquitt’s position and form in an open field nearlyat right angles to each other — one brigade facing toward the pike, and theother facing the general direction of the mountain. This inverted Y-likeformation was similar to that of the 1st Mississippi Regiment at Buena Yista.If it was made anywhere else during the Civil War , I never heard of it. TheV afforded a fine target from the pike, and I directed Captain Lane to openon it with his battery. His firing was wild, not a shot hitting the mark. Theheavy batteries promptly replied, showing such excellent practice that Lane’sguns were soon silenced. A small force in the edge of the woods on the westside of the old field opened fire upon the Y. The Federals changed theirformation, and, advancing in line of battle, brash ed away their assailantsand plunged into the woods, when heavy firing began which lasted possiblyhalf an hour.

I suppose that the Federal force which I saw was the division of Q-eneralSturgis, | and that he left behind Harland’s brigade of Rodman’s division toguard his flank in his advance, since Harland reports that he had no casual-ties. Gleneral Sturgis claims that he swept everything before him. So do hiscomrades who fought on his left. On the other hand, General Hood, who cameup a short time before this advance, with the brigades of Wofford and Law,claims that he checked and drove back the Federals. G. T. Anderson reportsthat only his skirmishers were engaged. The surviving officers under G. B.Anderson (who was killed at Sliarpsburg, and left no report) say that thesame thing was true of their brigade in the afternoon. Ripley’s brigade wasnot engaged at all. About dusk the 2d and 13th North Carolina Regimentsattacked Fairchild’s brigade and the batteries protected by it on the extremeFederal left, and were repulsed disastrously. Generals Burnside and Willcoxsay that the fight was continued until 10 o’clock at night. Hood was mis-taken, then, in thinking that he had driven back the Federal advance. Theopposing lines were close together at nightfall, and the firing between theskirmishers was kept up till a late hour. Equally erroneous is the claim thatany Confederates were driven except Drayton’s small brigade. We held thecrests of the mountain, on the National road and the old Sharpsburg road,until Lee’s order for withdrawal was given. General Reno , the Federal corpscommander on our right, was killed at 7 p. M., in Wise’s field, where the fightbegan at 9 o’clock in the morning. But on our left a commanding hill waslost before night. Batteries placed upon it next morning, acting in concertwith the heavy batteries placed on our right by General Pleasonton before w T ewere aware of his presence, would have made any position untenable on thepike or the crest of the mountain. I made that statement to General Lee about 9 p . 11., when he consulted with Longstreet and myself in regard torenewing the fight the next morning. Longstreet concurred in this view,remarking that I knew the ground and the situation better than he did.

General Hooker detached Gibbon’s brigade, consisting of three Wisconsin

| Probably Willcox’s division, with its right, refused to avoid the enfilading fire from the batteries on

the mountain.— Editors.