ARMY OPERATIONS. 



161 



original position by the success of Gen. Mc- 

 Oook's efforts to recover and hold it, on the 

 third attempt. The division on the extreme 

 left was also moved across Stone river. The 

 position on the right wing -was intrenched and 

 the communications in the rear completed. 

 On the morning of the 3d, sharp demonstra- 

 tions were made along the whole Federal line 

 by the Confederate army, but nothing serious 

 was attempted until three o'clock in the after- 

 noon. At that time the Confederate force 

 burst in mass upon the division across Stone 

 river, as if having discovered the intention of 

 Gen. Rosecrans to advance it in their rear. 

 This attacking force consisted of their entire 

 right wing. The three brigades of the Federal 

 division under Col. Beatty were prepared for 

 the attack and stood their ground manfully, 

 but the overwhelming force finally drove them 

 back across the creek. Gen. Negley's division, 

 which had been formed in reserve as if for this 

 occasion, now advanced, supported by the divi- 

 sion of Gen. Davis and the pioneer battalion 

 of Morton. The most bitter conflict of the 

 battle now ensued. Bath sides massed their 

 batteries and used them with desperate vindic- 

 tiveness. The Confederate line wavered and 

 fell back. Gen. Davis was ordered to cross the 

 stream, and Col. Sir well of the 78th Pennsyl- 

 vania, placing his hat on the point of his sword, 

 led the way with a shout. Col. Beatty's divi- 

 sion followed. An overwhelming and irresist- 

 ible charge was made on the Confederate line, 

 and it broke and fled. A battery was captured, 

 and a stand of colors. The entire division of 

 Gen. Negley followed up rapidly, and Gen. 

 Rosecrans' s whole line immediately advanced. 

 The Confederate right wing was now broken, 

 and the Federal force was gaining the Confed- 

 erate flank, when resistance on its part became 

 vain and the entire force receded with the loss 

 of many prisoners. The next morning found 

 the Federal line intrenched in its advanced 

 position, but a storm was raging. Quiet pre- 

 vailed through the day, excepting one or two 

 sharp conflicts resulting in the capture of a 

 Confederate breastwork. On the next morning 

 the Confederate army had retired from Mur- 

 freesborough, which was subsequently occupied 

 by Gen. Rosecrans. Two divisions were soon 

 sent forward in pursuit of the forces of Gen. 

 Bragg, who fell back to Tallahoma. The Federal 

 loss was 8.485 killed and wounded, and 3,600 

 missing. The Confederate loss is not known. 



The original plan of Gen. Rosecrans to turn 

 the right of the Confederate army and cut off 

 its retreat, was entirely defeated by the failure 

 of the right wing to maintain itself. The sub- 

 sequent movements of the army of the Cum- 

 berland, properly belong to the history of the 

 year 1863. 



The conclusion of the campaign in Vir- 

 ginia remains to be described. Immediately 

 after the battle of Antietam, the Confederate 

 army retired across the Potomac and occupied 

 strong positions on its right bank. All hopes 



VOL. II. 11 



that the State of Maryland would unite her 

 destinies with the Southern Confederacy were 

 now banished. The invasion had been made 

 by crossing the Potomac within a limit of 

 twelve miles, which is about a mile above the 

 Point of Rocks and five miles below the Mono- 

 cacy aqueduct on the Chesapeake and Ohio 

 canal. The army then marched through fields, 

 woods, and roads for Frederick. The line of 

 the Chesapeake and Ohio canal for twelve 

 miles presented a scene of desolation. It was 

 tapped at five places. Several floodgates were 

 cut to pieces, and from heights above large 

 boulders of rock were dislodged and thrown 

 into the canal. An unsuccessful attempt was 

 made to blow up the aqueduct at Monocacy. 

 The telegraph lines and the track of the Balti- 

 more and Ohio railroad were much injured. 

 The bridge at Monocacy and portions of the 

 abutments were destroyed. Private property 

 did not escape. Fences were torn down and 

 fields laid desolate. 



The influence produced by the activity of the 

 militia of Pennsylvania in responding to the call 

 of the governor to aid in the defence of that 

 State, is acknowledged by Gen. McClellan in the 

 following letter: 



HEADQrARTERS ARMY OP THE POTOMAC, ) 



SHABPSBUEG, September 27, 1862. ( 

 GOVERNOR : I beg to avail myself of almost the first 

 moment of leisure I have had since the recent battles 

 to tender to you my thanks for your wise and ener- 

 getic action in calling out the militia of Pennsylvania 

 lor its defence, when threatened by a numerous and 

 victorious army of the enemy. Fortunately circum- 

 stances rendered it impossible for the enemy to set 

 foot upon the soil of Pennsylvania, but the moral sup- 

 port rendered to my army by your action was none the 

 less mighty. 



In the name of my army and for myself I again 

 tender to you our acknowledgments for your patnotic 

 course. The manner in which the people of Pennsyl- 

 vania responded to your call and hastened to the de- 

 fence 'of their frontier no doubt exercised a great 

 influence upon the enemy. 



I am, very respectfullv and sincerely, yours, 

 GEO." B. McCLELLAX, 



Maj.-Geu. U. S. Army. 

 His excellency A. G. CFRTIX, 



Governor of Pennsylvania. 



The army of Gen. McClellan remained on the 

 north bank of the Potomac in the vicinity of 

 Sharpsburg and Harper's Ferry. On the 1st 

 of October it was visited by President Lincoln, 

 who was cordially received and tarried until 

 the 4th. On the 7th Gen. McClellan issued 

 the following order relative to the Proclama- 

 tion threatening emancipation of the Southern 

 slaves : 



HEADQUABTEBS AEMT or THE POTOMAC, October T, 1S62. 



General Order, 163. The attention of the officers and 

 soldiers of the Army of the Potomac is called to Gen- 

 eral Orders, No. 139, War Department, September 

 24, 1862, publishing to the army the President's proc- 

 lamation of September 22. 



A proclamation of such grave moment to the nation, 

 officially communicated to the army, affords to the Gen- 

 eral commanding an opportunity of defining specifical- 

 ly to the officers and soldiers under his command the 

 relation borne by all persons in the military service 



