The Battle of Antietam (The Fight on the Left)

With the first break of daylight the heavy pounding of the enemy's guns on their right announced the battle begun, and for one hour the sullen booming was uninterrupted by aught save their own echoes. McClellan had initiated the attack. Jackson and Lawton (commanding Ewell's division,)--always in time--had come rapidly forward during the night, and were in position on our extreme left. What a strange strength and confidence we all felt in the presence the man, "Stonewall" Jackson. Between six and seven o'clock the Federals advanced a large body of skirmishers, and shortly after the main body of the enemy was hurled against the division of Gen. Lawton.

The fire now became fearful and incessant. What were at first distinct notes, clear and consecutive, merged into a tumultuous chorus, that made the earth tremble. The discharge of musketry sounded upon the ear like the rolling of a thousand distinct drums, and ever and anon the peculiar yells of our boys told us of some advantage gained. We who were upon the centre could see little or nothing of this portion of the battle, but from the dense pall of smoke that hung above the scene, we knew too well that bloody work was going on.

The Federals outnumbered us three to one. Their best troops were concentrated upon this single effort to turn our left, and for two hours and a half the tide of battle ebbed and flowed alternately for and against us. Still our boys fought desperately, perhaps as they never fought before. Whole brigades were swept away before the iron storm, the ground was covered with the wounded and the dead. Ewell's old division, overpowered by superior numbers, gave back. Hood, with his Texans, the Eighteenth Georgia and the Hampton Legion, rushed into the Gap and retrieved the loss. Ewell's men, rallying on this support, returned to the fight, and adding their weight to that of the fresh enthusiastic troops, the enemy in turn were driven back. Reinforced, they made another desperate effort on the extreme left, and here again was a repetition of the scenes I have described. For a time they flanked us, and our men retired slowly, fighting over every inch of ground. It was a trying hour. The Federals saw their advantage, and pressed it with vigor. Eight batteries were in full play upon us, and the din of heavy guns, whistling and bursting of shells, and the roar of musketry, was almost deafening.

At this juncture Lee ordered to the support of Jackson the division of Gen. McLaws, which had been held in reserve. And blessing never came more opportunely. Our men had fought until not only they but their ammunition were well nigh exhausted, and discomfiture stared them in the face. But, thus encouraged, every man rallied, and the fight was redoubled in its intensity. Splendidly handled, the reinforcements swept on like a wave, its blows falling thick and fast on the audacious column that had so stubbornly forced their way to the position on which we originally commenced the battle. Half an hour later and the enemy were retreating. At one point we pursued for nearly a mile, and last night a portion of our troops on the left slept on Yankee ground. The success, though not decisive as compared with our usual results, was complete as it was possible to make it in view of the peculiar circumstances of the battle and the topography of the country. Certain it is, that after the cessation of the fight at 10½ o'clock, the Yankees did not renew it again at this point during the day. They had been defeated, and all they could do thereafter was to prevent us from repeating in turn the experiment which they had attempted on our line. It was, beyond all doubt, the most hotly contested field on which a battle has taken place during the war.