In an hour after dawn, this heavy slaughter had been effected in Ewell’s division, and the detailed statement which we have given will best show the stubborn resistance offered by the Southern troops.  Still, they were unable to hold their ground, and fell back at last in disorder before General Hooker, who pressed forward to seize the Hagerstown road and crush the whole Confederate left.  He was met, however, by Jackson’s Old Division of sixteen hundred men, who had been held in reserve; and General Lee hastened to the point threatened Hood’s two small brigades, one of which.  General Hood states, numbered but eight hundred and sixty-four men.  With this force Jackson now met the advancing column of General Hooker, delivering a heavy fire from the woods upon the Federal forces.  In face of this fire they hesitated, and Hood made a vigorous charge, General Stuart opening at the same time a cross-fire on the enemy with his horse-artillery.  The combined fire increased their disorganization, and it now turned into disorder.  Jackson seized the moment, as always, throwing forward his whole line, and the enemy were first checked, and then driven back in confusion, the Confederates pursuing and cheering.

The first struggle had thus resulted in favor of the Confederates—­with about six thousand they had repulsed eighteen thousand—­and it was obvious to General McClellan that, without reinforcements, his right could not hold its ground.  He accordingly, just at sunrise, sent General Mansfield’s corps to the aid of General Hooker, and at nine o’clock General Sumner’s corps was added, making in all forty thousand men.

The appearance of affairs at this moment was discouraging to the Federal commander.  His heavy assaulting column had been forced back with great slaughter; General Hooker had been wounded and borne from the field; General Mansfield, while forming his line, had been mortally wounded; and now, at nine o’clock, when the corps of General Sumner arrived, the prospect was depressing.  Of the condition of the Federal forces, General Sumner’s own statement conveys a very distinct conception:  “On going upon the field,” said General Sumner, before the war committee, “I found that General Hooker’s corps had been dispersed and routed.  I passed him some distance in the rear, where he had been carried wounded, but I saw nothing of his corps at all, as I was advancing with my command on the field.  I sent one of my staff-officers to find where they were, and General Ricketts, the only officer we could find, stated that he could not raise three hundred men of the corps.”  General Mansfield’s corps also had been checked, and now “began to waver and break.”

Such had been the result of the great Federal assault, and it was highly creditable to the Confederate arms.  With a comparatively insignificant force, Jackson had received the attack of the entire Federal right wing, and had not only repulsed, but nearly broken to pieces, the large force in his front.