(September 17, 1862.)
Ricketts' Division moved from its bivouac in the Poffenberger Woods early in the morning of the 17th. Duyea's Brigade moving south through the North Woods and over the open ground between the Hagerstown Pike and the East Woods, passed through Miller's Cornfield to its southern edge and engaged the Confederate line 220 to 230 yards in its front. After an obstinate contest of 30 to 40 minutes the Brigade was compelled to retire. The center of the Brigade line is marked by its tablet west of this. Hartsuff's Brigade (supported by Christian's) went into action on a line running northwest and southeast through this point, and after a sanguinary contest, the Brigade was compelled to retire with a loss of half of its number. Christian moved in the left rear of Hartsuff's, his right supporting and relieving Hartsuff at this point, his left forming on the west edge of the East Woods, south of the Smoketown Road. The Division was relieved by the advance of the Twelfth Corps, and joined the rest of the First Corps on the right near the Hagerstown Pike, north of J. Poffenberger's.