The following is transcribed from Harper's Weekly Journal of Civilization, dated October 18, 1862:

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General McClellan's Report of the Battle of Antietam

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Near Sharpsburg, September 29, - 1:30pm

Major-General H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief of the United States Army:

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          General, I have the honor to report the following as some of the battles of South Mountain and Antietam:

          At South Mountain our loss was 443 dead, 1806 wounded, and 76 missing. Total 2,325.

          At Antietam our loss was 2010 killed, 9416 wounded, and 1043 missing. Total 12,469.

          Total loss in the two battles, 14,794.

          The loss of the rebels in the two battles, as near as can be ascertained from the number of their dead found upon the field, and from other data, will not fall short of the following estimate:

          Major Davis, Assistant Inspector-General, who superintended the burial of the dead, reports about three thousand rebels buried upon the field of Antietam by our troops.

          Previous to this, however, the rebels had buried many of their own dead upon the distant portion of the battlefield, which they occupied after the battle - probably at least five hundred.

         The loss of the rebels at South Mountain can not be ascertained with accuracy; but as our troops continually drove them from the commencement of the action, and as a much greater number of their dead were seen on the field of our own, it is not unreasonable to suppose that their loss was greater than ours. Estimating their killed of five hundred, the total rebels killed in the two battles would be four thousand. According to the ratio of our own killed and wounded, this would make their loss in wounded eighteen thousand seven hundred and forty-two.

          As nearly as can be determined at this time, the number of prisoners taken by our troops in the two battles will, at the lowest estimate, amount to 5000. The full returns will no doubt show a larger number. Of there about 1200 are wounded.

          This gives us a rebel loss in killed, wounded and prisoners of 15,542. It will be observed that this does not include their stragglers, the number of whom is said by citizens here to be large.

          It may be safely concluded, there fore, that the rebel army lost at least 30,000 of their best troops.

          From the time our troops first encountered the enemy in Maryland, until he was driven back into Virginia, we captured 13 guns, 7 caissons, 9 limbers,2 field forges, 2 caison bodies, 39 colors, and 1 signal flag. We have not lost a single gun or a color.

          On the battlefield of Antietam 14,000 small-arms were collected, besides the number carried off by citizens and those distributed on the ground to recruits and other unarmed men arriving immediately after the battle.

At South Mountain no collection of small arms was made; but owing to the haste of the pursuit from that point, 400 were taken on the opposite side of the Potomac.

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George B. McClellan

Major-General Commanding

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General Halleck's Answer

Washington, D. C., Sept. 30, 1862

Major-General McClellan, commanding, etc.;

          General, -- Your report of yesterday, giving the results of the battles of South Mountain and Antietam, has been received and submitted to the President. They were not only hard-fought battles, but well-earned and decided victories.

          The valor and endurance of your army in the several conflicts which terminated in the expulsion of the enemy from the loyal State of Maryland, are creditable to the troops and to the officers who commanded them.

          A grateful country, while mourning the lamented dead, will not be unmindful of the honors due to the living.

H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief.

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