Newspaper Page Text
x
THE
VOLUME XXXV.]
MI|.LED«EVILLE, GEORGIA, Tl'ESP AT, JUNE 14, 1861.
MMBEIi 4.
ltOQllHTON, Jt'ISBET, BARNES & MOORE
Publishers and Proprietors.
S.X. BOIT.IITOT, ^ Edilor*.
joh.ii. xisbet. a
g\)t <£anfcbcratt ©won
4th. A few of bis brigades remained be-commanding this movement on Johnson's
hind for a day guarding some of the fords flank, soon afterwards threw the- whole
across the ltapidan. Johnston’s division, i weight of his dense column upon those
having the advance, followed the tnrnpike; ] stout souls; but, though threatening to en-
-prcssii-g 8 r> obstinately upon its front failed t«
break its heroic constancy. Thick and fast ir*
men crej.t't.' the rear, bleeding, oi dropping in the
rauks dead —hut etil it gave no signs of yielding.
One-half of its number of the morning had been
and encamped for the night within three; velope it on the left, failed to force back j placed hors da comhat. The weight of the
1 miles of a stieam flowing northwardly— the men who had learned heroic constancy
| Wilderness Run. Rhodes, next in the or- from Jackson. Sorely pressed, however,
der of march, lay in his rear along the j Pegram’s Virginians and Hay’s Louisian-
, ashed Weekly, in Milletlgcrille, Ga., j same route; and Early who had moved j ians deployed rapidly on their left. Cltarg-
" T Ianc<vk and Wilkinson Sts., ! from Ewell’s left at Summerville Ford, i ing immediately upon the Federal right,
encamped for the night a little behind a ; those fresh troops drove it hack. • The fu-
place called Locust Grove. The Second j rious onslaught of Hay’s men did not ex-
Corps had thus reached, on the night of< pend itself until they had forced the ene
the 4th, a position from which it stood rea
dy to strike on the following morning the
flank of Grant’s column of advance.
Corner of Hat
(opposite Court House.)
At $10 a year in Advance.
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inense masses hurled against it having excited in
Lieut. General hill some fears for its solidity, or-
J ders were sent to Wilcox to come up with his di
vision from Ewell’s right, at the double quick.—
That gallant officer arrived at four o’clock, while
the roar-of the rifles in front, accompanied by the
ihundersof four or five guns on the plank road,
declared the combat to be one of extraordinary
"fierceness.
Johnston moved with his division at
Wilcox, guided by the heaviness of the fire,
my to retreat in confusion for nearly a P^ced his leading brigade in rear of Heth’s centre,
-, t j o n . ai * z** 7 and deployed to the right and to the left ot the
mile. Jn advance of all otheison that face j road. The conflict soon afterwards deep
of the att; ck, those splendid troops—the j «ning in that direction, he next formed his second j into column; and, delighted at ihe complete sue- j time appeared to he, the second day of t
heroes, yon will recollect, of Winchester—I brigade, as it arrived upon the field, oni the left ! cess of their chieftain’s strategy, moved forward j battle of the Wilderness terminated
a nnaronl^'riifli' l'?*"’ th « b « tt 1 es« ti k in t ° a lullotj be | oved General-in-chief had gone to his
appaient exhaustion on hnih sides. Ihe'brigades | ... .
of G. T Anderson, of W 0 ff,rd and of Mahoue, P ro P er P osl . t,on ln . f . be rear - Yielding to
wer , in the meantime, directed against the ene- their touching solicitude, and thus teinii-
my’s left flank. nating one of the most remarkable inci-
Having termed perpendicularly to his line. 'flier 1 in tlie war Gen Lee retired- and
struck it suddenly at about a mile south of the i.-V, Tf ’ ,1 1 fu •
plank road, and giving it no time to fall into po- : "’ell did Gl egg S gallant fe.Jows fulfill the
nition in their iront, drove it nearly up to that promise with which they urged his witb-
highway ni a confused mass. Ihe enemy carry- , draws], by rushing forward, through a
ing with him the debus of this route, retreated to . ci n , :*i e i- l .'it
the breastworks he had thrown n P near the line 0 f j ! en T est , bullets, with a fury which noth-
planking, along which be had advanced from Gei ! withstand. All the ground that
manna ford. had been lost was recovered, the enemy
The flanking force having thns done their work | driven, routed, into his entrenchments,
th. Ite.. Advanced threaten
The Confederate line of battle on the left of their ll) o v 7 60 as *° * i0m tmn closely in, ana
position, on learning of tho enemy’s rout, broke ! thus, almost hopeless as its fortunes at one
lie
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, i e T-, ,i. „„ ,i w . .-cl, liavimr lf.fr „earlv tbi’r.l tl.oh I flank; but had no sooner drawn it up in line of j amidst shouts of triumph. Longstreet rode m
the bead of Ewell s Corps on theoth.— having elt nearly one-third ot their num-, batt)e than it became exposed to ^sketry-sn I with his staff to take his place at the head of the
Having thrown skirmishers out into the , ue* oil tlie field, fell back witii^ 1 egram s j completely in reverse as to have wounded some of j advance; and was received as he passed alorjr the
woods on either side of the turnpike, he j gallant fellow’s to the general line of bat- “
discovered those of the enemy, at about tie.
6ix o’clock in the morning. The musket- j The enemy rouied with great slaughter
ry on each side deepening, he pressed for- j from all points of his advance, Ewell pro- j
ward with Gen. J. M. Jones’ brigade to ; ceeded to select ground for the morrow’s
to the rear, and swinging round his left, he ! Jenkins, spurring to his.side, grasped bis hand in
found himself confronted by a Federal line ol bat- ; a glow of pleasure; and the whole soene was one
tie. i of universal rejoicing.
Reasoning from the crushing weight of the Their faces glowing, tin ir horses prancing, the j
mnsketry in Ileth’s front, Wilcox d>-ew up auoth- : cavalcade surrouuding the Lieutenaut. General
g a i n a hill in his front; and having after a, battle. Assisted by General Smith, of the j er of his Lrigades in that officer’s rear, on the , had, however, not passed more than a Imndred !
brief stru^cle. drived itack a heavy line of: engineers, he reviewed his position; and j L ig , Al ...... .. .
unci ouuggic, u.nui irciv.rv . j fire ex ten d 1 ng, s u bseq uen t ly, in that direction, he
sharpshooters from that position, proceed- ; proceeded at once to cover his fro’it-tovith - - * •
ed to form bis troops in at ray of battle.
The thicket on all sides of the two ar
was sobered into profound regret. One of the
1 ,1,s * ro iWW'ltli J placed his last brigade for the protection of that, brigades of the flanking force, heated with the
a line ol field wet ks atul ail abattis of felled 1 flank, in extension of Heth’s array on the extreme j work of destruction that they had executed so
trees. Skirmishing continued murderous- j fight- Two of Wilcox’s brigades lay thus in re-1 splendidly, mistook the glad group of horsemen giments from
”Iy outside the lines- hut the battle of the serve rt,ar °/ 'be centre, while another occupied j’that came prancing along the plnnk road, for a ;*ar-
’ each of the two flanks of the liiie of battle. The *” nf 11 —— J . .1—.
mies excluded the use of artillery save on
ly for the width of the turnpike. Jones ; 5th of May, on Lee s left appeared to have * terribl.eness of the Federal musketry at this mo
brigade had been formed but a moment a- been lost and won. Immediately before ' im-ut was such that, having torn a section of the
, |lf cress that road when the enemy advanced the clo^e of the evening, the skirmishers of; tru "k utterly to shred, it actually cut down a
etters of application for dism n. j j n w hat of order is practicable in a tangled General Regram, on Johnston’s left, came j OHk tree Lavin S a ^ ian * ett ’ r (>f eighteen
round the Soul hem Cross of the right
wing in bljody triumph.
The Gth of May opened on Ewell’s front
with Rhodes’ division on the light of the
tnrnpike, Johnson’s on the other side of
that road, and Early still further to tlie
left. In the morning a column of attack
came up in front of Pegram’s brigade, and
of part of Johnson’s division; and attemp
ting to force its way, pressed that pait of
the line heavily. Reinforced by a few re-
Gordon’s brigade, tbe Gon-
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forest. He appioached with a heavy line running in; and soon afteiwaids his shatp The losses in Ileth’s division had become so
of skirmishers, followed by a solid column ' shooters sptanghack from their rifle-pits
extending across the Confederate front, in his immediate front. A column three
four lines deep. Stewart’s and Stafford's ! lines deep moved upon him from the depths
brigades proceeded to form rapidly on of the forest, and, firing heavily as they
Jones’ left. To guard against the danger i came cn, pressed towards his works furi-
of an overlapping bredth of attack, the ottsly. Hisstaunch V irginians, however,
brigade of Gen. Walker, which, having ! met the attack resolutely: and, covered
Sale*of Land and Negroes, by Administrators, Ex- nursed the genius of Jackson, is known as partially by their works, burled volley ai-
on^he^st^iiesday'i'n'the monlh^b&tw^Tn^rii^honre “Stonewall,” formed at some distance , ter volley in withering blasts, breast high,
of 10 iiitin forenoon and three in the afternoon, at the from Stafford’s left flank, covering it by a into its soiled ranks
Court house in the county in which the property is f*i ont
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heavy that Wilcox's brigade in reservo were mov-
fedcrateSj with unflinching solidity, hurl
ed the onslaught back, margled and bleed
ing. Again, however, and yet again,
the obstinate masses reuewed tbeir ad
vance, until the line of their movement,
strewed thickly with evidence of the ter-
rois iu their way, they finally shrank
that had proved sodis-
astrous.
The battle on the left appeared after
situated. . , ...
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at right angles to that officer’s line, i terrible fire, the assaila
In this position the division ot Gen. Ed- j fled Ihe .Moloch of the Noitli had, . placed them in the position assigned them in the
ward Johnston, of Ewell’s corps, stood on ; however, not yet been sated. In five lines i array of battle. The murderous conflict raged iu
the morning of the 5th to receive the ene- ' a column renewed the attack after night- i rierce monotony until night closed over the Gon-
mv’s onslaught fall; but did so without other result than ‘ u 'J' 3rate !“«» iu the position it had originally
Johnston’s skirmishers were driven in. , t increase ternbly the hundreds 01 men , from the Gth corps, the 2d and the 5th corps , anti
Those of the enemy took position»in the that dead or dying outside the Confederate ; this fact points to the supposition that the gallant
advancing column The Fifth Corps of works, Ijv weltering in their gore. Peg-j ^visions of Heth and Wilcox actually held at
•Be Federal army, accompanied by two ; r.m-wlm he’d, in h-eveim, lined which |Jft ^^“*«•
pieces of artillery, that came thundering a gallant member of his family declared j Ileth’s division was ordered, during the night
along the turnpike, assailed the Confede- • he thicker than, water—iell in this last | of the 5th, to go to the rear asareserve. Lane’s,
rate lines at the intersection of that road, attack severely wounded. A dashing ofli- I Scales’, McGowan’s and Thomas’ brigades—con-
Receiving as it advanced a terrible fusi j cer, this accident is deepely regretted by j ° f General Wiluox - occrt *
to add is not 1 :
ty of the flying foe. It poured into them at short
range a deadly fire ! Poor Jenkins fell instantly ;
from his horse, with a bullet in bis pulsoless
brain! An enthusiastic son of South Carolina, be
was beloved by his troops for his tine qualities,
as a man and an officer. Longstreet received a
ball that entered his throat and passed out thro’
his right shoulder. Bleeding like an ox, he was
ed. at about halt-past five, to the front. McGow- j helped from his horse so prostrated that fears j f r0ln an encounter*
ao’s South Carolinians thus brought into action, | were entertained of his immediate death. Major!
their gallant chief, impatient of delay. leaped his j Walton, a gallant Mississippian on his staff, threw- j
horse over a rank that had lain down to let his • open bis vest and shirt collar, and found great re-
men pass. Spurring forward, waving sword as j lief in discovering iLat he was mistaken in sup- ! tlie repulse of the moraine, to hang fire
he went, he was followed by his brigade, with a I posing that the hall had cut the caroled artery. | Direct advance bo sternly repelled, the
Placed on a litter, the wounded General was re- ' j . • t . i 1
moved from the field; but feeble though he was enemy determined to make a movement
from loss of blood, did not fail to lift his hat fiom i on Ewell’s flank. Wilcox’s division bav-
time to time as he passed down the column, in ac
knowledgment ot itscheeis of applause and sym
pathy.
The column of advance deployed into line —
Some of Fields’ and McLaws’ men had already
encountered and driven back the enemy on the
left of the plank road, when Anderson’s division
of Hill's corps, was ordered to their support The
brigade of Alabamians has illuiriiuate-l tlie name
cheer ; and, plunging immediately into the depths
of the conflict, diuvc back the enemy by his im
petuous dash, for several hundred yards Wilcox,
_ seeing the Federal lines on each side of the
Slaughtered by this -breadth of that charge of the fiery South Caro-
lontc nanc.,1 rno | u ,t l liniaus atood firm, became apprehensive for their
tarns oaiiseu, reeteu, I safety ; and, ordering them at once to fallback,
been withdrawn the day bcJoie for the
support of Hetli, tlie two wings of Leo’s
anny continued still unconnected; anil
through the space thus open, Burnside
moved a force at about two o’clock, with
a view of crushing our line from light to
left. Ewell, who is gifted with the in-
of Wilcox; having come up, first in the older of j sticlsol a military genius, stood, however,
march, was placed rapidly by its chief. General prepared at all points. As the flanking
Perrin, in the position of Law s brigade.of hields j f orce 0 f the enemy came up, moving per-
division, its right resting on the plank toad. It f , . ,,, , , ,. r „ , °, r
had hardly taken its place, when the enemy, who 1 P c,, dieuJat y ^ to Rhodes line ot battle, a
had been previously’ driven back in fine style by ' battalion of sharps
lade without any sign of wavetiug, the
rear ranks pressing forward those of the
his brigade, but I
sttpposei
Yidettes were sent out. but ven-
am liapp} to amt is not j tnred only a short distance from tbe line of battle,
to involve any danger to his life. | i'he two armies lay, indeed so close to each other
Law’, came up again, and, uuder a terrible fire
from Perrin’s rifles, retreated with precipitation.
Renewing his advance, he once more emerged
from tbe forest, hut contented himself with quick
and wild firing, as he lay down a; a distance ot a
hundred and fifty yaids from the from ot the Con
front, the attacking masses deli\ered from The repulse which lie guided as he fell, | throughout the night as to be within easy ear-shot, federate line. The Federal officers were heard at
'ire upon closed the work of war for the day on the i A * reamon -he Ct
n it with lett; and witnessed tlie Confederates still j botll tliat meil e ;t
g to en- » n possession of their improved position their canteens from it v
velope it on its right, they succeeded after i and advanced lines, flushed with undoubt- j some from the other. (
a brief struggle, in forcing back part of the ; ed victory. j ulcTiiie^nTiat «•'
a t brigade that had been formed across the j , Hi!1 was ordered to inarch on the 4th from Lee's j j- f) ’
a forest of rifles a fast and furious fi
Johnston’s line. Closing in upon
great spirit in front and threatening to en-
fofF When a subscriber finds a cross mark on
hi« paper he will know that his subscription has
expired, or is about to expire, and must be renew
ed if he wishes the paper continued.
We do not send receipts to new subscri
hers. If they receive the paper they may know _
that we have received the money. turnpike—that of Gen. J. M. Jones. Two
ZW Subscribers wishing their papers changed of his regiments—the 2 J st Virginia com-
from one post-office to another must state the
name of the post-office Ircm which they wish it
changed.
I<*ivc Dollar Rill*.
A« no one will take Confederate Fives of the old
issue from us, we are compelled, in self defense,
to announce that we will only receive them at a
discount of 33 1 3.
—
Interesting reading matter will
be found on the 4th page.
entreating, shaming were of no avail in ar
resting their disordered flight, as he saw
left Audeisou's
hind for tho time to guard some fords in its frout,
Heth, followed by Wilcox, moved tastwardly,
er-
two
catl-
med
pursuing
the line of the plank way.
The ring of small arms on tho right announced
, . - , - p ,i I i° *h 0 course of the morning of the 5th, a small
his men rushing from the held m hopeless I cavalry affair Ijear ther route % f Hill . s (;olumn ._
confusion lie fell from tlie saddle a bleed- j The march still, however, continued, until it en-
ing corpse. Captain Early, of his staff, countered, at 11 o’clock, some dismounted cav-
un willing to desert him. had but a few mo- airy; hut after a moment s pause, brushing those
p . , iiii-i i „ from its way, still went forward. At one o clock
merits previously wheeled lus horse from j musketry waa agaiu heard iu front . aIld thotJgh
its retreat; hut only to share with his gal- at first thought to indicate the presence of merely
lant chief while in the act, the same red a party of horse, proved, after skirinisibing, to
b H -| have come from a large body of infantry. Kirt-
c ’ . , p , . ... • ,1 „ laud’s brigade.’ of Heth-’s division deployed im-
Stewart moved from his position in the med j a te|y on bo t b 8 j de s of the plank road ; and
line of battle to close the g a P l e ^ tl |e Whole column proceeded to form in line of
the brigade of Jones. As the Federal j battle on irs flanks; while the sharpshooters of
masses poured through, his men rushed i bo . th armies kept up in front a desultory and some-
driving them
lie Confederate left constituted
water ; and was so near
_.ther side going out to fill
of their improved position |. their canteen-, from it v.-ere very offer captured by
Colonel Baldwin of the 1st
ent, more thirsty than pru-
ay a tenant of the Libby
'division having been lefc be- i P nson ,
Longstreet s corps, it will be recollected, lay,;
on the 3rd, thirteen miles southwest of the posi
tion oil the Rapidau. Ordered forward by Gen.
Lee, it marched from the neighborhood of Gor-
donsville on tho morning of the. 4th. On the night 1
of the 5th, it halted within twelve miles of the
field of the battle of that day. Intending to fol
low a road known as the Catharpen, with a view
to a movement upon the rear of the enemy’s left
that moment urging their men to rise and charge.
Their left pressed up to within a distance of sev
enty-five yards, hut the deadly minnic cutting
their close front into shreds, they fled, after a strug
gle of ten minutes, iu utter confusion ITin<*.
P , , ■ , i , ° i ihuteuicumznjiioi. until a iigiiL uaui
ing away knapsacks, cartridge boxes, muskets] , , . . , °
and blankets, the attacking party seemed stricken defeated by an amusing boldness, a repe-
writh terror, as well it might have been, in a field
rpsliooters from Rantseur’s
brigade of Noi tli Carolinians,following their
bold commander. Major Osborne, had the
audacity to charge a w hole division of the
Federal army. A whole division of tbe
Federal army advancing on that handful of
men, fled before Osborne’s fellows at the
top of their speed, leaving behind it in its
flight all its knapsacks, and as many as fif
teen hundred ot its muskets. Burnside’s
movement against Ewell’s right flank, thus
where its dead lay so thickly—sometimes one
upon auother—as to have traced out distinctly the
line’of the array in which they stood at the mo
ment of their death.
The struggle equally sanguinary with that on
the left of the plank road raged at tbe same time
on its right. In the meantime, however, a force
bad been sent out with the design of turning the
enemy’s flank on that side. The movement was,
w hat languid tire.
[Correspondence of the London Herald.]
battle of the wilderness.
Field of the Battle of the Ny, 1
|No. 43’J May 18. 1864. j
Tlie works occupied by Lee s army on forward with a cheer and, urivmg iueui . jhh’s advance followed, it wiil be recollected,
the Raoidan extended on the right three hack by the impetus of his charge, captur- the piank road, while Ewell’s pursued the turu
miles below Raccoon ford. Ewell’s corps ed their guns.
and Hill’s lay behind those defences, and j Almost simultaneously with the first
stretched out on each side of Orange signs of weakness in Jones’ line Daniel’s
Court House, along a line of twenty miles. | brigade of North Carolians and Gordon s
Longstree* having returned some time ago ; brigade of Georgians, both of Rhodes
from Eastern Tennessee, occupied the Division, were placed rapidly in line upon
country around G' rdonsville, thirteen j the right. Ordcied immediately after
miles south we6t ot the position on the ! by Gen. Ewell to charge, Gordon, holding
Rapidan. Such has been the disposition comimyid of the movement, rushed through
of tbe army of Northern Virginia during j the enemy’s first lines and captured as he
the latter part of April. went forward a W’hole regiment, men offi-
Grant having declined to assail Lee’s | cers and colors. Driving onward furious-
l¥ont, determined to turn it by by amove- | ly lie struck hack the Federal front in con-
ment on that officer’s right. He marched
eastwardly from his cantonments in tlie
country of Culpeper; and, having reached
that/iver seven miles lower down, at Ger- j
flank, it became necessary, under the rapid devel- however, found, after a long march, tc be imprae-
opment of Grant’s masses of attack, to call it to ticable. Triumphant on botfi sides of the plank
the support of the front. Its intrepid cldef, in- way, Lee decided on an attack in front. Perrin
formed after midnight of the danger of Hill’s haviifg just moved by the left flank sufficiently
corps, was ordered to move up the plank-road, far to admit those troops between his right and
with the view of meeting the renewal of the j the plank road, Benning’s brigade, of Fields di
shock of the 5th upon the right. Breaking up visiou, and Kershaw’s, of McLaws’ division,
his bivouac. Longstreet commenced his march ! formed upon his right. Their line extended from
about two o’clock in the morning to the field of the road-way was at right angles. Perrin and
battle. Laws drawn up in array of battle parallel with
Gen. Lee, concluding reasonably that a feint the road, lay, at the moment of the advance,
upon the left would occupy sufficient time to de- transversely in the rear of Perrin’s left. Right
lay the attack upon the right until the arrival and
deployment of Longstreet’s men, regarded the
8 tate ot things, on tlie dawn of the 6tli, without
alarm. Wilcox had, however, looked anxiously
and left of the plank road the Confederates began
to move forward. Kershaw, Benning and Perrin,
finding the enemy, pushed onward, treely swing
ing around their left somewhat adventurously into
fusion upon its supports; and scattering |
both like leaves before a storm, forced them |
off the field in utter tout for a mile and
a half. His front thus cleared, Gordon
Ford, and also seven miles still j found the enemy’s lines firm on both of his
lower down, at Elj’s Ford, crossed ihe
Rapidan. The campaign in Northern Vir
ginia, fraught as it is with the fate of the
Confederate States and of the United
States, took thus its initial form on the 3d
of May.
From Orange Court House—two
throughout the night for the coming of the divis- the unknown depths of the forest through which
ions of Anderson and Field ; and, disappointed in they moved. -
the delay of their arrival, began at daybreak to j fl meantime Federal skirmishers spring
cover.lns front by an abattis of felled trees. The from tree to tree as t]ley came 011 witll a ^ ”
men employed for that purpose were immediately fire , drove in tLose of p erri n and Law. Followed
fired upon by the enemy’s skirmishers ; and, in ; in hot haste by a blue line of battle, the whole
the next moment, rushed to their nfles, before the , presse d back the brigades of those officers with
advance ot an attack in heavy column. The bed- 1 grea t spirit towards the plank road. Alarmed
erals had spent the night m securing good posi- by the firing going on during that moment in the
lions for then’ onslaught of the morning; and, rear 0 f his left, Perrin sent his Adjutant, Capt.
coming now in great force from points threaten- Wynne, to communicate oti the subject with Gen.
ing Heth’s and Wilcox’s envelopment, forced tho — - —
gallant divisions of those officers to waver —^
pike. Parallel lines in their general dilection,
these movements stood at the time of the deploy
ment of Kirtland’s brigade, from three to four
miles apart. Tlie country intervening and round
about for several miles is known as ihe “Wilder-
'ness;’’ aud having very few - ‘clearings,” consists
almost wholly ot forest of dense undergrowth
The enemy apparently bewildered by the charac
ter of the sitq of the approaching conflict, sent
out scouts and skirmishers, iu every direction
from his front. Eight or ten of ttiese having
strayed in between tho coPnin of Hill and that of
Ewell, came into an open field iu which they' might
have shot, as he sat with General Hill and otner
officers on the ground, that idol of the army, Gen.
Lee. Those adventurous blue-coats, finding
themselves in front of the two brigades of Wil
cox's division, made a rapid retreat, ignorant,
most happily, that a very precious lite lay for a
moment at the mercy of thrir rifles. „ u-n in. r i
The interpolation of those skirmishers between rushed back to report to Gen. Hill. The Federal- nij o „„ «
his two columns, suggested to General Lee the J ' sla pressed forward so vigorously hat he had but , (j ap t Wy nne led oil two regiments from tl
necessity of opening communications with Ewell. | arr 1 ''*,. a fjb«Upomt when be looked back to ue poM . d flank : and had placed them in positi
tit ion of suck au enterprise was prevented
by an immediate junction with the line of
battle that had just been restored on the
right wing.
The extreme left was held by the Geor
gians of Gen. Gordon. Our line at that
part of the field extended beyond the ene
my’s right for the width of a brigade front.
Gordon, anxious to employ this advan
tage, urged that he be allowed to U6e it for
a movement against the Federal flank.—
Ewell and Early yielding to his repeated
representations, finally gave him the order
to move. Tbe sun was, however, at that
instant, about to set; and but a limited
tune remained, therefore, for the execu
tion of an enterprise so important. But
Gordon’s men moved briskly out of their
works; and, forming alright angles to
their previous position, moved forward in
line of battle, supported by R. D. John
ston’s brigade of North Carolinians. In
complete surprise they struck the enemy’s
flank; and crushing his array as they swept
forward majestically,.- drove everything
before tjgfBm like chaff before the wind’—
Brigade after brigade fled from the Federal
works, and, attempting, one after another,
to wheel around into line in order to check
• • T l • • . . 11* IICLLOOlir VI tiUEIIIUi; LA*!!! UI Ullicai IlfllN Willi . til* i • 3 ‘ , . . . 1 ...
wings. Dr tdtng Ins men into two bodies Captain Hotchkiss, of the Engineers of the 2d j •"» disoraered ranks siting already withui
tbe advance, was borne back under the
Harris. That gallant fellow seeing that no time j the rapidity of Gordon’s movement before
shattered in strength by the terrible struggle of gippiM^ou tli’e'face of the advancing*attack and J seething mass that struggled down upon
the day before, and having already maintained a succee ded in driving,it back handsomely for a ll > 111 Utter rout.
resistance tor three quarters of an hour against j 8u {fjcieut distance to give protection to the rear j Gordon swept all before him for a dis-
numbers absolutely crushing, they finally gave ot Kershaw and Benning. Perriu—on ihe extreme j tanee along the enemy’s line of two miles,
way. Continuing at hrst a desultory fare as they l e ft be it recollected— stood still, exposed to itu ! 'r> f orPS t tbrona-li which he advanced was
retreated, the right win^. south of the plank-road, | danger. As the whole breadth of the line] A ne tot est through which headvancea was
broke into disorder and finally fled in confusion from tlic plank-way retired, he endeavored at the J s0 “ ens ? wlth undergrowth, that by the
before the enemy s overwhelming columns. same time to swing Lack his exposed wing, but 1 setting in of nightfall he had become sepe-
Wilcox, seeing his lines shattered^hopelessly, 1 found it suddenly enfilated by the fire of the ene-) rated from his supports. Regram’s brig*
my s skirmishers. His position ln‘c«mo critical. ; af ] e paused, however after nightfall, upon
his left. He paused, before be had com-
the ex
position
lie formed them at right angles to the line j Corps, having come up immediately afterwards,
of his original advance; and sending them i indicated the route lor that purpose, and Wilcox's
both forward back to back the masses on ! d,vi 1 i ’ n io "’ “ ovi . u « «“J>^mgly to theffelt-having
' captured two hundred of the enemy on the way
—effected, after a march of h mile and a quarter
his right and on his left in flank. Rress-
ing on them so energetically as to have
prevented their formation across either of
roads—the turnpike and the plank road—I movement, he swept them in disorder
run on a line somew hat north of east to
FicdericksLurg.
general parallel.
^r of earth; its course,
butes in and out on the south side of the
generally staright line, known as ihe turn
pike. A plank way runs from Culpeper
Court House to Germanna Fotd. Extend-
tog southeastw'ardly, it crostcs the turn-
I-'ke; and after a rout of four or five miles
'“I'M that, terminates on the Orange
R 6:l Vrcdricksburg plankroad. Besides
tsiain lines several others traverse
\Vri!t lry aroui *d the battle field ot ‘ I the
—6ome pursuing a course par-
a ® with these, some crossing them more
°r less tra, IS ve rE ,.i y .
'tan*, s columns advanced from the
ifapidan on the 34 0 f May. That which
ed fr0m Kl} Ford followed au ear-
q 1 heading to the junction of the
p au d Fredricksburg plank road
J n %‘ rom Culpeper Court House, by
ay Ol Gci’ftjanna Ford; while the othw
> mm moved down the latter route to the
not ® J' 011 .* 1 ’ J T W junction once gained,
only had the position of Lee ou the
apidau been turned, but several roads
^ Richmond would have been lain open.
well s Corps having been encamped
l -ee a right, moved eastward}^ on the
—.-l juuctiou with Gordon’s brigade, on Ewell’s
extreme right. The line of battle, thus complet
ed, extended from the right of the plank road
„ ... - „ . ~ ... p i through, a succession of open fields and dense
Confederate trout «oi a width or , forest to the left of the turnpike. It presented a
I front of six miles; aud, with Flat Creek In Its rear, . - , .. , , , _ , .
moment of Gordon’s brilliant occupied a very irregular plan along the broken ] tba* l b e ra P J 4 movement and heavy fare of the en-
luoiucuL ui .juiuuu o i - • - --** - 1 - - * 1 emy s advance would prevent the deployment of
.. the approaching columns in line. Kershaw’s own
very irregular, vi- ] Gcneial Stafford. A deadly conflict on j j a y along the whole face of the Confederate ar-
These two routes arc in
The plank road consists
from the
a mile.
At the
m the rear just as Davis’ fine brigade of’Mississip-I plcted a movement that if nndertakenear-
°^. ^ °f 9 e ?’ ^ ee ' Die head j p i a n 8 came sweeping up to complete, by counec- Her iu the day, would have completely
of McLaws fane division ot Longstreet s corps I titlg wit fa Harris' right, the protection of the I at j aao / 1 G„hr Th«
immediately, under the commaud ot | wb ,,j e transveise front, Harris and Davis having
came up
Brig. Geu Kershaw, and so out-spoken was the
augury of victory in its flashing eyes that its ap-
pearauce bound up at ouce the wouQded spirits of
Heth and Wilcox as they writhed in the presence
of Gen. Lee under a reverse which that officer
declared during the day had illumiuated their
previous struggle with unflinebiug constancy.
Apprehension waa for a moment, eutertainccl,
of one track ol worn /anting, and nno.h- j cl,arge tbe enemy attacked, tbe brigade of|
that part of the field raged for sometime
doubtfully. The marksmanship ofStaff
ord’s Louisianians, howevor, shot truly to
the buckles of the Federal belts; and
6trewed the field with dead and agony.—
Reeling under its deliberate fire dthe ene
my finally fled, marking his route with his
killed and wounded, and adding to h ; s
ray is so impenetrable as to have excluded the use
of artillery by the enemy, save only for the breadth
of those openings where it is penetrated on tlie
left by the old turnpike, and on the right by the
plank road.
’The attack on Ewell having been repulse J,
musketry began at half-past two to deepen iu
volume in front of Hill- Large columns of the
enemy, enveloped in clouds of the dust, were
seen at that time moving up from the rear in the
brigade of Soutli Carolinians and Humphrey's
brigade pf Mississippians having the advance of
Lougstreet’s corps, had the honor to be the first
to form Drawing up across the plank road—thus
covering the trains, tlie artillery, and the shatter
ed retreat of Heth and Wilcox—they at mice
checked the enemy's advance, in the teeth of a
tire, in which they stood firm, as though it were a
storm of mere hail. Their resistance, it was,
•however, feared at the time, could not he main
tained formany minutes. Their front swept by a
tempest of bullets, they were threatened, on their
Drisoners In his reDulse however, the ! intersection of the plank road from Germatia Ford right ffank. with envelopment. T heir heroic tirm
prisoners. In hu repulse, uowcver, ine , witb tbat from Qr f Court ii on se, opening as n . e “ triumphed, however; for the .ing of heir
Confederates have to mourn the loss of, ;t would a favorab j e hue for Federal advance nfles lmd - ^ffore long, whirred tts death rattle in
Brigadier General Stafford. He fell mor-: southwardly, was shown by the enemy’s move- »o many a Federal heart, that the assadantei began,
tally wounded. He had been a planter] meuts to be about to become the subject of a after a while, to recoil. Other brigades having,
of Louisiana; but having gone through j bloody encouuter.
, p -i i ; vr I heth s skirmishers were driven in aoout three
most of the battles in Northern > M g- B a » | o’clock. They were followed closely by a heavy
had become an excellent officer; and was ; column, that appeared to move forward spiritedly,
not more beloved by his men for his gen*; Firing with great rapidity , as it advanced, its
rices, than he was adnrired by them far £
forest like tho joar of mighty waters. Resolute
defence on the one hand, mid on the other an at-
tack that sought to force its way rather by con-
staut pressure than by dashing enterprise, the
struggle in Hill’s front continued for two or three-
hours, unbroken in its terrible monotony by even
any disturbance of tbe rapid regularity with
which it added to its masses of grim death or ol
mortal agony.
Heth’s division bore, at first, tbe whole brunt
ot tbe Federal onslaught, The heavy columns
his daring.
Soon after the onslaught upon the Con
federate front, the Gtli Corps of the Fede
ral army advanced upon its left flank.
Coming up at right angles to the line of
movement of the 5th Corps, its skirmishers
were encountered by those thrown out in
anticipation of attack iu that direction
from the Stonewall Brigade. Sedgwick,
iu the meantime, begun to drop into line on the
right, the enemy was soon afterwards checked at
all points; and the tide of battle commenced, af
ter a short time, to roll slowly back.
McLaws’ division once in line, under Kershaw,
Fields’ men formed on it as they came up. An
derson’s splendid fellows, left by General Hill to
guard fords iu the rear of the march from the
Rapidan, soon came in a rush. Commanded by
General Mahone, they deployed immediately iu
array of battle. Breadth and weight thus given
to Lee’s front, the lortuues ol the day quickly
turned. The Confederate line moved majestical
ly forward, and, in the teeth of a bloody and stub
born resistance, mowing down the enemy’s rafaks
with its terrific musketry as with the sword of
tbe destroying augel, drove him back for nearly a
mile.
Confederate loss in that service number
ed, in killed and wounded, but twenty-
seven. To the enemy the results involv
ed terrible slaughter Four hundred Fed
eralists were buried next day in the ground
over which that admirable movement had
been made.
Tho field for two miles in extent was
strewed with trophies flung wildly away—
knapsacks, blankets, cartouche boxes,
cooking utensils, and even large supplies
of abandoned rations. Tbe rout was one
of iodiscribable panic. The woods in
front were alive with masses of men strug
gling to escape with life. The Gth corps
of the army of the Potomac was so com
pletely broken up, that, unable to restore
its spirit, Gordon bivouacked for the night
in its immediate front, iu undisturbed re
pose. A brilliant stroke thns closed on
Ewell’s front tbe second day of the bat
tle of the Wilderness in a crowning tri-
tbus savefl, by a timely ntoveuieot, the three brig
ades ou the left, the artillery trains, &e., on that
highway, and the Hue of the plank road. The
enemy foiled in his desigu, fell back after a brief
eucount.r, from their front. The symmetry of
the Confederate line was restored, subsequently
in the day, by tbe disposition of Hill’s whole corps
on Longstiwt’s Tight.
The forward movement progressed on the right
of the plank road while events were thus threaten-
ing it on the left. Longstreet’s men on that part
of the field ^noved forward, went on for some dis
tance without finding the enemy until (J. T. An
derson’s Brigade of Georgians coming on, an ar
ray of battle iu Federal blue rushed at it with
such impetuosity as totfave become almost imme
diately master of the field-wciks. The single line
of this attack was. • however, too weak to hold
what it had so handsomely won ; and having been,
as is too often the case in those apparently ill-ad
vised charges of the Confederates, unsupported,
was compelled, by the concentration of a crush
ing force ia its front to retire.
The work of war on the right was done.
So alarming had beeu the aspect of the
field at one time that, fearing for the con
stancy of his troops, General Lee had, as ! nmph.
Fields’ division came under fire, placed! Victory smiled during the night of the
himself at the head < f Gregg’s brigade of
Texans. Ordering them, in that devotion
which constitutes the great charm of his
6th of May on the warriors that lay sleep
ing, Horn right to left, behind Lee’s works.
The losses of tbe Confederates in killed.
character, to follow him in a charge upon j wounded and missing do not exceed, for
the triumphant line that came sweeping | tbe two days, six thousand. The-results
down upon him over tbe debris of Heth’s j to the enemy in some parts of the field,
aud Wilcox's divisions. Longstteet prates- j cannot be described by any word loss for-
ted against such an «xposnre of a life so , cible than massacre Eleven hundred and.
valuable. A gritn and ragged soldier of: twenty-five Federal dead were buried ia
the line raised his voice in determined re-! front of that part of Ewell’s line lying t<»
monstrance; and was immediately followed
by tbe rank and file of the whole brigade
in positive refusal to advance until their
the left of the turnpike. Five hundred
more weroburied ou the right of that road,
aud, iu addition to about a hundred ofiis
