The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-17 00:00:00

THE BATTLES IN VIRGINIA.

(From a Confederate Correspondent of the Times.)
ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, SPOTTSYL-
' VANIA COURT-HOUSE, VIRGINIA, May 10.
On Wednesday morning, the 4th inst., I took the
train by the Central Railway for Gordonsville,where
I arrived early in the afternoon, and took horse for
General Lee's headquarters. The army was already
in motion down the Rapidan, in the direction of
Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg, to intercept
General Grant,who was reported to be crossing the
Rapidan at Germania Ford ,below and on the right
of the Confederate position, and to be moving
towards this place on the direct road to Richmond.
A section of the road from Germania Ford to
Spottsylvania Court-house is known as Brock's-
road, and for the sake -of convenience I shall
hereafter speak of the whole road by that name.
This road is cut obliquely by three other roads
—viz., a turnpike and a plank-road, running
nearly parallel to each other from Orange Court-
house to Fredericksburg, and about four miles apart
at the points of intersection, and an unfinished rail•
way leading from Gordonsville to the same place.
The turnpike lies next to the river, the railway on
the south, and the plank road between the two.
The railway passes along within 500 paces of the
plank-road where they cross Brook's road. The
villages in which the County Courts hold their Sc -
sions in Virginia frequantly have no other mute'
than the 'Court-house, and when Spottsylvania
Court-house is spoken of the reader must understand
me as referring to the shire town of Spottsylvania
county.

As soon as General Lee ascertained that Grant
had certainly cut loose from his base at Culpepper
Court-house and was moving rapidly past his right,
he put his own army in motion, sending Ewell's
corps down the turnpike and A: P. Hill's down
the plank road, and ordering Longstreet, who
had arrived at Gordonsville some days previously
from East Tennessee, to move his corps down on
the right of Hill's line of march so as to strike the
head of the enemy's column. He did not hesitate
a moment what to do, but sprang at once upon the
flank of his antagonist like a tiger upon the side
of an cm. Grant had thrown a heavy cavalry force
with infantry supports up the turnpike and plank
road to protect his line of marsh; these Ewell and
Hill swept from their paths as if they had been
chaff, and pressed down upon Brock's-road, 'along
which Grant was moving. The latter at length
realized the danger of his position, halted his army,
and advanced to meet his assailants. The resolu-
tion was the wisest hip could take, since it enabled
him to withdraw his trains beyond danger, and
secure his position on Brook's-road by a line of in.
trenchments which he proceeded immediately to
construct from the railroad cut to the turnpike and
behind which he could retire in case of disaster.
It also secured his retreat in the event he found it
necessary to withdraw upon Fredericksburg.
. _

The district of country in which Brock's:road is
intersected by the unfinished railway, plank road,
and turnpike is very appropriately designated the
" Wilderness." The population is poor and igno-
rant, the soil destitute of fertility, the supply of
water scant, and the ground broken and covered
by stunted pines, bushes, and blackjacks, forming
an almost impenetrable chapparal. The country
was very unfavourable to military operations, and
rendered it exceedingly difficult to manoeuvre an
army, though well suited to Grant's purposes in that
the dense woods furnished a desirable screen to his
movements, as well as a considerable protection
against attack. Chancellorsville, the scene of Lee's
great victory over Hooker on the 4th of last May,
is just five miles to the east of Grant's position by
the plank road, and Fredericksburg, the scene of
Barnside's defeat, is 15 miles in the same direction.
Thursday, May 5.

Grant met Ewell and Hill two miles west from
Brock's-road at 4 p.m., and immediately gave battle.
He attacked with vigour and in heavy numbers,
and apparently with confidence, but was repulsed.
He continued to attack heavily until night, and
made one assault upon Major •General Johnson's
front of Ewell's corps after dark, but was beaten
back as often as he advanced, with heavy loss, in-
cluding 2,000 prisoners and four guns, taken by
Early's division of Ewell's command. Longstreet
not having arrived, owing to the greater distance he
had to march, Gen. Lee refrained from pressing his
advantage, and slept upon the battle-field. His own
loss is comparatively slight, his daring and agile
troops understanding better than their enemies how
to take advantage of the rough country and tangled
woods in which they fought.
Longstreet reached a point ten miles from the
battle-field by the middle of the afternoon, but,
owing to the peculiar condition of the atmosphere
and the density of the forest, he was unable to hear
the report of Hill's and Ewell's guns, and was igno-
rant that the two armies had been engaged until
midnight, when he received an order from General
Lee to cross over to the plank road to the aid of
Hill. The cavalry of the respective armies met re-
peatedly during the day on the road by which Long-
street had been advancing, with some advantage to
the Confederates. in prisoners and material.
Friday, May 0.

Longstreet arrived soon after sunrise this morn-
ing. Hill's troops were aware of his approach, and
that he was to take their place on the line, and
having been marching and fighting all day yester-
day, and sleeping but little last night, they got
ready to retire as the head of Longstreet's corps
reached the ground. Unfortunately, Grant re•
newed the attack just at the time, threw Heth's
and Wilcox's divisions of Hill's corps into confu-
sion and pushed them back upon Longstreet's
column, which had not yet deployed into line.
Longstreet got three regiments ofliershaw's division
in position, and with this Spartan band he held the
enemy in check until the remainder of the division,
and finally his entire corps, could be brought up.
Then ensued a furious and bloody combat all along
Longstreet's front from the railway out across the
plank road, and some distance beyond. His veteran
corps, which had made the circuit of half of the
Confederacy within the last 12 months, never fought
better or more successfully. Grant took advantage
of the disord©r among Hill's troops, and hurled
heavy masses upon the point, hoping to turn the
Confederate right wing and throw himself between
Lee and Richmond, and he would have succeeded
but for Longstreet's timely arrival. The troops of
the latter, however, had never turned their backs to
the enemy on the field of battle, and it was too late
now when the capital of the country was the stake
for which the combatants played, to take their first
lesson in such unworthy tactics. The result has
already been anticipated by the reader; the Federals
were beaten back with heavy loss, and the Confe-
derates remained masters of the ground. The attack
was renewed simultaneously on the left, though not
with so much vigour as on the right ; and here, too,
the enemy were repulsed by Ewell with compara•
tire ease.
At 11 o'clock Longstreet was ordered with some
select brigades to pass to the right and attack the
enemy in flank. The order was promptly exe-
cuted. Falling suddenly upon Grant's left resting
cut, he drove the enemy in confusion,
on 11' railway 1181013,
bendieg is line back upon itself and gaining the
lank wad a mile in advance of the scene of the
scent conflic,l, Placing himself at the head of
Jenkins's brigade he swtpt down the road, and was
just passing Mahone's brigade, concealed in the
bushes along the road and a short distance from it,
when the latter, unable on account of the dense
growth to distinguish friend from foe, opened
fire upon the passing brigade, supposing it to be a
body of the enemy caught up the road, and trying
to effect its escape. Several were killed and wounded,
including Brigadier-General Jenkins, who received
a mortal wound in the head, from which he died this
evening. Lieutentint-General Longstreet WWI; shot
jr,• the neck, the ball entering on the right of the

STAMPED:....Sd.

larynx, passing around under the skin, carrying,
away a part of the scapula, and making its exit be-
hind the right shoulder. He was taken to the rear
and his wound dressed by his medical director, Dr.
Callen, who pronounces it a dangerous, though not
probably a mortal wound. The chief danger appre-
hended is from secondary hemorrhage, it being the
opinion of the most eminent surgeons in the army
that if he passes safely through the next fortnight,
and the carotid artery does not become involved, he
will be able to return to the field in a few days. He
has lost the temporary use of his right arm, what
surgeons call the cervical plexus of nerves having
been injured by the passage of the ball.
The delay which ensued upon this unfortunate
accident lost the Confederates all the advantage
they had thus far gained by Longstreet's flank
movement. At the, time of his fall the success of the
Confederates and the rout of the Federals seemed to
be certain ; but the delay gave the latter time to
escape from their position above and to gain the
cover of their intrenchments. Major-General Ander-
son was assigned to the command of Longstreet's
corps, and hereafter it will be spoken of as Ander-
son's corps. _ _ _

The Federals having been repulsed at all points
with heavy loss, and showing no disposition to renew
the attack, General Lee at 4 p.m. advanced his entire
line for the purpose of ascertaining their condition
and position. He gained their works at two points,
a btu
len ng and hei
nsis
na d
fronte on s t rnufo tße dr entrench-
men
kn
sr-ernnoand:
extending from the railway cut to the turnpike, a
distance of four miles, through an almost impenem
trable thicket, and that they had availed themselves
of the railway cut upon which their left rested to
place a force in that quarter sufficient to 4uard
against another movement upon their flank.
An assault being impracticable, General Lee hSs
given orders for his troops to withdraw from the
immediate front of the enemy to-night, and take up
the position which they occupied in the morning, as
being better than that to which they had advanced. It
is not his policy to hazard anything by a premature
movement ; the stake is too great, and he prefers
the policy which compels Grant to make the attack.
If prisoners speak the truth, Grant did not expect
to meet Lee so soon ; it was his expectation, as soon
as he effected the passage of the Rapidan, that Lee
would withdraw rapidly in the direction of Rich•
mond, at which point he hoped to arrive as early as
the Confederates. His troops, however, did not
share in his confident expectations, if we may judge
from letters picked up on the battle-field, in which
the writers express great admiration for the cha-
racter and abilities of Lee, and bat little respect for
their own officers.

Daring the afternoon Brigadier. General Wofford,
of Anderson's Corps, was permitted at his own
request to move upon the rear of the Federal left
wing. He got possession of the camps of three corps
d'armee, destroyed and brought off a good deal of
material, and created great consternation among the
teamsters and quartermasters. To-night Brigadier-
General Gordon, of Ewell's Corps, threw his brigade,
like a net, around the enemy's extreme right, and
took 500 prisoners, including Brigadier-Generals
Seymour and Shaler. About 1,000 prisoners were
brought in to-day, making 3,000 altogether. The
battle will probably be called the Battle of the
Wilderness, from the name of the region in which
it was fought.
General Seymour admits that Grant has been
beaten, as he says the North will always be until
her ports are closed, her officers and public men be-
come more temperate and earnest, and the rations
of her soldiers are reduced to " parched corn and
beans, like the rebels'," He confesses that the war
is conducted on the part of the North too much as
if it were a matter of frolic to the officers in the
field, and of contract to the partistuls o► Govern-
ment at home. Ho seems to regard the present
campaign in Virginia as likely to be final and deci-
sive, and is of the opinion that the war cannot be
protracted much longer if Lee be successful, as he
appeared to believe ho would be.
Saturday, May 7.

Longstreet was taken to the rear this morning.
General Lee came to take leave of him at an early
hour. No one was present at the brief interview,
but when he came out of the tent where his great
lieutenant lay I noticed that his eyes were filled
with tears. He could but remember that it was just
one year ago, and only five miles distant in the hard-
fought field of Chancellorsville, that Jackson, after
having completed a successful movement upon
Hooker's rear and flank, fell almost precisely under
the same circumstances at the hands of his own
men, and he, doubtless, felt some apprehension that
as he lost his good right arm then, he might lose
his left arm now. It will be a sad and grievous day
to millions of hearts throughout the Confederacy
should Longstreet be called to follow his cherished
brother in arms to that undiscovered bourne from
which no traveller returns.

At 11 o'clock this morning Grant, as if desirous
of understanding the meaning of Lee's withdrawal
east from his immediate front back two miles to the
original battle ground, ordered a general advance.
His men came up to their work handsomely, end
it was believed we should have had a warm day of
it ; but the result shows that they had but little
stomach for the business, for they were driven
back along the entire line in less than 30 minutes,
Possibly Grant desired to provoke Lee to follow
him back to his intrenched position, and to make
that the battle ground.
Late in the afternoon Stuart, chief of cavalry, re.
ported that Grant had resumed kis flank movement,
and under cover of the thick woods was throwing
a force forward in the direction of Spottaylvania
Court-house on the direct road to Richmond. Orders
were immediately issued for Anderson's Corps (late ,
Longstreet's) to march at 11 o'clock to-night for
this place, and preparations are now being made
to put the whole army in motion for the same des-
tination to-morrow. The distance from the battle..
field, which is near the western boundary of Spott-
sylyania county, to the Court-house is 15 miles.
Stuart's cavalry have been holding the Federal
horse in check in that quarter for two days, but the
infantry and artillery force, which is reported to be
advancing to the aid of the latter, will probably
enable them to get possession of the village and the
important highways which intersect each other at
that point._

The chief surgeon of the Confederate army esti-
mates their wounded at the Wilderness at 6,000 and
tbeir killed at considerably less than 1,000. The
wounds are comparatively slight, owing to the pro-
tection afforded by the trees, and the absence of ar-
tillery, which could not be used in consequence of
the dense and almost unbroken forest. I shall not
venture an opinion as to the Federal loss, though I
cannot but regard the reports of prisoners, who place
it as high as 25,000, as an exaggeration. Judging,
however, from what fell under my own eye upon a
portion of the field, I hazard but little in saying it
was twice as heavy as that of the Confederates.
Sunday, May 9.

I came on to this place (Spottsylvania Court-
house) this afternoon. General Lee's order to occupy
the village was given none too soon, for when
Anderson's corps arrived at 8 o'clock this morning,
he found the Federal cavalry, reinforced by infantry
and artillery, already in possession. His men had
been marching rapidly, and for two miles bad double
quicked it, and consequently were much jaded, but
they were ready for the work, tired as they were:.
Kershaw's division led the corps, and was the first
to reach the ground. Two brigades were cent against
the cavalry force holding the Court-house, and two
others were placed behind a thin rail fence and some
frail obstructions which had been thrown across the
road by which a force of Federal infantry was ad-
vancing. The latter fell into the error of supposing
that the force behind the fence was dismounted
cavalry, and rushed forward with the utmost con-
fidence. The Confederates reserved their fire
until their foes got within a few paces, and then,

, • •

/2 -

taking deliberate aim, gave the.. ;i:Oileyl,,Wiiiitt._
covered the ground with their ala
was short and sharp ; some of the IL..1#11811,0q:„
the fence, and actually used the .
less than half an hour they were
back, leaving 500 dead and mortally wolifted,cl
200 prisoners in the hands of the victorious Conk-.
rates. The Courthouse was cleared with equal
success by the brigades sent against it, and when I
reached the ground at 3 p.m, I found the advance
of General Lee's army in quiet possession. Ewell's
corps came up this afternoon and was put in posi.
tion, and Hill's will be here to-morrow morning.
Thus General Lee has succeeded in throwing his
entire army right across the path by which Grant
must march if he would get "on to Richmond."' He
not only repulsed all his essaults at the Wilderness,
but held him there until he could throw his own
army in front of him. It was a masterly perform-
ance, and makes it necessary for Grant to deliver
battle here, or make another d'art to turn
General Lt o's position. The Confeacrates are in
splendid cf;ndition, and full of spirit and cheer.
fulness. They all realise the importance of victory,
and are ready to endure any privation necessary to
its achievement. Several officers belonging to the
Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments in
the field, though against positive orders, procured
muskets and went into the fight. They said it might
possibly be the last great battle, and they desired to
make it successful. Three of them were killed—two
at the Wilderness and one at this place. Is it pro-
bable that such an army can be overborne by the
mercenaries who reluctantly follow at the heels of
Gen. Grant ? But the great battle of the campaign
has not yet been fought—it will occur at this place
or its vicinity.
I omitted to state that Brigadier-Generals Jones,
of Virginia, and Stafford, of Loitisiaua,were killed,
and Brigadier-Gen. Benning, of Georgia, severely
wounded. Other valuable officers were stain. The
Federal papers will supply yga with a list of the
casualties among the officers of Grant's army.

Tuesday, May 10.
Yesterday was occupied by the two armies in
getting in position and preparing for battle. There
was more or less skirmishing throughout the day,
and some artillery firing. To-day the skirmishing
'was heavy during the forenoon, and a heavy artil-
lery fire was maintained by the enemy. When the
Confederates did use artillery, it was only when
infantry showed themselves. Early in the after-
noon Grant advanced with heavy masses against
Anderson's front, and later in the day against
Ewell's, but he was easily repulsed. These assaults
were repeated until night, and, though made by
large numbers, they grew more and more feeble.
In one instance only the assaulting column, headed
by a regiment of the old United States army, gained
the position of the Confederates, but all who crossed
the fatal line were either killed or taken.

Turning towards Richmond, I have to inform
you that a Federal force landed at City Point, the
point of confluence of the James and Appotamax
rivers, some miles below the capital, and marched
towards the Richmond and Petersburg Railway,
hoping to cut the communications between the city
and the more southern States. They were met by
Brigadier-General Bushrod Johnson and beaten
after a stubborn fight of four hours. Johnson sub-
sequently took position so as to cover the railway
bridge over Swift Creek, naar Petersburg, and the
enemy took advantage of his movement to tear up a
few rails at another point nearer Richmond, and
then retire to their gunboats. The Confederates
captured and destroyed one gunboat, and another
was blown up by a torpedo.
I write under great disadvantages, and must
close.

Railway and Public Companies in Parliament.

Yesterday the opposition of the corporation of the
City of London to the proposed East London Rail-
way was opened by Mr Hope Scott, Q.C.; Mr R.
Gurney, the recorder; and Mr Chambers, the com-
mon sergeant. Thecorporation object to the intru-
sion of the railway within the precincts of the City,
and to those portions of it thb t propose to run by
the east side of Houndsditch to a junction with the
Finsbury extension of the Metropolitan Railway
at Little Moorfields, and to the lengths on the east
side of Moorgate-street, to the City branch of the
North London Railway, near Sua-street, and to
the Liverpool-street terminus of the London and
North-Western. Mr. Haywood, engineer to the
City of 1497d0n Corporation, was examined, and
stated that the underground portion of the line was
objectionable in an engineering and public point of
view, and that the open portion would lead to the
demolition of a large amount of property, the ac-
quisition of which would be very expensive. He
thought,moreover, that the introduction of the rail-
way would be a nuisance. It would run so close to
the Friends' meeting-house in Bishopsgate-street as
to interfere with their meditations and the quietude
of their meetings. Mr. Sergeant Bellasis, Q.C., ob-
jected to the adducing any evidence in connection
with the Friends and their establishment, inasmuch
as they had not petitioned against the bill, and conse•
quently had no locus standi_ The committee, however,
overruled the objection, and Mr. Hoy land, one of
their number, was examined to prove the correct.
ness of the assertion that the privacy of their devo-
tional meetings would be destroyed, exhibiting at
the same time a model of the meeting-house to the
committee. After hearing Mr. Phinn, Q.C., upon
the whole case, the committee passed the bills that
had occupied their attention some days for the
North Staffordshire Railway Company's new works
and Silverdale and Madeley extensions. They also
passed the bill to enable the North Staffordshire to
make Tunstall Railway of two miles from a junc-
tion with their Potteries line, at Wolstanton to New-
fieldooo
Hall and Pottery, to raise £BB and create
debenture stock, Mr. Johnson informed the corn.
mittee that the promoters of the Shrewsbury and
Potteries Junction. Railway had elected to withdraw
that bill. Mr. Hope Scott, Q.C., opened the bill to
empower the London and North Western Railway to
make a new approach to the Euston-station through
the northern part of Euston-square, for deviations,
to retain for ten years superfluous lands at Pinner,
Bedford, Birmingham, Rugby, and St. Albans, to
abandon the construction of the railway between
Cheadle, Btilkeley and the Stockport, Disley, and
Whaleybridge authorised in 1861, and to sanction
the abandonment by the South Staffordshire of the
Junction line to the Oxford, Worcester, and Wol-
verhampton, authorised in 1855, to use certain rail.
ways of Messrs Allsopp and Sons at Burton-on.
Trent, to contract with the Great Western Railway
for the use and working of the line to connect the
Worcester, Abergavenny, and Hereford with the
Hereford, Ross, and Gloucester. It is further pros
posed to enter into arrangements with the Midland
Railway with respect to the traffic of their respective
railways, and as to taking a joint lease of the Lan-
caster and Carlisle, Lancaster and Preston, and
Kendal and Windermere railways, and to contract
with the Lancashire and Yorkshire with respect to
the Preston station. The company also seek powers
to construct nine small branches in order to complete
and consolidate their system in the north, including
3tool ihodtoohoheo. company's
For,
these mpahi
purposes
0 linese s
two short branches near Harlesden to connect the
and as new ordinary or
Hampstead
capital, . £lOO,OOO
preferenceby mortgage.
tahnedywpirtohpothsee
tWo reastise
junctionofw£Li
Witnesses were examined. The evidence of Mr.
Richards, the engineer of the line, occupied the
committee of which Mr. Hassard is chairman, on
the Gloucester and Ledbury Railway The bill for
a
the South Wales Mineral R. •Iwa *
l y was passed in
Mr. Paull's committee. Mr. Webster opened the case
of the Swansea Vale and Ilt3ath and Brecon Rail-
way in Mr. Watlington's committee, the object of
the bill being to incorporate the company with a
capital of £120,000 in shares and £40,000 loan for
a line of eight miles from a junction with the Swan.
sea Vale to the Neath and Brecon at Colbrend.
Evidence Aduced in favour. The bill for the PCIIIII
broke ar d Teriby bill passed. The case of the Me.n-
cllester, Sheffield, and Liveelnshire Company's
steamboits came on in Sir F. Goldsmid's committee.
Mr. Leith, of the Great Northern, being examined
by Mr. Saunders in favour. In the Lords, the com-
mittee of which Lord Belper is chairman, after
hearing counsel on both sides, passed the bill for
the proposed Solway, Cumberland, and Dumfries-
shire Junction Railway, but declined to give run.
ning powers to the Glasgow and South Western.
Lord Monteagle's committee, after passing the
Edinburgh and Leith Sewerage Improvement Bill,
entered on the consideration of that for the Glou-
cester and Aberystwith Railway ; and further evi-
dence occupied Earl Devon's committee on the
Wrexham, Mold, and Connah's Quay Railway.

THE THIRD EDITION OF " THE SUN,"
Containing the Latest SPORTING INTELLIGENCE,
an be had Every Evening of _ _

. „
G. R. GLENIE, NEWS AGENT,
No. 4. Connaught-terrace, Hyde-park.