The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1862-05-21

pou' out no tnorL 10 toliow WAS made,
AMI only small detachment OF horse
| u = nd lie seen at distance from
,iis ISst>:pos;t;ofr Awarily obs,r, ing our
movements.
Arranging, through py staff officers,
for the completion. Of the movem en,s
thus Legun, Brigadier General Breckin
ridge WAS left with his command As n
rear guard TO hold tue ground we had
occupied tie night preceding the first
battle, just IN front Of the intersection of
the Ph,sburg and Hamburg rosd., abou,
four miles from the former place. wi,ile
the rest Of the army passed to The rear
in excellent order.
On the following day General Bteck
inridge fell back about three miles TO
Micke!'s, which position we continued TO
hold, with our cavalry thrown cousidsra.
bly, forward IN Immediate proximity. TO
the battlefield.
Unfortunately, towards righ, of the
7'h instan, ii began TO rain heavily :;
this Continued throughout the night the
roads became almost mnpassahle in many
places, and much hardship suffering now
e"sued before ali the regiments reached
their e"e"mpments. But despite the
heavy casualties Of the two evenlful DAYS
"t tie 9th and 7th of A pril tins srmy is
more confident Of ultimate success than
before It's encounter with the enemy.
10 Major Generals Polk, Bragg, and
liardee, commanding corps. AID 10 Brig.
Gen. breckenridge, commanding the re-
serve, the country is greatly indebted for
The yea. intelligence, aud energy with
which all orders were extend.d-for the
foresight aud military ability they dis
play ed IN the absence "f INSTRUCTIONS in
the many exigeucies OF the battle. on a
held 50 denseIy wooded and broken, and
tor their fearless department as they re
Pe"'edIy led their commands personally
to the onse, upon their powerful aJyersa.
ry. 1t WAS under these circumstance,
that General Bragg had two hurses sho,
under hnn. that Major General ll.rdse
was slightly wouuJed. his coat rem, by
balls aud his horse Disabled and tina,
Major General breckenridge WAS twice
struck by spent balls.
For the services Of their gallant subor.
d'ISte commanders, aud of other officers
~s we'll as for the details of the Lat,i.
held. must refer TO the reports OF corps.
division and brigade COMMANDERS, which
shall be forwarded MS soon as received
10 give more in detail the Operations
OF The Two battles resulting from the
movement on PutsLurg than now n,
tempted, must have delayed this repor,
Tor weeks and interfered materially with
The important duties Of my position but
may be permitted to say, that no, only
did the obstinate conflict for l2 hours,
Oh ouhdHy, leave The Confederate army
masieh Of the battle field, and our ad.
vers"ry beaten, but we lett that field on
the next day only after eiyh, hours in
ee"sant battle with superior army of
fresh troops, whom we had repuI.ed in
every attack on our lines-so repulsed
and crippled, Indeed, AS TO leave j, un.
able TO take the field for the campaign
for which II WAS collected and eonipp.d
at such enormous expense. and with .nch
profuson OF all the appliances Of WAT
These successful resairs were no,
chleved, however, as before said, without
severe loss loss no, to he measured by
The number Of the slain or wounded Lu,
by the high social and personal worth of
SO large number Of those who were
killed or disabled, including the comman
deI OF the forces wbose L;,L n,.t,;u.