, 1863-05-07
1IEAppuAl:r.Es N THE FIELD,
NEAR CHAScELLoHsy11LE. VIRGINIA,

laftDE Gne ADVANCE, anu sup
porting Randoiph's battery. Our troops
moved rapidly and soon became more OF less
engaged, especially with the artillery and the
Us skirmishers. Beraan sOon !
.ent in some efxty prisoners, belonging, to
the 23d Georgia, Including one Major, tWo
Cap: aims and three Lieutenants. Being upon
the ground, examined these prisoners, and
.doll found that the - wagon traIn'' which |
ne had seen moving during the day was COM
posed mainly Of ordnance wagons aud ambn- |
(anccs, and that Stonewa1 Jackson and Staff /
we're at the head Of q column Of troops which !
the wagons followed.
NothlIg more was needed to convince us |
that this daring opponent WIS executing an
other OF his sudden movements, and it was st
once resolved to checkmata him. General
Sick1es vas ordered to push On, and General
Nilliams' division of Stocum's column vas
ordered to cooperate. Birney pushed ahead
with great vigor, and with Rando1ph's battery
entire remnant of the Esd Georgia regiment,
over four hundred officers and
men. Tie column Of the enemy which had
been moving mp this road was, now literally
cut in tNo, and Gen. Williams had commenced
! Hank movement on the encmy's right, which
promised the most anspieious results.
But ut 5 o'clock terrible crash Of musketry
onsour extreme right, announced that Jackson
Ind commenced his operations. This had been
aAticipatcd, hut it was supposed that after his
column was cut, the corps Of Gen. Howard,
formerly Gen. Sigel's) with it's supports.
would be sufficient to resist his approach, and
finding that he was himself assailed III the
rear, he would turn about aud retreat to es-
caFe capture.
But to the disggace Of the 18th corps be
It said, that tie division Of Gen. Schu1z, which
vas the first assailed, almost Instantly gave
way. Threats, entreaties and orders Of COM
mnndcrs we're Of no avail. Thousands of
these towards threw down their guns aud
htreamcd down the road toward headquarters.
The enemy pressed his advantage, Gen. De-
vena' division, disatfccted by Tie demoraliza-
tion Of the forces In front Of him, soon fol-
lowed suit, and the brave General was, tor
the second time, severely wounded. in the
foot, while cndea4oring to rally his men.
Gen, Howard, with all lis during and resolu-
tIon and y1gor, could not stem the tide Of the
retreating and cowartlly poftroons. The bri-
gadcs Of Coils, Busbbeck and Mclean only re-
Maiucd fighting, aud maintained themselves
| nobly as long as possible. Bnt they, too, gave
way, though in good order. before vastly su-
pcrior numhcrs.
Gen. Hooker now sent to the aid Of Sen.
| Howard the choicest division Of bis army, the
creation Of his own hand-thc famousfecond
diyirion of tNc Sd corps, co1n1nandcd by Ma.
jor General Berry. Capt. Best soon moved
his batteries on ! ridge running across the
road, and after short, but san5uinary CON
test, the further advance OF the cue4ly was
stayed.
| Of course, this disaster compelled the re-
call of Sicklcs and Slocum, who had been pur-
kninE their work with remarkable yisor- Gen.
| Williams division returned only to find 4
I portion Of theiE.wozks TILED with the enemy.
sick1es' division could not communicate with
the rest Of the army at MI by the way they
advanced, and only at great risk BY auy other
route.
This was the position at dark, ana, it did
not look very promising. But Our energetic
commander vas more tlian equal TO the cnler.
gtncy. New dispositions to repair this disas
ter were at once resolved upon. Communica
tion Vas 1t onco had with Gems. Birney and
Whipple, and night attack ordered. to r.
store the connection Of the lines. Gen Wards
brigade, Of Gen. Bi1ney's division, made ths
attack at II at night, aided by Capt Best:
guns, masscd on the ridge In front Of the ene
my. Birnc1's position was On the eStrctn'
left Of the new line Of battle, but Wards ter
rife attack was entirely successful, cotnmunl
cation was restored, and in charge made b!
the brigade, a portion of the artillery lost b,
Howard was gallantly rctaken by Gen. Hobsr
Ward.
terrific thing Of the war. The moon shon
bright, and The enemy could be seen at goo
musket range. The air was very still, and tn
roar and rcyerbation of the musketry and al
tillc1y past all conception Malvern Hill Wa
4 skiImish compared with this, ezTc In the de
gree Of slaughter. But It rss snccessful-
enemy we're driven back nearly half d mile
and our tired men once more slept On thei
nrms. That nights work T.s ended.
Now come to Sunday. 1t was perfectl
evident, from the position OF affairs on Satul
day night, that there must he change Of ou
lines, Nhfch wonld throw the enemy out c
our rear and into our front again. It will b
was fought and checked on front, aud flank
and rear, while this was being done.
Gen. Reynolds First Army Corps arrived :
United sutes Ford on Saturday afternoon.
WIS Immediately put In position on our righ
; which was withdrawn from the plank rosd
n.ediately formed by Gems. Reynolds al
l Meade, the laitet's position on the left hayin
been relieved by Gen Howard's Elevent
Corps, which, notwithstanding It's diaorga,
| ized+condition, was SO far reorganized duriu
the night as to be lit for duty again this NOR
ing. They were assigned the position on t
LIFT, where it was probable there would be Il
: lie or no lighting. and we're protected by tt
z strong works built the day before by aeuer
Meade'a Corps. Our new line now ASSUME
the shape Of q triangle, prolonged at tue ape
3 than te lie left. As the potion Of the line :
!. the right was new, timo was necessary to 70
: tify and intreuch it, and the work was carrie
! on vigorously BY the Fifth and First Arm
f Cozpa.
: / Al HA6 FEf4 Et4uEuA at utt uEllt ILLS u11lu4L
that the day would bring torth terrific battl
]. We knew that the enemy had been reinforcir
1 his line all night, at the expense, uudoubte
: II, Of the strength Of his force on our LEI
1 Ills irtention was, evidently, to fight for II
| possession Of the plank road, which 1t NJ
9 lion Of It which we then held Was subject
It the enemy's assaults in front and on bo
tanks.
d | But the possession Of this road Wis not q
i tanned by the enemy, save at our own time,
|, | his eeyereEt cost, and after one of the mo
: ita short duration, Of the whole war. At
O'Clock a. H. the rebels could be plainly Sc.
l up the plank road, about j mile aud III
!, from tie Chancellor House, which ae
d Hooker still retained as his hcaduuarte,
) though a shell bad gone through It the eve
u ing before, ard another had cut down tr
directly in front Of it.
6 Our ltEc Of battle was formed With Gcner
s BeTy's gallant division on the right, Gcncl
/. Bi1Gey next on the LETT, Gen. Whipple al
# Gen. Williams supporting. At 81 d. m, II
h | advance became engaged In the raTine, IN
a. beyond TIE ridge where Capt. Bcst's Gu
lc had uadc their terrific onslaught the mig
tc before, and where they still tfowned upon i
le enemy and threatened his destruction,
y I The rattle Of musketry soon became . 10,
X continued crash, ard in few moments,
e battalion after battalion became engaged, t.
IL loat eAa Es1eseu oll COueSpAloQ4 ana luQ1CaL
. that the fight would be one of the most ter
n bic nature. Gen. Bcrry's division, which b
y checked the cnemy's advance the night befol
ID engaged him agafn, andf It we're possible +
Of them TO add more laurels to theiF fame, til
ID they did it thrice over again The enemy 3
es Tanccd his infantry in overwhelmi
IS numbers, and seemed determined to cru
ID our forces. But the brave men Of Sickles Al
I'd slocurn, Who fought their columns with d.
It. Ferate gallantry, held the rebels in check, a
inflicted dreadful slaughtcramong them. CT
It Frcnch's division was sent in on the 1ig
s. flank Of our line at about Z 4. NJ, and ID
or short time horde Of ragged. streaming r.
y els running down the road Indicated that Il
N PORTION Of the encmy's line had been crusht
n At o'clock a. rn., Gen French sent bis co
pliments to Gen. Hooker. with the inform
e. tion that be had charged the enemy and u
n. driving him before him.
H. eick1es uaintained tho attack upon tlis u
e. with great endurance. The enemy seem
d. determined to ctuth him with the fmmens
e- Of his forces, and, IS subsequently shown #!
nj the statements OF prisoners, dTe whole di