The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-05-15
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THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT.

while endcavoring to rally his men. General
Howard, with all his daring and resolution and
vigor, could not stem the tide of the retreat
ing and cowardly poltroons. The brigades of
Col Bushbeck AMI Mclean only remained
fighting, and maintained themselves nobly as
long as possible. But they, too, gave way,
though in good order, before vastly superior
numbers. .t.lt {...-.', -.....' 81.
General Hooker now sent to the aid of Gene
raj Howard the choicest division of his army,
the creation of his own hand--the famous I'd
division OF the Sd corps, commanded by Major
General Berry. Captain Best soon moved his
batteries on ridge running across the road,
and after short, but sanguinary contest, the
further advance OF the enemy was stayed.
OF course this disaster compelled the recall
of Sickles and Slocum, who had been pursu-
ing their work with remarkable vigor. Gen
eral Williams division returned only to find
portion of their works filled with the enemy.
Sickles' division could not communicate
with the rest OF the army at all by the way
they advanced, and only at great risk by any
other route. .- e. = .a.s,..l '-t
This was the position at dark and did not
look very promising. But our energetic COM
mander was more than equal to the emergency.
New dispositions to repair this disaster were at
once resolved upon. Communication was at
once had with Gems. Birney and Whipple, and
a night attack ordered, to restore the cOnnec-
ton of the lines Gen. Wards brigade of Gen.
Birney's division, made the attack at II at night,
aided by Captain Best's guns, massed on the
ridge in front of the enemy. Birney's position
was on the extreme left of this new line of
battle, but Wards attack was entirely success
full, communication was restored, and in a
charge made by the brigade, a portion of the
artillery lost by Howard was CALAMITY retaken
by Gen. Hobart Ward.
This night attack was the most grand and
terrific of the war. The moon shone bright,
and an enemy could be seen at good musket
range. The air was very still, and the roar
and reverberatiOn of the musketry and artillery
past all conception. Malvern Hill was a Skin
mish compared with this, save in the degree of
slaughter. But it was successful-the enemy
were driven back nearly half mile and our
| tired men once more slept on their arms. That
| nights work was ended
| Now l come to Sunday. 1t was perfectly
| evident, from the position of affairs on Satur-
day night, that there must be Il change of our
| lines, which would throw the enemy out of
seen by what skillful generalship the enemy
was fought and checked on front, flank, and
rear, while this was being done.
Gen. Reynolds First army corps arrived at
| United States ford on Saturday afternoon. 1t
was Immediately put in position on our right,
which was withdrawn from the plank road to
| the Ely's ford turnpike. This line was imme-
|
the latter's position, on the left having been
| relieved by Gen. Towards Eleventh Corps,
| which, Notwithstanding its disOrgrnized cOndi-
ton, was so far reorganized during the night
as to be fit for duty again this morning. They
were assigned the position on the left, where
it was probable there would be little or no
| fighting, and were protected by the strong
works built the day before by General Meade's
| Corps. Our new line assumed the shape of a
triangle, prolonged at the apex, the right of
the line being somewhat longer than the left.
AS the portion of the line on the right was new,
time was necessary to fortify and intrench it,
and the work was carried on vigorously, by
the Fifth and First Army Corps
1t was very evident this morning that the
| day would bring forth a terrific battle. We
knew that the enemy had been reinforcing
| his line all night, at the expense, undoubtedly,
of the strength of his force on our left. His
| intention was, evidently, to fight for the pos
session of the plank road, which it was per-
tectly apparent he must~ have, as that portion
of it which we then held, was subject to the
enemy's assaults in front and on both TANKS.
But the possession Of this road was not OBJ
tanned by the enemy save at our own time, at
| his seyereSt cost and after one Of the most
desperate tenacious and bloody conflicts, for
| its short duration, of the whole war. At five
o'clock A. NJ. the rebels could be plainly seen
| from the Chancellor House. which General
Hooker still retained as his headquarters,
though shell had gone through it the evening
before and another had cut down tree oil
rectly in front of it.
Our line of battle was formed with Gen.
Berrys gallant division Oh the right, Gen. Bir-
ney next on the LETT, Gen. Whipple and Gen.
Williams supporting. At 81 A. NJ, the advance
became engaged in the ravine, just beyond the
ridge where Capt. Bests guns had made their
terrific onslaught the night before, and where
they still frowned upon the enemy and threat
| ened his destruction
The rattle of musketry soon became long
continued crash, and in Il few moments. as bat
talon after battalion became engaged the roar
| surpassed all conception and indicated that the
| fight would be one OF the most terrible nature
| Gen. Berry'S division, which had checked the
encmy's advance the night before engaged MIN
again, and if it were possible for them
| to add more laurels to their fame, then
they did it thrice over again. The enemy ad-
| vanced his Infantry in overwhelming numbers,
! and seemed determined to crush our forces
| But the brave men OF SlckleS and SOcum, who
fought their columns with desperate gailantry,
held the rebels in check, and inflicted dreadful
slaughter among them General trenChs d-
vision was sent iii on the right flank OF our
| lines at about Z A. NJ, and in Il short time a
| horde OF ragged, streaming rebels running
| down the road, indicated that that portion of
the enemys line had been crushed. At a. NJ
| General French sent his compliments to Cen
cral Hooker, with the information that he had
charged the enemy and was driving him before
| him.
Sickles maintained the attack upon his line
with great endurance. The enemy seemed de-
| termined to crush him with the immensely of
his forces, and, as subsequently shown from
the statements of prisoners, five whole divi-
visions OF the rebel army were precptated
upon this portion Of the linc for from these
five divisions we took during the day an ag-
gregate of over two thousand prisoners.
The exploits Of our gallant troops in those
dark, tangled, gloomy woods may never be
brought to light; but they would fill a hundred
volumes. 1t was deliberate, desperate, hand
to-hand conflict, and the carnage was perfectly
frightful. Cool officers say that the dead and
wounded Of the enemy covered the ground in
heaps, and that the rebels seemed utterly re-
CARELESS of their lives, and literally threw them
selves upon the muzzles of our guns. Many
desperate charges were made during the fight,
particularly by Berry's division. Motifs brig
AIDE made fifteen distinct charges, and captured
seven stands of colors, the 9TH New jersey,
Col. Francine, alone capturing four stands OF
| colors and five hundred prisoners.
General COUGHS second army corps, though
| only in part present, did excellent work. 1t
was General French who charged and drove
the enemy on the flank, and it was the indom-
liable Hancock who calamity went to the re-
lief OF the hard-pressed Sickles.
The engagement lasted without the slightest