Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-07-10

, and like destruction upon the rebel lines. Un
; III o'clock the roar Of cannon, the rush O
missiles, and the bursting Of bombs filled aIl th
air. The olangor alone of this awful comba
might we'll have confused and awed less cov
aud watchful commander than General Meade
IL did not confuse him. With the calculation
Of tactician and the-ey Of an experienced
Judge he watched from bis headquarters on ths
hill whatever movement under the murky cloud
which enveloped the rebel lines might Arst dis
close the Intention which 1t was evIdent thia A.
tillery firing covered. About O'Clock P. m.
silence, deep, awfully impressive, but nom ent-
ary, was permitted as II by magic to dwell nm
on the field. Only the groans unheard before
OF the wounded and dying, only the murmur-
morning memory-of the breeze through the
foliage, only the low rattle Of preparation for
what was to come, embroidered this blank gtilI.
ness, Then, % the smoke beyond the village
was lightlyborne 30 the eastward, the woods On
the left were seen filled with dark masses o.
infantry, three columns deep, who advanced Al
quickstep. Magnificent! Such charge by
such force-iull forty FIVE thousand men, un-
der Hill and Longstreet-even though it threat
ened 10 pierce and snnihilate the Third corn.
egailst which y was directed, drew forth cries
Sickles and his splendid command vithatood
the shock with DISCRIMINATION that checked.
but could not fully restrain IL. Back, inch bv
inch, fghlng, falling, dying, cheering, The men
retired. The rebels came on more furiously,
halting at intervals, pouring volleys that struet
our troops down In scores. General Sickles.
fighting desperately, was struck In the leg and
fell. The Second corps came to the aid of his
declmated column. The battle then grew fear.
ful. Standing firmly up against the storm, our
troops, though still outnumbered, gave back
uhet for shot, volley for volley, almost death
for death. Still the enemy was not re-
strained. Down he came upon our left
with momentum that nothing could
check. The riaed guns that lay before
our infantry on q kuoll were In danger
OF capture. General Hancock was wound
cd ia the thigh, General Gibbon In the shoul.
der. The Fifth corps, as the First and Second
wavered anew, went into the breach with such
shouts and suoh volleys ss made the rebel COL
umn temble at last. Up from the valley be-
hind, another battery came rolling to the
heighls and flung it's contents In an instant down
In the midst OF the enemy's ranks. Crash!
crash! with discharges desfening, terrible, the
musketry firing went on; the enemy, reforming
after each discharge with wondrous celerty and
frmness, still pressed up the declivi.y. Whst
hideous carnage filled the minutes between the
appearance of the Fifth corps and the advance
to the support of the rebel columns Of still an.
other column from the right, cannot bear 10
tell. Men fell as the leaves fall In autumn be-
fore those horrible discharges. Fsltering for an
instant, the rebel columns seemed about 20 re. |
cede before the tempeat. Buk their officers,
who could be seen through the smoke Of the
conflict galloping and swinging their aWords
along the lines, rallied them anew, and the
next instant the whole line sprang forward as If
TO break through our own by mere weight OF
numbers. A division from the Twelfth CORDS
on the extreme right reached the scene at tbis
instant, and at the same time Sedgwick came
up with the Sixth corps, having flushed o.
march of nearly thirty-siE consecutive hours.
To what rescue they came, their officers saw
and told them. Weary as they we're, bare.
footed, hungry, fit to drop for slumber as
they we're, the wish for victory was 90
blended with the thought Of exhaustion
that they cast themselves in turn en- nsdcse into
line of battle, and went down on the enemy |
with death In their weapons and cheers on their |
lips. The rebel camel's back Was broken BY this |
"iealher." His line staggered, reeled and
drifted slowly back, willie the shouts Of our
soldiers lifted up amid the roar of musketry \
over the bodies Of the dead and wounded, pro- |
claimed the completea ess of their victory.-l
Meanwhile, 90 the division Of Slocum's corps
on the extreme right left its post to Join In this
triumph, another column Of the enemy, under |
of General Ewell, had dashed saw |
agely agaiast our weakened right wing, and |
as the failure to turn our left became known |
II seemed 90 IL determination TO conquer In this |
part Of the field overcame alike the enemy q |
fear of death aud his plans for victory else |
where. The fight was terrific, and for fifteen |
minutes the attack to which the three divisions
Of the Twelfth corps we're subjected was more
furious than anything ever known In the history
Of this army. The Sixth corps came to their
support, the First corps followed, and from dusk
Into darkness, until half-past nine o'clock, the
battle ragged with varied fortune and unabated
fury. Oar troops were compelled BY overpow-
eri0g numbers to fall back short distance,
several ride-pits and an adyan-
tageous position to the enemy, who, naughty
over his advantage and made desperate BY
defeat in other quarters, then made Lass
charge against that division oil
Dur right wing commanded by General Gea-
y. General Geary's troops immortalizsd
themselves by their resistance to this attempt
They stood like adamant, moveless, death
iealing machine, before whose volleys the rebel
column withered aud went down by hundreds.
A fter slaughter inconceivable the repulse Of
Gwell was complete, and he retired at ten
o'clock ?. M. to the position before referred TO-
The firing from all quarters Of the field ceased
soon after that hour, and no other attack was
made until morning. 4.u M
tat ..'tG % 1870 l-t ..s....| ..