Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1863-07-18

teries, however, bad been silenced and disabled
by oursj three of which we're so destructive.
that the tebs decided to. try and @, ,iurc them
by another charge This time. boweycr. y was
our own battery. and The two on the left Of US,
that they intended taking. But their efforts
were futile for not only did we now them
down with artillery, but we had supplies close
at hand just then, Of three times the strength
OF the attacking force, and II must have been
sheer desperation that dictated such an insane
attack. had not the least fear for our bat
teries, but rather wished they would keep
charging in that way all the balance Of the day.
Probably about one hundred Of those who
started on this charge got safely back, while at
least twelve hundred were killed, wounded, and
taken prisoners. This virtually ended the bat.
tie on our centre, and the fate OF the day was
decided. We had won glorious victory over
superior numbers and shown to the world that
tue Army Of the Potomac can fight and win,
when upon anything like equal grounds with
the enemy. ~ t -
The formation Of our line of battle was skill
fully chosen, its great advantage consisting of
the easy and rapid concentration Of our forces
from one point to another, 1t was somewhat
10 the shape of the letter U, being about three
qnarters of a mile from one side to the other
and two or two and half miles around the
front. suppose that Gen Meade selected the
line. 1t was admirably chosen. Too much
praise cannot be given to the commanding Of
fcer for the manner in which the army vas
handled. The batteries, under the command Of
Gen. Hunt, could not have been better posted
and never was an artillery reserve shown TO be
Of so great necessity to the army, for it was
very evident that the reserve alone saved the
centre. When our battery was taken to the
front, shot and shell were flying and exploding
oil around u.s. and the line on the righ. was
wavering. ! was no small matter to como into
action under such terrific FIRE but neither
officers or men faltered. We had not been in
position ten minutes before four horses on the
guns, and four men on the caissons, were
wounded. Sergeant Cheney was wounded be-
fore we got on The field, by stray she'll This
was the only accident hat occurred to any OF
the Ashtabua boys.
We arc now in pursuit Of the rebels, and
hope TO destroy their whole army before they
reach the Potomac. bs.. 4.8 .as ts
We took al least ten Thousand prisoners, and
the commander of the buryiug parties yester-
day mornirg estimated the rebel dead at five
thousand. Allowing three wounded TO one
killed, would place their loss at about thirty
thousand,-a fair estimate, think. Oar loss
will not exceed twelve thousand. We had
about seventy-6ve thousand fighting men
whilst their officers, who are prisoners, esti-
matetheir number at from ninety to one hud-
dred thousand. .r.e.t Al -t....- ..
Our army is iu foe spirits. Every man feels
that he participated in giving the rebel army
the soundest thrashing it ever had, and it gives
them confidence in themselves, and strengthens
The army in the ratio of twenty thousand men,
Hoping to catch the enemy soon, aud that
victory may again perch upon our banners, 1
remain very truly yours, s... 49, -s-5 s..