The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-05-14
Special Dispatch to the Advertiser and Tribune.
The Great Battle.

Speclal DlSpatcn 10 the Advertiser ana tribune.
The Great Battle.
PHILADELPHIA, May g. Wounded,
3rd Michigan-Lieut d. B. Smith, P.
Hess, Capt. J. J. Geld. 5th Michigan
L. McNaughton, Capt. Mason. 9TH
Michigan-S. Underwood. oath Mich
igan-F. q. Wadsworth, ]. McRay,
w. Fl. Jameson, G. L. Howard, ]. M.
Doing, H. Hughes.
This mornings Washington C1sron-
icle, generally regarded as the Govern
ment organ, contains the following:
''Time only can develop the precise
reasons why Gen. Hooker withdrew
his army across the Rappahannoch.
1t may be that not only the swelling of
streams by three days rain but some
Interior purpose caused the movement
which, was so unexpected to the pub
lie at large. We do not care to spec
ulate. We are content with certainties.
1t is certain, then, that we have infic-
ted vastly more damage on the enemy
than they have on us. The whole
amount of our wounded cannot exceed
1000, and killed 1900. From the best
sources we have no means of telling
how many prisoners we have had taken,
but it is certainly not more than 5000,
the number reported by Lee, and our
dispatches from Suffolk show this to be
an over-estimate. The fact that the
enemy were not willing to follow US,
as we withdrew, nor interfere with our
crossing is certain indication that
they were terribly cut up. Gen.
Stoughton reports that they aoknowl.
edge to unprecedented loss, and that
they suffered especially from artillery.
"On the other hand we find our army
in the very best of spirits. From
many whom we have seen direct from
the army, we learn that the greatest en-
thusiasm. exists. The soldiers have
the greatest confidence in their COM
mander. They understand why they
are on this side of the river, and are
not inclined to consider themselves
driven back, when they know that they
had the best of the encounter and de-
stroyed many more than they lost.
The Chronicle also contains the fol
lowing: "Stonewall Jackson has had
his left arm amputated above the elbow.
1t is not known how soon he will be
able to take the field. Gen. A. p. Hill
was severely wounded in the calf of his
leg. Gen. Paxton is killed. Gen. Lee
reports that he has taken 5000 prison
ers, and that his loss in killed and
wounded is very heavy indeed. From
a gentleman connected with one of the
Pennsylvania regiments which partic-
ipated in the series of battles for the
last few days, who arrived in the city
this evening, we have the most cheer
ing advices from our army at Falmouth.
He was participation in the battle
fought under the immediate eye of
Hooker and affirms that never did
soldiers fight better, and never was
there such admirable genralship as at
this time with the exception of the time
OF the panic of the 18th corps. Men
stood as firm as rocks, and literally
moved the rebels down as fast as they
came up. He had witnessed many
battles during this war, but he assures
us that never did such slaughter of
human beings take place. Our bate
rles were massed at threatened points,
and showered their double shotted con-
tents into the ranks of the enemy, but
whilst it was taking place our men were
In great measure screened from their
opponents. They had been SO disposed
that they could do the most possible
damage to the enemy whilst not suf
fering much from him. The rebel dead
were piled in many places eight or ten
deep, and person could not walk a
step without stumbling over a corpse.
'He thinks the enemy lost at least
four to one, as Hooker did all he could
to draw them out of their strongholds,
and then deal as much destruction into
their ranks as possible
Reports that the army has been de-
moralized and feel that they have been
whipped in being withdrawn across
the Rappahannock, are pronounced
by this gentleman aud numerous civil
ians with whom | have conversed
unqualifedly false. Never were our
troops in such good spirits, and never
so jubilant over their achievements as
now,.and instead of thinking thatw
drawal an acknowledgement of defeat,
know it was wise movement of Hook
er, and would result far more disas-
trously to the Rebel cause than if we
had remained at Charlottesville. They
knew that Gen. Hooker, by simply re-
naming at Charlottesville would, keep
the Rebels there but would not destroy
them. His main object being to do
the latter, he had pledged his word as
a soldier, and they knew be would car
ry it out. Instead, therefore, of this
retrograde movement being considered
an Acknowledgements of defeat, ou9 SOL
diers knew it was done because the
destruction of 5000 rebels was better
for us than the possession of a hundred
miles of Virginia territory, and, the lat
ter object must be subseryient to the
former.
Our recrossing the Rappahannock
was done IN mastery manner, and