The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-05-09
THE BATTLES CR rnE R.PpAHtNNpcy
~ n 4 HER PAR7'IC TLdRS
GUINEA STATION. Nav = IS63

GUINEA STATION, May :, 1863.
gave you yesterday, IA far as Was ablc to
coi'ste IL, from the most reliable sources, an
account OF the operations OF our army in the
vicinity Of Chancellorsville, and in the "WiI.
dsrnes'' beyond that point This account 70.
lased more particularly to the part performed
oy the corps Of Lieut.. Gen. Jackson. Co. on.
GRAZING with this corps were tie oiyisions com.
manded by MAJ jor Gers. McI4aws and Auder.
son, who held il. eheekthe enemy in front Of
Chancelorssille, and assisted in driving hin,
from the position assumed on the cd turnpike
on Sunday
CAPTURE. OF NARyEs HEIGHTS
After this, these divisions were sent to aid G en-
ErIy, whose division was contending with
the enemy, under Gen. Ssdgwick, in the i'm
mediate front OF Fredericksburg they, 81
stated, having carried Marye's Heights on
Sunday afternoon. On Monday morning these
divisions took position on the right of the plank
road, from which they moved on in the 6irsc
tion of Fredericksburg. and formed a iunc.;nn
with The left wing OF Gen. Early, who had ex.
tended ms right wing very near the Rappahsn-
mock, at point ahoat euuidistaus from the
town and Banks's ford. About 4 o. ck in the
afternoon of that day an attack was commenced
oy the troors on Early s lefe, who were at once
joined Dy McLaws and Anderson, forcing tin >
enemy In the direction of the ford. T. Ar,y's
troops participated actively in this struggle
capturing several pieces OF artillery and MANY
prisoners Tbat night the whole Yankee force
on this end of the line of operations. excert
those which had fallen in battle, reoroesed the
river at Bankss fcri. Meantime, the heights
were recaptured by the brigade com manGei
U N, BOD II
s,ssippiSns 1t is stated that the loes of the
enemy on Sunday in their attack on Maryes
lleignts wac very heavy, and nearly earalied
the slaughter which attended thei, advance On
the l3;h Of December
THE FIaHT l< TIE wILpEsNrs,.
The fight on the p'anaroad-in the country
known rs the Wilderness '-Avas. beyoni
Doubt one of the most stubbornly contested of
any that has been fought gincs the commence.
ment CT this war yet at no time durips the
struggle, from the time the frat works Were
assailed till the last. in the vicinity OF Chancal
lorsvllle, was carried was the result in the
least doubtful.
10 form any eoIrect conception of the diff
eulties encountered by our troops in II cir az
saults upon the enemys works, a view OF the
bloody field, ex ending distance of nearly
i've miles, is necessary. Imagire narrow
road, sAIrted On thsr siGe with q dense and
apparently impenet,able growth of etunted
oaks, whose braiith hes reach the ground and
whose gnarled trunks nearly touch each other.
and some idea may be had of ihs c9uytrv in
its natural condition. Hers ard there, at in
tervals OF perhaps ha'f a mie was a ciea, e.i
spot OF from 5O TO lu0acres. Upontaeee Hook
ef nad thrown up his entrenchments and be.
hind them posted his artillery and infantry
In approaching them our forcss lad either
to huddie in the narrow fassvay or feel hair
way as best they could throu IN the woods
above described. In addition TO this gar; OF
the ground over which they had to pass was CT
soft, marshy character, covered with less
ssubborn, but quits AZ dense gr0wth of shrub
oery as fhe higher gfcunue. As they pierce
the WOOD laad, ard approached the cleared
heits upon " hlch were situated the success 81 ye
lines OF the enemy's works, a perfect storm Of
shell, grape, Canister, and musk kerry was hurled
upon them, aud many q brave spirit sank at
the bidding of the deadly messengers
On Saturday afternoon the work pGas bognn,
jackson, with tie divisions of A. P. Ul.''
Rhodes, and Trimble, having reached the enc.
my ssas ashss isst e.ier- -af sf.sreuebmsuis
was carried without such rssisi ancs as iiidi-
Gated very determined spiri5 on the part Of
the enemy; and indeed, if reports Of those
who participated be correc:, the stubborn
fighting OF the enemy GiGrot commence until
Sunday morning, when tLey seemed TO have
acquired some Knowledge Of ;hsir situ a,ion -
Our gallant men, undaanted 10y the rugged
face of the country, and undisnayed by the
shower of iron aud lead that raiRed around
them, pressed forward, driving the enemy be
fore them in the direction of Chancellorsviie
where tie two divisions of L0castrees's corps
-McLaw' and Ande fson' s--which have borne
30 conspicuous a part ii many of the hard
fought battles of this war, were engaging
them from thu frCut, ami driving them by way
of the cid nrnpike read, in the direction OF
United States ford. This fight, which eontin
ned through the afteGn1 Cn OF Saturday ard
forenoon of Sunday, wourd up glcriousiy
about noon Of the latter Gay, though the srmy
and country are called to mourn tie loss OF
many a gallant Southeruer. Tae onemy fought
well, tontestiDg the fed with stul bornAees
which gave eviGence Of At leAzt q hore of
SUCCESS.
sUs;- QUEsT xvzHTs.
Since Sunday there has bean Lo fighting Of
consequence on the Taper line On Monday
and Tuesday the Stiffness Was occasionally
broken by the reports of heavy orjian 20, but
no engagement occlrre1 and ou Wednesday
night, the enemy taking advantage OF the
storm, re ecroseed his shaft 9red and GiscUmfsted
columns to the North bank Of the Rappahan.
mock
THE PRISONERS.
In the series of fights thus imrerfec:ly de-
scribed, prisoners were take Ii On both sides -
Tne moat careful calculation can make of
our IL s. IN inns mhnEer VIII not eXlenO IL Ce-
yond one thousand. At present we have, at
this point as an offset to this lose, fifty one
hundred Of the eneny, and am Informed by
Mai. Hawks, Chief Commissa,y of this post,
thai no yesterday Issued rations for tittsen
hundred of the wounded, who are in field hos
pitfalls nsar the late seene Of conhic-, Among
these are officers of every grade, from DriQa.
dier General down. Whom these were first
brought here, they seemed possessed of all the
impuience characteristic of tie Yankee, and
opsnly boasted that Richmond would fall he
fore the close Of the week, basing their hopes
upon. the great fea.s to be accomplished by
SS.sonemsn in the destruction Of our lines Of
communication. Siace the trains have com
menced running through, and they have
greatly fallen, and they begin to realize that
little hope exis,s of their reaching Richmond,
save as prisoners Of war. b.