, 1863-05-26

|
1,oin, aLd, making it still fteblsr, one bri-
Eadc was detached t" pursue the retreating(?)
Tcbrl:! No aAvan age Of ground WIS gained
Ly thus extending it. pits had been dug
along liz Fl ol.t, afordjuy our troops Il larGe
MEASURE Ut safely ~hil. firing upon the enc
my. attempting to sweep over the open field
before them.
Meanwhile, tue rebels were busy trying our
lines, i'll order IL seize upon and profit " IT'S
weak points. About noon it became quite
evident tlny md made their decision, tor
large bodies were distinctly seen passing
ulong the kathanrn Road, in the direction Of
our right funk. This road branches off from
thu plank road, eight miles from Fred derlck5--
Tavern, fur miles from Dccker's, it re-
ccl>es Brooks Road, running dmos: at
right angles with it, and iuter7ecting
tie plank road and the old turnpike. "a |
glance at any onr Of the published maps or
diagrams Of the late fight will show the great
facilsy these roadways :5,aTe fur missing forces
upon our rightly Their course and relation to !
eacli 9TH ruught to ha9e suggested the prob |
ability of the movement, aiu CAUSED such q
disposition If forces rs would have euabed |
us to meet it promptly ond eittctually. But !
the wiscst Of men eeern fitted to Seasons Of
stupidity. Tie Commander Of the first disi-
| sion vas not aware Of the existence Of the
ruads, or tue topography Of the locality.
| Wlr1i askcd by one Of his rc3iment:l CUM
| n1atdcrs: '.Do yuu know where you are:n
|
"Un you know anything Of the roads Of this
When called off at last, thout'commando Of
any central ticrr. they broke By files and
companies, but r. formed behind the gallant
! 18th Ohio. cite the % Il, not that they did
| better than Others, bnt TO show the consum-
! mae skill with which the division was han
died Tic 10Th and a5th Ohio regiments ac-
! quilted thcnls elves likc men who had coun-
/, try urd honur to defend, while the 18th Con-
f,rf
| equalcd the must veteran III splendid con
duct. The loss in Mel-ean's brigade is very
great both in the ranks and In the field oil
GERS. The n"blc Riley l. tcad. The heroic
Richardson is dangerously woEadtd- The
brave and undauntcd Noble, taint from loss
Of Of Hood, lcavts tlr field % his gallant Leu
tenant. Cnlonel Walter, "Eo gave up his lite
in The very act Of cntrea'jng Ills nch t.: stand
last by the lag of tie country Of his adoption
ard of his love.
This same rcgimental officer then went to
| an old resident g Yankee clock pttldlcr' and
rough diagram, and brought it to his u1dis.
tur6rd general! But even after this lie tailed
10 appreciate the Significance uf these nutncT-
Gus roads ;.s II c!lanlrl for the rapid move
1hcnt Of troops. Tht day worc idly Away with
us, while The rchcls were perfecting their
plans. At a',ou, p m Capt. Santer, Co. B.,
55h Ohio, out on picket, sent in his first ser
geant With word that The enemy was massing
On the extreme right with infantry and artil-
1cry. Subsequently scouts from the 18th Ohio
brought the General the Intelligence that tho
IN. my werr in full force upon our right.
Aftcra while cavalry officer came dash
ing down the road, announcing that the enc
my were in full force on our right With
ar1illcry These tLrice-rereated warnings
ought to hare reused the most lethaTyic
keeper Of such holy interests Us were assem-
bling III the balances Of that hour But they
| fell upon cars that needed them not! No
change Of front was ordvred. No adequate
distractions were placed in the way Of the
in lis former position, rcady to repel only 0
front :ltfack-thc front aud flank skirmishers
had not even line Of communication vii
c7cl other! Such was the position Of af.ir:
with the lit DIVISION occupying the extreme
right No wonder the fear became genera
and painfully evident to every subordinate
officer, that 0nr flank waa being turned!
At 6p. III, the attack commenced Withou
I preuonltiun. No mounted sclitinel c:ltl'
Eulluping up with the news; but very littl
warning that the shock had cnme, WAS tn
shock itself 4 tremendous voiley Of mus
kerry, immediately followed by a dcluge q
grape and canister, and the rebels were upol
trio columns. One was moving down rh
turnpike, one down Brooks road, and III
other tul ther TO tlr left, and, as their prison
crs stated, in tu1E brigade line and forty decI
while section Of their artillery was brough
NJ TO 4 position in the road commanding ou
line. which it swept.
What could 4,00o men do with $1,000
Their flank and rear being entirely exposed
its foes, and their position eniiladcd At tina
But now surely, after this surprise in the rca
naDds that, and military science may We
blush in shame if it bc not Instantly don
Tie commander of the Ssh 0uio, lis eye upc
the right, detects it completely flankcd. FL
>, ting spurs to his horse. he hasteHs to the d
IT, vision commander and shouts, "Our right
turned; may Charge front? "No,"a is Il
reply. In 4 moment he was With his reg
naent again, aud seeing his right giving wa
IN he flies TO his General 4 second tine. 1T
at al right is breaking, and n" enemy In front
og may not shange ssGqs s an @
N. lne TINS soldiers who never yet had filled to
ad's. as. their duty, and whom Napoleon would ha
|ds deemed worthy place in the "Old Guard
~ ~ were left in tho trenches under an enhl1d
ICE fire Of grape and c:rnDisterI, aud unable to
Dus charge u muskct directly or obllquely
~ their foes, who were sweeping them dow
IT, Itwss !. surprise! Who doubts it, and tt
~. III tie broad daylight! There is not an oflis
'et a1 in the corps, aside from the guilty, who
Of not affirm it. NJ troops in the world col
IL have stood, placed rs were the right Of
18th Army Corps. Far noblcr would it be
the guilty to frankly acknowledge their err
IT han to ekulk behind yoicc}ese prirates, "
s1a y. charge Of cowardice, and staining
II n N. mory Of the heroic dead with detection,
Cos, robbing tho bercaved Of the consultations I
their loved ones died with their soldis
honor bright.
If Sigel had been in command Of his
cor1e, none believed that such 4 turp1
Ii could have happened; get who can doubt
responsibility rests upon lin who was tn,
notified OF the danger which finally robbed
Of complete victory? Complete victor
~, say, for 1 claim that such Q light and $
sae results as Hooker there achieved, cannot
dcnominatcd defeat, and the pride aud Int
d.. nation Of every true soldier of the Potoz
amy is touched if it be lntimatcd. Even
I'LL. write, our returned surgeons state, as
oval | admission OF all the rebel officers they me
tbs the other side, that they have rcceiSed
such terrible punishment since the war c
Ten. 1nenccd, and that If this is Joe 11nokcr's s
Sur. Of lighting they want no more Of 1t.